Brand new laptop- discovered a few glitches

[KateMarie]

Hello, I'm Katie and I am new to the forum. I purchased an ASUS laptop yesterday with Windows 7 and I've rarely used W7 before this, I'm more used to XP. I replaced my absolutely horrible Dell laptop so basically nothing can be worse.

But I've run into a few bugs with this computer. First off, when I closed the laptop, it didn't shut down properly, which is strange since it's a new laptop. I have also had issues with Windows Media Player. Basically it won't start and then there's some sort of execution error. I've also had issues with a program I installed but I think it's just the program being difficult rather than the fault of the laptop. I have also had issues with Windows DVD Maker, it slowed down the computer then stopped responding altogether.

Nonetheless, I got this computer hoping to fix some of the glitches from the Dell. I still have faith that this computer is good for me, I've just got some problems I've got to fix and then it will be smooth.

Could someone give me very simple instructions on how to fix these issues?

Oh I forgot to add that I'd also like to disable the clicking with the mouse pad option. I'd much rather use the buttons they provide. I can't figure out how to do that either.

 

[unifex]

Welcome to the Forums!

Please let us know which model laptop you have bought, this way our help may be more precise. Also, please ask more precise questions, you will see what I mean below.

Almost any laptop can be programmed to do one of the three things when you close it - it should either shut down, or sleep, or hibernate. This can be set in Power Options in the control panel. (Go to Start->Control Panel->Power Options->Choose what closing the lid does (should be on the left)).

Other questions you asked are less precise and I cannot answer them before you make them clear:

What were you doing with the DVD maker? What do you mean by "stopped responding"? What exactly happened? Did you get an error message?

What error have you run into with the Media Player? What kind of file you were trying to play?

Which buttons do you want to use? Do you mean mouse buttons or the laptop's touch pad or something else? Some people want to disable the touch pad altogether and use a USB mouse instead? Is that what you want to do or there are some other buttons specific to your laptop (again, what's the model of the device?)

I hope you can see from my questions what I mean by making the questions precise. Remember, we don't have your laptop in front of us, we can only go by what you have told us yourself!

 

[KateMarie]

It's an ASUS, model number K53E-BBR7. It has an i3 processor, 15.6" display, 4GB memory, 640GB hard drive and it's brown. That's literally the most I can tell you.

I would like to use the buttons on the bottom of the mouse pad, not the pad itself. I don't know how to describe it other than that. But I can't figure that out.

I was playing around on the DVD maker and it froze on me while I was trying to create a menu. It wouldn't let me see what I was creating and the preview froze and then the whole program stopped responding.

As for Media Player, I just plain can't even open it. I used it a total of once and it played fine, then I clicked on a .wav file and it wouldn't play. Something about a file execution error.

Anyway, that's as specific as I can get. Can someone help me out?

 

[DeaconFrost]

You may not like my solution, but this is one of the reasons many of us wipe out OEM systems and reinstall the OS clean. Anytime I've gotten an OEM system for a friend or family member, it's run slow and had strange issues. I'll wipe the disc clean, install Windows 7 fresh with updated drivers and all is well.

Do you have a Windows 7 install disc that you could use to try and fix your current install?

 

[KateMarie]

Hmm... no. I have NO idea how to even begin to do that. I may need to discuss this with my dad. I don't live at home but he knows more about this stuff than I do...

 

[gregrocker]

Clean up factory bloatware

Asus is a good brand which makes a solid laptop. The problem is the same as for any brand however (HP is worst) which is the corrupting sponsored bloatware which is larded on along with useless factory utilities which have better versions built into Win7. These tend to weigh down the OS which is a crime with WIn7 given that it is the first featherlight, instantaneous Windows.

A lot of the bloatware load can be lessened by turning off all the freeloaders which want to start up with Windows. You really only need your AV - use a free lightweight one like MS Security Essentials or Avast 6 with the WIn7 Firewall, kept updated - and perhaps gadgets to start with Windows as everything else freeloads on your RAM/CPU, Startup Time, can spy on you and cause multiple performance glitches.

To turn off these startups, install CCleaner and use the Tools>Startup tab for a user-friendly way to disable everything except your AV and gadgets (called Sidebar for some reason). Any you have questions about can be googled to find out what they are. I will often allow a HD or battery monitor to remain from the maker's utilities as they can help more than hurt.

There are more steps outlined here Clean up factory bloatware, to check the logs for repeat errors, use the multiplicity of Win7 system resources to solve problems, uninstall the bloatware when you become sure it's unwanted, test the hardware as needed, or even find a Win7 retail installer for your version to clean reinstall to shed all the factory bloat

We'll be glad to help you work through this until it's perfect.

 

[seavixen32]

Hello KateMarie and welcome to Windows Seven Forums.

Sorry to hear you've been having problems, but in addition to the good advice you've been offered thus far, I think you should also contact Asus support, as it's a new computer that is under warranty.

For myself, I'd be asking for a replacement laptop or a refund as it obviously isn't fit for purpose at the moment.