15" Series 9 NP900X4D discussion

Use model number NP900X4D-A03US



Edit: John beat me to it while I was fumbling with updating the screenshot. Indeed, I think that is the part.

 

Maybe this part. It should be a complete keyboard / keyboard surround / touchpad / palmrest unit.

John

 

Hi, I just received my NP900X4D and there is an issue with my spacebar. It is slanted, it's coming out a little more than other keys on the left and it's lower than others keys on the right. If I press all the way to the right of the spacebar it doesn't work most of the time.

I was wondering if there was away I could fix this easily and rapidly or should I sent It back to NCIX knowing I have express RMA (express shipping for returns, exchange, DOA, etc.)



The feel of the space key is also pretty odd. I hadn't used until now all I have done on this comp so far is remove the bloat ware.

 

Sometimes the keys don't move freely in the holes. IIRC my old X4C had something similar where there was sometimes a delay between when I pressed the spacebar and it popping back up.

Put a very small screwdriver blade into the gap between the spacebar and the keyboard surround and move it round the edge of the spacebar a few times to make sure that the keycap can move freely in the hole and gently try to lift the right end, which seems to be stuck down. That, and use, fixed my X4C.

John

 

No luck, still stuck :\ Are the keys of this keyboard just like normal desktop keyboard keys, removable individually? Can I pop the space bar out? It might be the lagre U shaped metal bar you can find under the big keys that's misplaced.

EDIT: Tried the trick again and it popped it back into place on the right hand side, but went back down after a few times of being pressed down. The spacebar is still oddly working on the left side. I called Samsung customer service and they don't have local service point so I would to ship it, I'll probably ship it back to NCIX as I have the express RMA with them and I got it yesterday.

Not much luck for me with laptops, ordered a Yoga 13 just before the NP900 and it came with a defective battery, had to get a refund (amazon was out of stock for 2 months)

 

Yes, if loosening the keycap around the edges isn't enough then ship it back. However, it might be worthwhile running the screwdriver around the edge and lifting up the right side another dozen times in case that is enough to get it centered in the hole and moving freely. I suspect that the spring underneath the space bar is barely strong enough, but there was no room for anything bigger. I wouldn't try pulling the keycap off. I think everything underneath is plastic and relatively fragile.

John

 

Even if it fixes the part of it where it's lower than in should be, the problem still remains on the left side where it's popping out and the response of the key is odd. Thank you John for the replies, I have been following this thread for the past few weeks and you seem to be the master of series 9 notebooks!

 

Looking again at your photo I see the left side is a bit high as well as the right being too low. Did you try firmly pushing down the whole space bar in case something isn't properly slipped together underneath. There's half a chance that a firm push will cause part of the mechanism to click together.

John

 

Yes I tried this as well. I just lifted the button slightly with a tiny screwdrive and the metal bar is loose on the left side. It's moving freely not clipped to anything.

 

I got my replacement and I've noticed something, hopefully it's like that on all NP900X4D otherwise I am very very very unlucky. The hinges are a little loose? When taking the laptop only by the bottom and angling, the weight of the screen make it open or close itself.

I found out about this when I was laying in bed I lifted my laptop up and the screen closed on top of my head, a little surprising haha... This isn't a big of a deal, just checking if my hinges aren't looser than they should be.

 

Hi everyone. I just bought the NP900X4D today. I should be getting it in a couple of days. I just have a quick question about the different models this notebook comes in (well, I guess it's actually two questions).

What are the differences between different A01, A02, A03, A04, A05 models?
The two letters after the A0X means the region it's released in. Are there any differences between different regions? For example: US, UK, CA.

I'm really looking forward for the laptop. Reading all the posts here gave me a pretty good understanding of the machine.

 

The last 5 digits in the model number are a unique identifier and represents a specific configuration (hardware + operating system) ordered by a country marketing office from the factory.

The UB country code is an exception to the general rule since it represents Best Buy. I suspect, in volume, they shift more stock than some countries.

John

 

Hi all 9 series users!
I just got my 900X4D A04SE yesterday (ordered a factory-sealed machine at 30% discount at a weekend-only sale here in Sweden) and after playing with it a bit and getting ready to install Linux, I balked when I came across this thread a few pages back and read about the UEFI-bug/implementation and the risk of bricking my laptop. Scary stuff! I followed the links and tried to understand Matthew Garrett's post to learn more and saw that this unfortunate bricking of the Samsung 9 was not always induced by Linux or attempts to install Windows 7 but could also be the result of actions taken inside Windows 8 as part of regular usage. And at least for Linux, there appears to be a fix. As for Windows, Garrett's advice is not to use UEFI at all.

