[Q] Google now troubles

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Olafur

Member
Jun 26, 2012
17
1
Good day all.
Last summer I accepted to install Google Now after some suggestion from Google. I quickly realized that this was extremely intrusive and overtook my pad time and again. At the time I blamed that on the fact that my pad was fairly new and was extremely buggy and unstable in every respect.
Now, after many updated and firmware fixes, my Transformer TF700 is much more stable. Lately Google Now has started popping up unasked overtaking the pad. It crashes whatever application I am using and just sits in the lower left corner as if waiting for me to use it. While my pad goes through these episodes, that can last from few minutes up to half an hour, my pad is completely useless.
I have uninstalled everything I can find that resembles Google Now but that does not seem to be enough. I simply can not do anything at all. Anything I try to do the Google Now crashes. I have been able to "force" my way into the app manager (meaning I just make continuous attempts to get into setting/Apps until successful) but there is no Google Now available under running apps.
I have installed all updates and am at version 4.1.1
Any ideas what I can do? This is just too annoying and just last night this behavior prevented me taking meeting minutes in a very important meeting.
Help! Please!
Ólafur
 

buhohitr

Senior Member
Nov 30, 2011
5,966
1,821
Good day all.
Last summer I accepted to install Google Now after some suggestion from Google. I quickly realized that this was extremely intrusive and overtook my pad time and again. At the time I blamed that on the fact that my pad was fairly new and was extremely buggy and unstable in every respect.
Now, after many updated and firmware fixes, my Transformer TF700 is much more stable. Lately Google Now has started popping up unasked overtaking the pad. It crashes whatever application I am using and just sits in the lower left corner as if waiting for me to use it. While my pad goes through these episodes, that can last from few minutes up to half an hour, my pad is completely useless.
I have uninstalled everything I can find that resembles Google Now but that does not seem to be enough. I simply can not do anything at all. Anything I try to do the Google Now crashes. I have been able to "force" my way into the app manager (meaning I just make continuous attempts to get into setting/Apps until successful) but there is no Google Now available under running apps.
I have installed all updates and am at version 4.1.1
Any ideas what I can do? This is just too annoying and just last night this behavior prevented me taking meeting minutes in a very important meeting.
Help! Please!
Ólafur

Google now should work fine on your tablet. You definitly have some issue with your OS, I suggest you should download the full firmware from Asus, do a factory reset then reflash the full firmware. This should fixed your Google now and anything else too.
 

MartyHulskemper

Senior Member
Jun 5, 2008
1,597
443
Good day all.
Last summer I accepted to install Google Now after some suggestion from Google. I quickly realized that this was extremely intrusive and overtook my pad time and again. At the time I blamed that on the fact that my pad was fairly new and was extremely buggy and unstable in every respect.
Now, after many updated and firmware fixes, my Transformer TF700 is much more stable. Lately Google Now has started popping up unasked overtaking the pad. It crashes whatever application I am using and just sits in the lower left corner as if waiting for me to use it. While my pad goes through these episodes, that can last from few minutes up to half an hour, my pad is completely useless.
I have uninstalled everything I can find that resembles Google Now but that does not seem to be enough. I simply can not do anything at all. Anything I try to do the Google Now crashes. I have been able to "force" my way into the app manager (meaning I just make continuous attempts to get into setting/Apps until successful) but there is no Google Now available under running apps.
I have installed all updates and am at version 4.1.1
Any ideas what I can do? This is just too annoying and just last night this behavior prevented me taking meeting minutes in a very important meeting.
Help! Please!
Ólafur
I gather you are on the stock ROM? You cannot actually uninstall any system module on stock; you can only disable them (same result on the exterior, though).

