G74SX touchpad

[Pockles]

I've looked around and heard of problems with the G74SX touchpad but I can't seem to find any solution with my current problem. I my touchpad sometimes seems to be overly sensitive and when I try to use it to move the cursor, something (perhaps I have my other fingers too close) causes the cursor to keep jumping around and its really annoying when I'm trying to click on something. I'm not sure how else to explain it besides it feeling like the touchpad sometimes just decides to be really sensitive and causes the cursor to move afew inches at just the slightest gesture. When I look at the options for the touchpad it gives me the following:

Sentelic Finger Sensing Pad (06/17/2011)
Version: 9.1.3.5

Do I need to update or revert the drivers?

[BrodyBoy]

Does it do this all the time, even right after you boot up? Or does restarting seem to help for awhile?

[Stone]

Mine does this as well. I have updated to 9.1.1.7 in terms of the driver. I still have the same problem, the pad works fine for a period of time (varies) then one of two things happen, it either moves so slow and hangs for short durations, or, it becomes unstable as indicated above. When I restart it corrects the problem.

[Pockles]

BrodyBoy wrote:
Does it do this all the time, even right after you boot up? Or does restarting seem to help for awhile?

Its just as Stone described. Always works well when I bring the laptop out of sleep or after a restart, and then it will randomly begin to start behaving like that although not everytime.

[Stone]

You will also note that when this rather frustrating behaviour starts it gives the impression that something massive is running in the background. If you try to start the task manager to look at running apps there is a chance of a complete hang, but generally speaking it will not start... which also suggests a hardward conflict of some sort.

[BrodyBoy]

Unfortunately, that pattern....where it starts to misbehave after a period of use, and then rights itself after a restart or being off for awhile....points toward an erratic touchpad. That's a hardware rpoblem that can't be resolved through software/driver fixes.

It's certainly worth trying all possible driver adjustments to make sure that it's not just settings. But if it persists with that same pattern of behavior no matter what you do, you're left with two option: (1) just return it and get a different one if you're still within your retailer's return window, or (2) RMA it to Asus, preferably to Chastity (their "erratic touchpad specialist." :))

[esotericman]

I had read about the overly sensitive touchpads on the G74sx, so I left the dust cover they shipped with it on. Even with that plastic to diffuse the sensitivity, I sometimes have issues. Of course I do not hope to move quickly with the touchpad gimped like this, so I have a mouse when speeds matter (work vs surfing vs gaming).

I did notice one very odd thing though. If the USB cables touch the pad it causes the most erratic movements yet. I did not mess with it to see exactly how sensitive it is, but I wonder if watches or rings could be causing some odd induction resulting in spazzy pads?

Just an idea.

[BrodyBoy]

esotericman wrote:
I did notice one very odd thing though. If the USB cables touch the pad it causes the most erratic movements yet. I did not mess with it to see exactly how sensitive it is, but I wonder if watches or rings could be causing some odd induction resulting in spazzy pads?

Just an idea.

You're sort of on the right track....the erratic touchpad is not a sensitivity issue, but rather a grounding failure. The G-series touchpads use a piece of foil tape to ground the TP to the chassis. (Most laptops use some sort of stable metal bar that adjoins the chassis and TP grounding pad.) The tape system is prone to failure, and when it does, the result is one of these erratic touchpads. It would make sense that particularly active touches (electrically, that is), causes more extreme behavior.

As I mentioned earlier, this isn't something that can be rectified with software. One of these touchpads will act up with any driver, any configuration, any OS. If you have an option to return the G74 and get a new one, that is the easiest, fastest resolution. Otherwise, the sooner you RMA it and get the TP replaced, the better.

---

[/HR]

PS: Just noticed that Chastity's back on this forum today. Chastity is Asus' erratic TP go-to person, so if you must RMA your laptop for a TP repair, that's who you want to contact.