So, after reading all this and understanding 75% of it, I am not taking any risks, and have decided to stay with Windows 8 + Classic Shell. My question though, should I be worried? I don't understand that whole thing about NVRAM or UEFI storage space being filled up above 50%.

So I have many questions.
1) Are there things I should not do even in Windows 8?
2) I installed the new firmware, P08ABK, perhaps that has fixed this issue altogether?
3) Do I risk bricking the laptop just by attempting to boot from another medium, e.g. USB-disk if recovering my system or going back to earlier system image ? (I want to reclaim the SSD recovery partition so I have exported the factory image to an external USB-drive and will put a system image there as well when I have finished installing all my software and tweaks. But I have not dared deleting the recovery partition yet, since I don't know if I can recover via USB without risking ending up with a brick.)
4) Matthew Garrett recommends not using UEFI at all, that seems to me not a viable solution at all, since my Win 8 license is tied to this factory installed OEM version and cannot be used for a fresh install. Am I wrong?

Please, if anyone has info that could address these concerns I would be ever so grateful.
Thank you!

As a side-note and info for those who are not successful updating BIOS from within the Samsung's Software Updater, I too got cancellations until I connected the power cable. Then the update went smooth.

 

Our definitive discussion about bricking the Samsung notebooks is in http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/706510-samsung-laptops-bricked-using-uefi.html. You will see that the thread has gone quite quiet. The causes appear to have been addressed.

It is also relevant to look at the Samsung Linux threads by Googling "site: Samsung Notebook Forum Linux". You will see that people have installed Linux without hassles during the past few months.

You have evidently succeeded in updating the BIOS but, for future reference, my recommended method is described in the first post here.

Before you embark on anything serious make a full backup using Samsung Recovery Solution.

John

 

Thank you very much.
I'll read through that thread, and a few others I have found, before I start out.

One thing is a bit unclear to me however:

1) I have output a factory image to a USB drive (actually to two of them). Let's say I wipe all current partitions from the SSD, could I not restore my computer to factory default directly from the USB factory image? I ask this because I see mentions of it being a problem to recreate the recovery partition once it has been deleted, but if I have the factory image on a USB-drive then that would be a moot point, right?

2) Also, does the Samsung Recovery Solution's full backup output a complete image of the entire drive including the recovery partition and the two "reserved" partitions in the beginning of the drive? So that, if I would wipe the SSD drive completely I could get back to where I am today further down the line and get back my recovery partition, system and reserved partitions.

 

Hello pasticcere, good questions.

1) If you make sure to enable the Create Boot disk option in Recovery when make your factory image backup (as described in this Samsung guide) then YES, you can use that backup to completely re-partition and re-image your disk (or a new disk you might install).

The posts you may have seen about difficulty re-creating Recovery refer to models delivered with Win7, which used an earlier version of Samsung Recovery Solution (SRS5) that did not have the ability to easily create a bootable factory image backup. You had to use a more involved procedure. This post describes the difference and the procedure for both SRS5 and SRS6.

2) Your factory image backup does NOT contain an actual backup of all the partitions on your drive. Rather, it contains the Recovery software itself (assuming you enabled that Create Boot Disk option), along with the Factory Image. When you boot it, it can re-build your entire disk the same way as delivered from factory, including all the partitions you see. The only thing missing is the System Software (drivers and Samsung bloat) which is contained in a folder on the original Recovery Data Partition. You can back those up separately (using Recovery) or just let SW Update download the latest versions instead.

Note that the factory image backup does NOT backup your current Windows installation. You would have to do that separately, either using the Backup feature in Recovery (described in this Samsung guide), or using using a 3rd party partition imaging tool (Acronis, Paragon, Clonezilla etc), or using Windows' built-in image backup feature (oddly named Windows 7 File Recovery in Win8).

If you intent to completely wipe your SSD, it is prudent that you made two backups, in case one of them should fail. We discuss that exact issue here.

 

Thanks a lot for your clarifications!

1) So indeed, before wiping the system recovery partition it could be a good idea to use it once to get rid of a lot of bloat? And then bite the sour apple and reinstall my programs and tweaks?