You could give unlocking and installing a custom ROM a thought: they generally either do not include Google Now at all or only at your own discretion (with CROMI, for example, it is an optional install). Are you rooted? If so, you can try installing Titanium Backup and freeze system modules in the app list and hunt it down that way. It seems to be starting up now, missing some component or access. I do not have it installed at all anymore (I found it useless out of the box, and although people recommended it as becoming better with time as it 'learned' what to present me with, I didn't find any improvement on finding the info myself by hand, and it is too US-centered for us Europeans, anyway -- I have no use for yesterday's American Football results. ;)
 
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Olafur

Member
Jun 26, 2012
17
1
Google now should work fine on your tablet. You definitly have some issue with your OS, I suggest you should download the full firmware from Asus, do a factory reset then reflash the full firmware. This should fixed your Google now and anything else too.

I suppose I will attempt this and try to choke Google Now after reflashing.
I found the firmware on ASUS web but now I do not know how to proceed. I will look for info about reflashing.
What is mu best option regarding backing the tablet up? I have rather a lot of stuff locally on the tablet that I wish not to loose.
Thanks.
Ólafur
 

Olafur

Member
Jun 26, 2012
17
1
I gather you are on the stock ROM? You cannot actually uninstall any system module on stock; you can only disable them (same result on the exterior, though).

You could give unlocking and installing a custom ROM a thought: they generally either do not include Google Now at all or only at your own discretion (with CROMI, for example, it is an optional install). Are you rooted? If so, you can try installing Titanium Backup and freeze system modules in the app list and hunt it down that way. It seems to be starting up now, missing some component or access. I do not have it installed at all anymore (I found it useless out of the box, and although people recommended it as becoming better with time as it 'learned' what to present me with, I didn't find any improvement on finding the info myself by hand, and it is too US-centered for us Europeans, anyway -- I have no use for yesterday's American Football results. ;)

You are correct, I am on the stock ROM and I have not rooted yet. The tablet was so unstable in the first few weeks after I got it so I did not dare void the warranty yet. After it has stabilized I might root it if there is a reason to.
Google Now is WAY to intrusive and, like you said, to US-centric to be of much use to me.
Is there a usable backup solution that does not require me to be rooted?
Thanks,
Ólafur
 

buhohitr

Senior Member
Nov 30, 2011
5,966
1,821
You are correct, I am on the stock ROM and I have not rooted yet. The tablet was so unstable in the first few weeks after I got it so I did not dare void the warranty yet. After it has stabilized I might root it if there is a reason to.
Google Now is WAY to intrusive and, like you said, to US-centric to be of much use to me.
Is there a usable backup solution that does not require me to be rooted?
Thanks,
Ólafur

Download the full firmware from Asus, unzip the file then copy the unzipped file to the root of your micro sdcard, you should see a notification for update, tab on it and let it rip! BTW, without root, not much you can do even try to backup your device.(it's not going to be a complete backup but a half ass one).
 
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Olafur

Member
Jun 26, 2012
17
1
Download the full firmware from Asus, unzip the file then copy the unzipped file to the root of your micro sdcard, you should see a notification for update, tab on it and let it rip! BTW, without root, not much you can do even try to backup your device.(it's not going to be a complete backup but a half ass one).

Hi. ASUS has an Unlock Device App on its support page. If I get that and, backup, and reflash will I not be back to untooted? If that is so,will I not have trouble restoring my stuff?

As you realize I have not given this much time. I just want to use my devices and not have to be plagued by stuff like this. To me, my phone is a utility first, toy second. I do not have the time to play with it as much as I would like and therefore this kind of operation is all a bit blurry.

I am an IT manager and have been for over 20 years so I am technically aware but have not given my current Android platform enough time yet.
Many thanks,
Ólafur
 

buhohitr

Senior Member
Nov 30, 2011
5,966
1,821
Hi. ASUS has an Unlock Device App on its support page. If I get that and, backup, and reflash will I not be back to untooted? If that is so,will I not have trouble restoring my stuff?

As you realize I have not given this much time. I just want to use my devices and not have to be plagued by stuff like this. To me, my phone is a utility first, toy second. I do not have the time to play with it as much as I would like and therefore this kind of operation is all a bit blurry.

