TF101 screen keeps coming on at random when docked

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Hotdiggitydog

Member
Mar 22, 2012
18
2
happening to me as well... When Docked.

I even have tried setting the screen timeout to 15 seconds, and cannot get it to stay off.

However, if the tablet is docked and closed... it seems to stay off. Unless it turns on with the Random Reboot scenario.
 

Thiesen

Senior Member
Aug 8, 2009
301
18
Hi there...I was directed here from the transformerforums.com to ask about this issue. I have a B50-vintage TF101 with keyboard dock. Since the 2nd ICS update, my Transformer has developed the annoying habit of the screen randomly popping on for no reason. I know on that other site there were users seeing this happen, but I tried my best to search here and didn't see it in the search (at least not for the Transformer).

So, I did some playing around and noticed a few things. The annoying "screen coming on for no reason" issue happens only when the tablet is docked in the keyboard. The screen will come on for 10 seconds and then go off again (my default screen timeout is 5 minutes). It is almost as though some kind of notification is coming in, waking up the tablet for a moment.

I believe the issue is the "Charged" notification. I did the following experiment several times: I undocked the tablet, allowed it to discharge to about 95%. Then I plugged it back into the keyboard dock, and waited. The tablet goes into "charging" mode (with the little bolt icon on the battery). If I hit the lock button and wait, the screen goes off and stays off..it does not randomly pop back on again. Not until "Charged" has been hit. After that, the screen randomly comes on again as before.

Further, I noticed that whenever it comes on, it activates WiFi as well. I have my WiFi set to only come on when I am using the tablet. This explains the tablet waking me up in the middle of the night with new email notifications.

Not sure if this helps any...it seems reproducable to me, and definitely a regression (especially from Honeycomb).

Count me in on this one.

I discovered this when I left the pad in the open position while in the dock without the charger plugged in.

If I remember correctly it was like this even under HC but back then I thought it was kind of notification system that kicked in to so that the pad could sync and what not.

The waking of the screen seems to be pretty regular too... I haven't timed it though but I would say some 1 1/2 - 2 hours from the moment I press the powerbutton till the screen wakes up the next time.

I know by checking CPUSpy that while the screen is active the CPU is ticking along at 216MHz but the pad gets quite warm... that's odd...

My TF is a B60KA* one...
 
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Starlust

Senior Member
Mar 22, 2012
107
10
Ok the screen on/off thing is starting to really irritate me...I did an experiment as a "work around" and I was wondering if anyone having this problem (and a dock) can confirm.

I'm trying to see if the random screen on thing happens while the dock is closed. So far, if I close the dock (and keep it open just a crack so I can see the screen), I do not see the screen blinking on at random. Could this be a "work around" until Asus actually fixes it?

I was wondering if anyone else could try this and confirm...it could just be a case of "a watched pot never boils" here..I don't see it coming on when closed, but I'd love it if someone else could confirm. I can't believe that this constant screen coming on/going off is going to be good for the backlight.
 

Thiesen

Senior Member
Aug 8, 2009
301
18
Some additions to my earlier post:

Yesterday I had my TF so that I could check up on it while I used my stationary computer and the TF was in the keyboard dock all the time in the open position. I earlier stated that it was 1 1/2 - 2 hours between the waking of the screen... I was wrong... it's more like 5-10 minutes in between...
 

jtrosky

Senior Member
May 8, 2008
3,901
1,153
For what it's worth, it seems that this bug appeared in the last ICS OTA. If you revert back to the original lCS release, this is no longer a problem.

Since the OTA patch only seemed to fix the battery stats for me (still had random reboots), I actually prefer the older version at this point...

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
 

Starlust

Senior Member
Mar 22, 2012
107
10
Yes, that's what I thought...I didn't see this happening with Honeycomb or the original ICS. And 5-10 minutes between blinks...that's what I'm seeing as well.

For what it's worth, it seems that this bug appeared in the last ICS OTA. If you revert back to the original lCS release, this is no longer a problem.

Since the OTA patch only seemed to fix the battery stats for me (still had random reboots), I actually prefer the older version at this point...

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
 

dtfamily

Member
Jan 2, 2009
23
0
For what it's worth, it seems that this bug appeared in the last ICS OTA. If you revert back to the original lCS release, this is no longer a problem.

Since the OTA patch only seemed to fix the battery stats for me (still had random reboots), I actually prefer the older version at this point...

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Having the same problem as others:
- rebooting randomly (not very often though). One time the tablet was hot, rest of the time it hasn't been hot, but does drain the battery.
- will turn on numerous times when in dock. I've noticed if I turn off wifi it doesn't appear to turn on though, from what I can tell. For sure at least not as often, but I don't think it's turning on at all if the wifi is off.

You said the original ICS update works well. Forgive my ignorance, but without rooting, is it possible to downgrade to that original ICS version?

Thanks.
 

ronin412

Member
Apr 1, 2012
5
0
Hi, I might have some information that might help some of you.

After ICS my TF101 would randomly reboot (sometimes crashing) and also startup on it's own, either on dock or not. I have tried every non root suggestion I can find to sort it out all coming to nothing (the longest I have gone without crashing is 2 days).

I have however stopped the random startup's... Not ideally by any stretch of the imagination!! As part of trying to fix my TF I did a factory wipe, only installing the apps which came with the TF. I am still getting the crashes but not the restarts. After a while I decided if it was going to crash anyway I might as well just install my apps from the market, the first was HD widgets. Within 10 minutes the restarts started up again even though I was in airplane mode (I was watching the screen to see if anything happened).

So I'm guessing it was something to do with this and/or similar apps. But be warned, I uninstalled it and the wake ups stayed until I wiped it again.

So now my TF is turned off and being used as a £400 pound paper weight, really hope ASUS fix this soon.

Sorry it was a bit long winded, I hope it made sense and maybe gives someone cleverer then me (which isn't hard) some indication.
 

corrybruce

New member
Jul 29, 2011
3
0
Edmonton
Anyone getting a light blue screen? Tried taking a screen shot but what it captures is not what you see on the screen. A reboot fixes it, but already enough random reboots without having to do it myself. Is a B50 attached too... the blue screen doesn't affect the use, just looks like blue is saturated, no photo editing.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
 

boonkui

Senior Member
Dec 29, 2010
136
7
Having the same problem as others:
- rebooting randomly (not very often though). One time the tablet was hot, rest of the time it hasn't been hot, but does drain the battery.
- will turn on numerous times when in dock. I've noticed if I turn off wifi it doesn't appear to turn on though, from what I can tell. For sure at least not as often, but I don't think it's turning on at all if the wifi is off.

You said the original ICS update works well. Forgive my ignorance, but without rooting, is it possible to downgrade to that original ICS version?

Thanks.

This seems to be the easiest workaround for now. I automate turning off of WiFi upon screen off. It worked so far.