Apparently, it is not necessary to say that every manufacturer of computer equipment (in particular laptops), except for the tools of the operating system itself, is trying to impose on users the use of its own proprietary software, which makes it easier to perform some standard operations. One of these utilities can be fully called the application ASUS Live Update. What kind of program is it, why is it needed, what are its capabilities and how appropriate is it to keep it on your laptop, then we’ll try to figure it out. And for starters, let's see what kind of software this is, which is so recommended for installation on laptops of this manufacturer (on some models the program described below can be found even in the pre-installed form).
ASUS Live Update: what is this program?
As you can already guess by the name, this utility is designed to install any updates. But which ones? According to the developer himself, this program is basically designed for online updating drivers of absolutely all devices present in the standard configuration. However, this is only one side of the coin.
In addition to drivers, developers also paid attention to the search and timely installation of the latest firmware for primary input / output systems (BIOS / UEFI). Finally, the ASUS Live Update Utility software product also has a built-in function to track the release of critical or recommended (but optional) updates of the installed operating system itself, which is often seen even in some anti-virus packages, for example, from ESET. Yes, the utility seems to be necessary, but the opinions of users regarding its use are divided.
Some tips for setting up and using ASUS Live Update on Windows 10 and earlier systems
Before making conclusions about the need to use this software, you need to look at some settings. After the first installation, the application automatically creates its own autostart module. And constantly "hangs" in the system tray in the form of an icon. To get access to the interface, just it can be used. There is not much information in the main window. Basically, it indicates whether there are any updates available for installation.
If desired, the user can perform a forced search independently by the type of how it is done in the "Windows Update". The results of the found service packs will be divided into critical and recommended. When you select the installation, a list of packages is displayed on the screen, and a brief description of each component will be shown to the right. First of all, drivers are updated online, but often you can see the installers of new BIOS firmware, as well as Windows updates. After selecting one or more items by ticking them, the user enters the installation window, in which you just need to click the button for immediate installation.
Particular attention should be paid to the frequency of searching for updates. True, in the settings, there are not so many options, and it is better not to set too short a period of time (optimally - once a month).
But the main problem concerns the fact that under no circumstances is it recommended to enable automatic installation, otherwise the laptop can easily reboot at the most inopportune moment. In addition, you can meet another type of negative reviews about ASUS Live Update. What kind of program is this if it independently installs the latest BIOS firmware, the computer goes into restart, and after that the system does not boot? Yes, indeed, such oddities in the behavior of the application are noticed. But this, apparently, is due to a flaw in the firmware itself. Therefore, in order to avoid such phenomena, enable the search and installation with the right to choose the action yourself (again, as is done in the standard Windows partition).
Performance issues
Finally, quite often you can meet user complaints that the utility, constantly working in the background, is too actively using system resources, causing unreasonably high load, which is why other programs start to freeze. In this case, it is recommended to disable the program module in the startup section of the system (in Windows the seventh version is in the msconfig configuration, and in the eighth and tenth it is in the "Task Manager"). This is justified for many reasons, because both Windows updates and new drivers do not come out every day.
Is this utility needed and how to remove it if necessary?
Here is a brief summary of everything regarding the ASUS Live Update utility. What kind of program this is, in general terms, is clear. Is it needed on the computer? The question is quite controversial. By and large, if necessary, drivers can also be installed manually, in extreme cases, using automated programs like Driver Booster, which do not load the system so much. Updates of primary systems, if you really need to, can be downloaded on the manufacturer’s official website, but most ordinary users never install new firmware. And system updates when the service of the corresponding center in Windows is turned on will be installed without using this software product.
You can delete the program through the standard section in the "Control Panel". But for automatic cleaning of residual components, it is better to use highly targeted applications like Revo Uninstaller or iObit Uninstaller.