2) There are a quite a few partitions on my 128 GB SSD. What are they all doing there?
There is, from left to right, 499 MB recovery partition // 300 MB EFI something partition // 91 GB system partition // 25 GB recovery partition // 1 GB recovery partition. Number 3 and 4 in the order I know what they do, but what about the other three, what is their purpose. Can I claim their space as well?

 

Re 1) Running factory restore in Recovery (if that is what you meant) will not get rid of factory bloat. It will merely return your system to the original factory state. The post here (and the links within it) gives some guidance on bloat removal. The post here has some further suggestions for trimming your installation to regain space on the SSD.

Re 2) The partitions you see are normal for Win8-delivered PCs, using UEFI/GPT (which has no partition limit) instead of the old BIOS/MBR (which only allows 4 primary partitions). The post here explains about those partitions. The only ones you should consider deleting are the Samsung Recovery partitions (the last one on the drive), particularly SAMSUNG_REC2 (the big Recovery Data partition) and possibly SAMSUNG_REC (the small Recovery Software partition, named RECOVERY on some models).

That post I linked in my last response ( here) elaborates on the backup and when it is safe to delete the Recovery Software partition.

 

Hey gang,

I just bought a NP900X4D-A03CA on ebay without a hardrive and power adapter. I have purchased many electronics from this seller without ever an issue. Now I need to buy a replacement ssd and power adapter. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. preferably in Canada if possible but there is a UPS on the US side that is only 45 mins away from me.

Also, is there a factory image I can download for this model or is there a preferred version instead?

Thank you!

 

The SSD is an mSATA. There is a reasonable selection in the 250GB size range and if you search hard there's a Samsung 512GB mSATA (there's also a Crucial 480GB M500 mSATA but reports suggest it runs hot).

I've bought a couple of compatible 3rd party PSUs and both work fine for me. I recommend that you look for one with an L-shaped power plug. This is a lot more convenient than a straight one as it guides the cable away from the adjacent USB port.

Do you know whether your X4D was originally shipped with Windows 7 or Windows 8 (the support page lists files for both)? If it was Windows 7 then the windows key sticker is on the PSU (which you haven't got). The Windows 8 key is in the BIOS and there may be a Windows 8 sticker on the bottom of the computer. Otherwise, the manufacturing date is on the label on the bottom.

Samsung do not provide downloadable factory images. You will have to contact them to find out if they can ship you a disc (and what it will cost) or they may want you to send in the computer to have the drive re-imaged. Your alternative is to use a standard version of Windows (A Win 7 ISO is officially available to download but Win 8 is not). Once you have got a basic version of Windows installed then use Samsung's SW Update to get all the latest software and drivers.

John

 

Hi John, thank you for the very quick reply. I was worried when I saw the last post was in September. Is there a way I can check to see if it may still be under warranty or date of original purchase? I'm running Win 7 Ultimate at home and not convinced on Win 8 so maybe I will just install Win 7.

I beleive I read that I can add another 4gb of ram, is this correct and if so is there a preffered brand/model?

Many thanks again!

 

Yesterday I updated my Touchpad drivers and suddenly they have less options in Elan Smartpad settings. I really hate that Apple-style scrolling on notebooks and I can't seem to find where to change it back to "normal". Also, I can't choose how long double tap lasts etc. Is this problem with the new drivers? Should I roll back? Is anyone else having same problems?

 

1. Tap the F2 key about twice per second immediately after (re)boot to get into the BIOS. The date the computer was first turned on is shown there. The warranty is normally one year from that date. While you are there you can check which BIOS version you have. P**AAC was used for the versions shipped with Windows 7 (UEFI not enabled) and P**ABK was used with UEFI-enabled Windows 8 versions.

2. Most DDR3 SODIMMs will work. I say most because for reasons best known to Samsung, BIOS P09ABK and P10ABK won't work with my 1.35V RAM. Usually get 1600MHz RAM but 1333MHz will work.

I should add that the X4D is electronically identical to the more numerous X4C which has a more active thread.

Save the touchpad installation file in SW Update and then open it. You will find ETDAniConf.exe in the X64 folder. If you run this you get a different control panel which has some different options to the default ETDSimpleUI_Win8.exe. The option I needed yesterday was to turn off reverse scrolling.

John

 

Hi John,

I received the laptop tonight, removed the back cover and just wanted to confirm where the SSD plugs in (it did not come with a drive). Please see the attached photo and confirm it connects where I placed the yellow outline. Also, it has one stick of 4gb Adata ram. if I wan to add another it needs to be the same brand and specs correct?

