Chances are if you're reading this you've already figured out that the Asus MemoPad with an Intel Atom processor is eligible for a free Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade. All you have to do is visit www.Asus.com and find your version and get it And for no extra charge you'll get a free serving of aggrevation. The upgrade instructions are a bit, well, underwhelming. If you've downloaded it and put it in the root directory of your internal or external storage you'll notice that the tablet will conveniently ignore it. So what's the deal?
The end of one road, the start of another
The Intel Atom processors running Android is a fairly new thing. Up until very recently Android was run almost exclusively on ARM processors and up until recently they have been 32bit processors only. These newer Atom processors are 64 bit, but up until Android 5.0 Android has been stuck on 32bit only. You'll get better performance running Android 5.0 on your Intel based tablet. But to do this you'll have to wipe your tablet and start over again.
Starting from Scratch
I know that idea of starting over may not sit well with you, but it's really not as bad as it sounds. You will need to backup all of your music and photos and other data files stored in internal memory. You will need to know how to log into your Google account and how to log onto your WiFi.
Verifying your tablet
The Asus MemoPad has a few different models. Asus makes a huge point about determining which one you have. It only takes a moment to figure out which one is yours, DO NOT GUESS. When you download the right version for your tablet you may drop it into your internal memory in your root drive. I like to put it on a small MicroSD card. I did it with an 8GB card that I had laying around.
Step 1-The Quantum Leap
Asus shows you how to do a factory reset in the instructions. I have to remind you that when you press this button, you're on your own. Chances are very, very, very likely that that things will be fine. But, there's always a risk that things may not turn out so great. In some cases you can brick your device. And of course if you're entire 'Hootie & The Blowfish' record collection is on the internal drive and you didn't back it up, it's gonna be gone, gone, gone. I did tell you to back everything up? Once you push this button you are very much on your own. But being a true computer geek means taking risks like this without thinking twice.Step 2-"Who are you?"
Now that your device is wiped it's like the movie "50 First Dates." It won't remember a thing about you. You'll have to log into your WiFi and then long onto your Google account. Once you do this then things will start to get back to normal. Then it may start installing some updates that you may not have seen before. Sooner or later (not right away but soon enough) it will discover that Lollipop upgrade on the device. Then again, maybe not. If you installed it into the root of your internal memory it was deleted when you did the factory reset. So, if you've done this you'll once again have to find the right version and put it back into the root directory. Now you see why I like putting in on a MicroSD card.
Step 3- Installing your apps, again
This may sound like a major choir, but it's not. The best thing to do is log onto your Google Playstore account via a PC. You can see what you've installed again and one by one tell it to install to your tablet once again. This is the opportunity to evaluate apps that you may not use all that much. You may want to install the minimum social media apps and the minimum news apps. These are things that are constantly running, and checking so they tend wear your battery down and impede performance. What you may want to do is start off with a dozen or two dozen apps that you cannot live without and then over time add more.
Is it worth it?
In a nutshell I think it is. I've noticed better performance with the tablet and I do really like Lollipop. It has a nice look and feel. But there is also considerable bloatware that Asus installs on the tablet that wasn't there before. Do you really need a mirror app?
Backup and Restore
Asus has a wonderful Backup and Restore feature that you can set up. I cannot emphasise how good it is. My 20+ years of Microsoft Windows experience has taught me one thing. Computers tend to do worse over time. I tend to reinstall Windows on my PCs every 12 to 18 months. I am of the opinion that every six months to a year it's best to do this with Android as well. When you backup your tablet before doing the factory reset you'll be in fairly good shape. You'll need to backup your personal data that is on your internal drive. After the reset log in once again to WiFi and Google, have it do a restore. Plug the tablet into AC Power, go to bed. You'll find that all your apps will be installed by themselves this time by the morning. If the tablet has started to slow down you'll notice an improvement in performance.
I have the ZenFone 2 which also runs on Lollipop. During my initial install of Lollipop on my Asus Memo 7 it found the backup for the phone and more or less did an exact replica on my tablet. I was very impressed how well it worked. I know nobody likes when their tablet gets lost, stolen or damaged. But we are rapidly moving into a world where you can buy a new one and more or less get your entire device back to where it was before disaster struck.
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