Firmware ASUS_XG32UCWMG_MCM103 installation problems - please help or comment with suggestions

[bluan01]

Hi All, 

I just bought a new ASUS 32" OLED monitor XG32UCWMG, and I have run into this problem:  I connect it to my new Asus Strix Scar 18 laptop, and every time after power-on the laptop from its hibernation, the display swatches back to the laptop instead of continue using the external monitor, and I even if I go into Windows Display Settings to select Display 2 to use this external monitor, Windows on the Strix Scar laptop says it can't find another display, and I'd have to pull the HDMI cable and reconnect it, for the laptop or Windows be able to use the monitor.  So I thought, OK, maybe I need to update the monitor drive and its BIOS firmware first, so I search Asus website, sure enough, there are updates to both the driver and the firmware. I downloaded both, and here are the results: 

1. For the driver update, the download zip file produces a "driver" folder after unzip, and it contains a "DisplayWidgetCenterInstallHelper.exe" file, which seems to be a file that installs the DisplayWidgetCenter app, and there's nothing in the installation process saying that it also updates the monitor driver.  I went into the Windows Device Manager and try to update the driver for the monitor, and Windows says I have the latest driver installed.  So I am not sure what that driver update download on Asus website actually does for us, in terms of if it really updates the driver or not, and I hope someone from Asus customer support team can clarify this - is there a driver update for this monitor or not in this download?  

2. The monitor firmware update has more troubles: I download the zip file, and it created a folder called "ASUS_XG32UCWMG_MCM103" after unzip, which seems to be the latest version of the firmware MCM103, and since on the new monitor it shows MCM101, this seems to be an update we should install.  In this folder, it has two subfolders:
- A subfolder called "OneKeyUpdate": in this subfolder there's the ASUS_XG32UCWMG_MCM103.exe file, and you would think running this exe program should update the firmware, but this program produces an error when running it, as it says "device not found". So it appears that there's a bug in this program, or something is missing in this folder.

- A subfolder called "USBFlashDriveUpdate": in this folder there's a "XG32UCWMG.bin" file, and based on the included pdf help file, it points to this webpage: https://www.asus.com/us/support/faq/1041883/, and this page says we supposed to run a program called "ASUS VLI FW update Tool_setup_xxxx" program, yet there is no such program in the folder. So it's either Asus forgot to include this program file, or, the information on this webpage is wrong. 

And there supposed to be a second method to update the firmware per the help webpage, by putting the "XG32UCWMG.bin" file on a USB key and invoking the update from the USB key on the monitor itself.  The problem is, that method doesn't work either: after pressing the 4-way key down and the X button for 5 seconds to start the firmware update, the monitor could not recognize the USB key, even though the key is formatted correctly as FAT32 per instruction and the *.bin file is in the root folder. So there's either a bug in the *.bin file, or a bug in the monitor itself to run firmware update.  

I can't believe that Asus software updates for this expensive product is such a buggy crap!   Did the engineering team even bother to do some basic QA testing before release these updates?  This is really disappointing! 

Not sure if anyone else who bought this monitor is running into these problems, but I hope Asus customer support folks can escalate these problems to the Asus product engineering team, and leave some comments here:

- How to make Asus Strix Scar 18 laptop remembers that it is using the external monitor for display after restart or awaken from hibernation, without user having to pull the HDMI cable from the laptop to reset the monitor connection in order to use the monitor?

- If the driver or the monitor firmware update should fix this problem, then how do we update the driver? 

- For the firmware update process, how do we get around the bug that ASUS_XG32UCWMG_MCM103.exe file produces "Device not found" error?  If the USB update should also work, how do we get the monitor update to recognize the USB key that's properly formatted and plugged into the monitor, and be able to start the update process? 

Thanks!

[xixou]

If update fails power cycle the screen by removing the external power supply 230V input for about 10 sec.

Then try again.

With firmware update from V1 to V2 I had to do the update twice, it was first stuck at around 66%.

With the Firmware 2 to 3 update i had no issue (WIN 11).

[bluan01]

Thank you for the reply!  Do we have to first upgrade from V1 to V2 first, or can we upgrade from V1 to V3 directly? 

[xixou]

Also make sure the USB hub port of the monitor is connected to the host port of your PC.

The firmware update is done via the USB cable, you don' t need a USB stick, it emulates it.

[bluan01]

Thank you for the advice!  I have used the USB cable to successfully updated the monitor firmware to the latest V3 now, but the problem is still here: the monitor will not display the laptop content after the laptop weak up from hibernation or sleep, and I have to manually turn off the monitor by pressing its power button and then turn on again, before the laptop display will switch from laptop to the monitor.  So apparently there's something wrong in the monitor that prevents it being seen by the laptop, and a power recycle will clear that bug and enable the laptop to see it. 

I hope this issue is reported to the monitor engineering team, and they can investigate and release an updated firmware to fix this bug.  Since both laptop and monitor are made by Asus, I hope this is something they can easily fix.  Here's the info of my system:

- Laptop: Asus Strix Scar 18" 2025 model, running Windows 11 Pro. 

- Monitor: Asus 32" OLED gaming monitor, model XG32UCWMG.  The monitor and the laptop is connected via a HDMI cable and using HDMI2 port on the monitor.

I have tested with different cables and different port on the monitor, and the problem persisted, so it's not a cable or port issue. I also connected to a Dell and a Acer monitor, and they don't have this problem, so this is definitely an Asus monitor issue.

Please escalate this to your engineering team... 

Thanks!     

[xixou]

I have no such issue with my Dell laptop. Try to space the space bar of your laptop and wait few seconds, monitor should popup.

[xixou]

I mean't space bar of the keyboqrd connected to the laptop, as the lid is probably closed.

[bluan01]

Sorry your reply doesn't make any sense here!  I am not using Dell laptop, but the Asus Strix Scar 18" 2025, so it's an Asus product.  But regardless, the problem is that it is unable to reconned to the Asus monitor after weak up from hibernation or sleep, and this problem doesn't happen on other monitors, so it appears to be a monitor problem. 

Are you saying this is a problem of the Asus laptop?  If so, why recycling the power on the monitor will make it recognized by the laptop?  So it seems to me that it is something on this new Asus monitor caused the laptop unable to see it until something is reset after turning it on and off.   

[xixou]

Try maybe to install the monitor .inf on your laptop?

Did you try with a dockstation? At home I use a dockstation that has HDMI ouput and get no issue.

The dockstation is connected on my Dell over USB C.

I don't use sleep, my laptop is always ON, or totally off (no hibernate).