It does have the Windows 8 sticker on the back. You mentioned the windows key would be in the bios, the problem is it did not come with a charger so I don't think the battery has enough/any power to boot into the bios until I pick up a charger tomorrow. I will also pick up a crucial 240gb ssd.

How do I go about getting Windows 8 on this without a dvd drive? Is it just a matter of making a usb thumb drive bootable, drop an iso of Win 8 Pro onto it and boot into the laptop using the usb as the boot drive to install? Then use the key from the bios?

Thanks again!

 

1. Yes, the SSD goes in the slot you have identified.

2. Any DDR3 SODIMM should work but I would caution that BIOS P09ABK broke the support for 1.35V RAM (which I normally use for a little extra power saving) and this was not fixed in BIOS P10ABK. Therefore I would recommend you stick to standard 1.5V RAM but the brand does not matter. I expect the A-Data RAM is exactly the same as that provided with my X4C. It is PC3-12800 (1600MHz) and the timings are 11-11-11-28. If you buy a module with different timings then the BIOS will select the fastest timings supported by both modules.

3. See this thread about installing Windows 8 on the Series 9.

John

 

Thanks for confirming and the ram info!

Now the big question is do I want to install Win 8 or Win 7.... I am running Win 7 on all my other PC's in the house and to be honest, I'm not familiar at all with Win 8. My understanding is that if this laptop had a touch screen then for sure I would be missing out big time if I didn't install Win 8. By the way, which version of Win * does this model come with? I beleive it is 64bit but is it Standard/Pro/Ultimate ect...

What are your thoughts?

I didn't have any luck trying to find a repair/service manual or and info on disassembly, any ideas?

 

If it came with Windows 8 Pro then the sticker on the bottom will say "Pro" on it.

I'm only running Windows 8 on my primary computer because I spent $5 on Start8. If I was doing a clean install then I would opt for Windows 7. History shows that every other version of Windows is a worthwhile improvement.

You can get a service manual at Samsungparts.com. What more do you want to disassemble? You've got the base off. There should be a screw to hold the mSATA SSD down (see my photo here). Was it in the computer? If not, you'll have to find one (it's probably the same as the screw used to fix the WiFi cards). The only other bit of dismantling I have done was to remove the cooling system and reapply the thermal paste.

John

 

Thank you, that helped me. I still have troubles scrolling in Windows 8 Mail app which I use frequently. After installation of new drivers and ETDAniConf.exe the Mail App seems not to respond to touchpad scrolling. Also, I think sensitivity doing double tap has messed up. 3/5 times it works correctly even if I have set touchpad sensitivity to it's maximum. Anyone else having problems like this?

Tried to rollback drivers but it didn't work, Elan Touchpad control panel was still limited.

 

IIRC, one setting that people found improved rbehaviour is to disable drag and drop.

After using it for a couple of weeks I feel that Elan driver 11.7.19.9 seems to be step backwards and have just gone back to 11.7.15.3.

Edit: Perhaps previous drivers don't clear some of the settings made by 11.7.19.9 but they became a further step backwards so I am back to 11.7.19.9.

John

 

Do you use Windows 8 native Mail app? Does your scrolling work there? Mail and some other apps do not work with these Touchpad settings like I have. When plugging in external mouse, scrolling works flawlessy. I'm quite sure that problems with double click and scrolling are due to the drivers, but as of now, Elan hasn't updated their latest mistakes which makes me quite angry.

 

I don't use the Windows mail.

However, it is possible that the setting you want is this:

View attachment 105929

Which you can access using the ETDAniConf.exe control panel which is in the Elan installation package. I would also add that the newest Elan driver is in the NP940X3G downloads. It's a lottery whether it gets offered for other models.

John

 

The bottom one did the trick, thank you. However, still having problems with double clicking. Seems like it only works half the time.

 

I'm also finding that the newest driver is a step backwards (in my case the cursor seems to jump around more than previously).

Let's hope that another one is in the pipeline.

John

 

Hello everybody,
I have a question to all of you who have this computer (NP900X4D).
Recently I have updated the Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 in my laptop. From this moment, everytime I switch the computer on, although it still switch on very quickly (as always), I have to wait because it stays "thinking"... and if I try to open any application or the internet Explorer, it doesn't respond... just keeps on thinking till I have to re-start the computer and wait again...
Any of you have already had this problem? Have somebody found a solution?