I am an IT manager and have been for over 20 years so I am technically aware but have not given my current Android platform enough time yet.
Many thanks,
Ólafur

Well, if you want your device to run really well, then you need to unlock your device and flash custom rom/kernel. Many ppl kicked themselves in the bud for not doing this sooner. Sure if you unlocked, warranty is voided, but it well worth the hassle. OK back to your topic, in order to root, without unlocking, you need to downgrade back to ICS version .30, root your device, install OTA root keeper, then do incremental upgrade back to JB. The only advantage with root is so you can install rooted backup app to backup all your apps (system apps, user's apps and all the settings), rooted will not improve your device performance at all, but if you unlocked and flash custom rom, you will see a huge improvement on performance.
 
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    Good day all.
    Last summer I accepted to install Google Now after some suggestion from Google. I quickly realized that this was extremely intrusive and overtook my pad time and again. At the time I blamed that on the fact that my pad was fairly new and was extremely buggy and unstable in every respect.
    Now, after many updated and firmware fixes, my Transformer TF700 is much more stable. Lately Google Now has started popping up unasked overtaking the pad. It crashes whatever application I am using and just sits in the lower left corner as if waiting for me to use it. While my pad goes through these episodes, that can last from few minutes up to half an hour, my pad is completely useless.
    I have uninstalled everything I can find that resembles Google Now but that does not seem to be enough. I simply can not do anything at all. Anything I try to do the Google Now crashes. I have been able to "force" my way into the app manager (meaning I just make continuous attempts to get into setting/Apps until successful) but there is no Google Now available under running apps.
    I have installed all updates and am at version 4.1.1
    Any ideas what I can do? This is just too annoying and just last night this behavior prevented me taking meeting minutes in a very important meeting.
    Help! Please!
    Ólafur
    I gather you are on the stock ROM? You cannot actually uninstall any system module on stock; you can only disable them (same result on the exterior, though).

    You could give unlocking and installing a custom ROM a thought: they generally either do not include Google Now at all or only at your own discretion (with CROMI, for example, it is an optional install). Are you rooted? If so, you can try installing Titanium Backup and freeze system modules in the app list and hunt it down that way. It seems to be starting up now, missing some component or access. I do not have it installed at all anymore (I found it useless out of the box, and although people recommended it as becoming better with time as it 'learned' what to present me with, I didn't find any improvement on finding the info myself by hand, and it is too US-centered for us Europeans, anyway -- I have no use for yesterday's American Football results. ;)
    1
    You are correct, I am on the stock ROM and I have not rooted yet. The tablet was so unstable in the first few weeks after I got it so I did not dare void the warranty yet. After it has stabilized I might root it if there is a reason to.
    Google Now is WAY to intrusive and, like you said, to US-centric to be of much use to me.
    Is there a usable backup solution that does not require me to be rooted?
    Thanks,
    Ólafur

    Download the full firmware from Asus, unzip the file then copy the unzipped file to the root of your micro sdcard, you should see a notification for update, tab on it and let it rip! BTW, without root, not much you can do even try to backup your device.(it's not going to be a complete backup but a half ass one).
    1
    Hi. ASUS has an Unlock Device App on its support page. If I get that and, backup, and reflash will I not be back to untooted? If that is so,will I not have trouble restoring my stuff?

    As you realize I have not given this much time. I just want to use my devices and not have to be plagued by stuff like this. To me, my phone is a utility first, toy second. I do not have the time to play with it as much as I would like and therefore this kind of operation is all a bit blurry.

    I am an IT manager and have been for over 20 years so I am technically aware but have not given my current Android platform enough time yet.
    Many thanks,
    Ólafur

    Well, if you want your device to run really well, then you need to unlock your device and flash custom rom/kernel. Many ppl kicked themselves in the bud for not doing this sooner. Sure if you unlocked, warranty is voided, but it well worth the hassle. OK back to your topic, in order to root, without unlocking, you need to downgrade back to ICS version .30, root your device, install OTA root keeper, then do incremental upgrade back to JB. The only advantage with root is so you can install rooted backup app to backup all your apps (system apps, user's apps and all the settings), rooted will not improve your device performance at all, but if you unlocked and flash custom rom, you will see a huge improvement on performance.