Thank you,

 

Soluto may help diagnose what is happening.

Acceleration of the boot process has involved various tricks, some of which involve delaying programs from starting until after Windows appears to have booted, but then if the program is essential then it delays the computer being usable.

John

 

I understand. But before installing Windows 8.1 my computer started very fast withouth problems, now with this update from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 is when I'm starting having problems...
:-(

 

Windows 8.1 is known for breaking things that previously worked. Hence the long thread at the top of this forum. Unfortunately, Samsung and Microsoft don't require people to read the thread before accepting to try the upgrade.

I can't offer you more specific trouble-shooting advice but there's a chance that Soluto may find the culprit. Give it a try.

John

 

Blah. So I'm looking for help with why my FAN seems to be running almost constantly. It's never done this before, just started doing it pretty recently. Hitting Function F-11 twice will turn it off for a bit, but then it just comes back on. It gets so darn noisy with the fan running.

Also, since upgrading to Windows 8.1, my laptop doesn't seem to go to Sleep and/or come out of Sleep when closing/opening the lid. Any thoughts on this?

Really want this fan issue fixed...

Aside from that, I really like the laptop, except for the trackpad which is the WORST trackpad I've ever used, UGGHH.

 

First of all try restarting your computer. Secondly, after reboot, if fan continues to work on full-speed, open up Task Manager. Something is using CPU above normal circumstances. Could be some programs, bad drivers, etc.

 

So, silly me I dropped my NP900X4D from my bag because I forgot to close the zipper. One of the hinges is broken and basically the screen cannot go to 90degrees anymore. However, aside from that the screen is still working and the laptop boots up fine. I'm planning to go to a service center near me to get it repaired since its obviously not under warranty, but does anyone if I can replace this myself and if so, what I would need to replace? Maybe even a website for the parts? Or should I just give up on saving money and just get it fixed at a repair center lol

 

Hi dyzh, welcome to NBR.

I am very sorry to hear that. It happens.

I am no expert on repair procedures (other may jump in who are). But samsungparts.com is the go-to place for Samsung spare parts and components. Once you have a part number, you can Google that for prices from other sources.

 

Hi,

I just ran SW update and updated Syem BIOS (ver P10ABK) and QuickStarter (Ver 1.0.2.16).

Since then, my computer doesn't go to sleep if I close the lid, it just turns off the screen, if I press the power button it doesn't go to sleep, it just doesn't do anything. Also my automatic screen dim seems to think it's always really dark. Is there a way to revert to the previous versions?

I'm running windows 8, not 8.1 on a NP900X4D

 

First try resetting the BIOS to the default values.

Then reinstall Settings which might re-adjust various configuration settings back to where they were (the BIOS update usually goes back to the default values which may not be what the computer was using).

If that doesn't work then read this thread and this thread. I case you didn't keep a copy, the file name of the previous BIOS is ITEM_20131023_21241_WIN_P09ABK.exe.

John

 

And John saves the day again...! Resetting BIOS default values and reinstalling settings worked!

 

I've been there a few times myself.

The most traumatic was when a BIOS update (I think it was P09ABK) removed support for 1.35V RAM (which I had put in since I had some and it should fractionally reduce the power consumption) so the computer played dead. I then put back the stock RAM in readiness to send the computer to Samsung for resurrection and pushed the power button to check the computer was still dead, and it wasn't.

John

 

Well I'm glad that didn't happen with me, I also have 1.35V module installed in my laptop!

 

I tried this - it didn't fix my one remaining problem.

Missing the battery life extender tab in Settings (tried many different versions with uninstall / install).

It works in Bios, but that requires a shutdown. I use this a lot when travelling. I suppose I could be less obsessive about it, and only do it at the beginning and end of each trip, but a fix would still be nice. Windows 8,0 on my NP900X4D

 

You need to go back to an earlier version of Settings, newer ones don't have BLE (even if it's in bios). I use Settings 2.0.0.55 which is the latest I could find that still has it. Look in SW Update under model NP880Z5E-X03CA.

 

It sounds like this could also just be the ACPI bug at work. In this case a simple battery reset would solve the problem.

 

So just to verify, 1.35V RAM does not work on the present BIOS? Some Crucial 8GB (2x4GB) kits are on sale in Canada that I would like to upgrade to but if this is an issue obviously it won't work... Is it possible to down grade the BIOS?