2013 Ativ Book 9 Plus owner's lounge (NP940X3G)

Unfortunately that is the situation in a nutshell:

1) Any Win8.x ISOs downoaded from Microsoft using Product Keys (which, as you point out, have to be retail or upgrade keys) are tied to that Product Key and cannot be used with other keys. That has been confirmed by several members.

2) The fact that legitimate Win8 and Win8.1 ISOs are so hard to come by (unless you have MSDN subscription) is a primary reason for owners to protect their Recovery and factory image. We used to get reports that Samsung would send Recovery Media to owners who lost their Recovery (a plain OEM Windows disc without SRS, but that is still GREAT to have). But that seems to no longer be their policy.

It would save so much time and expenses for everybody (users, Microsoft and Samsung support staff, you, me) if Microsoft would make these ISOs readily downloadable from Digital River, the same a Win7.

 

My X3G didn't even come with a W8.1 disc although I have upgrade rights and the key is stored in the bios. I believe Dell freely provides users with W8.1 thumdrives when requested. Thanks for confirming that issue with the key being tied to the downloaded iso. I wonder whether the generic key would even be accepted?

 

Probably Microsoft still thinks the only reason why Win8.x hasn't taken off like Win7 did, is solely because users haven't given it a proper chance; and once they do, they'll love it, Start Screen and all.

Beyond the Metro Mess, it apparently never occurred to them that Win8 install media being so darn hard to GET (even for users who OWN the license) might contribute to the low adoption rate

 

OK, my touchpad is still having problems as others are seeing (at first, I thought it was because of magnet problems, but doesn't seem to be the case). Sometimes starting from sleep, the touchpad would be erratic. If I put the system to sleep and wake it up again immediately, it works just fine, making me believe it is a driver issue/conflict upon startup. Did anyone else have a fix on Windows 8.1?

I have tried these Elan drivers versions, all with the problem.

11.7.10.4

11.7.19.9

11.7.20.5

This seems to be the problem posted here...

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...-edtware/5752e1ab-bdbf-477b-b3cd-6a932634d8cc

 

My touchscreen has somehow been disabled on my Ativ 9 plus. I cannot get the Pen and Touch option to show up in the control panel, nor the proper device under Device Manager > Human Interface Device. Also, under the Samsung Fn + F1 menu, there is no touchscreen input option available. Any ideas how my computer suddenly decided it no longer wanted to be touch screen?

 

Hi -

I recently installed some updates through SW update include some display updates and now I'm back to having the "mustard yellow" issue when running on battery. Any idea how to fix this?

Thanks

 

Hey guys, I have a 8GB i5 model and I've been really disappointed with performance lately, particularly in chrome. I'm running Sammy Optimized mode and it just seems like no matter what I try, Chrome lags in regular use. With a handful of tabs open, scrolling is crazy laggy, opening new tabs has a significant delay, and a general slow response. Even typing this post, characters lagged in being presented on screen.

While I know an i5 isn't a powerhouse I just wanted to see if I'm by any chance the only one with such a bad experience. The same problem persists through the stable, beta and dev Chrome versions.
So, am I the only one lol?

 

I'm dredging through my memory and have a distant recollection about one of the Samsung software packages creating some unwanted performance-related side effects. It might be Samsung Support Center.

However, first run HWiNFO and check that your CPU speed is varying through the expected range (800MHz to >2GHz). If it isn't then make sure that you haven't accidentally enabled Silent Mode. This locks the CPU speed down to the minimum (less speed = less heat = less fan activity).

John

 

Ok so I'm finally going to upgrade my 128GB SSD to a 512 one. I am looking at the Crucial M550 and the Transcend MTS600

I searched this Forum and also the Crucial Forum but I couldn't really find an answer. Do the "power draw issues" still exist with the crucial drive if i dont clone my SSD but do a complete Windows reinstall with the 12.9.0.1001 RST drivers?

The reason I ask is because the Crucial drive is a whole 100$ cheaper for me so I'd like to take that one

 

You can trawl through the NP930X5J thread and put this question to forum member huberth. Also see this thread in the Crucial forum.

John

 

Touchpad continues to freeze one or two times per day. I put the computer to sleep, wake it up, and it's fine again. Very frustrating. I'm thinking it has to be a driver issue.

 

I'm looking at purchase one and was interested in finding out if it has a mini displayport? The specs say mini vga and micro hdmi. Not sure if mini vga is a typo.. seems like a weird/non standard choice. Are there any (cheap?) adapters that can be used to plug in a dP or mini dP monitor?

Edit: From what I have read, it seems like the port is indeed mini vga. If that's the case, what's the best option to drive a dP/mini dP external monitor at 1440p?

 

Yes, that mini-VGA port is a Samsung special. Why they didn't use a mini DisplayPort is one of those mysteries (but they would have needed to slightly lengthen the flat part of the computer side in order to provide space for a mini DP socket.

So you will have to feed the monitor via an HDMI to DisplayPort converter, which is relatively rare and expensive. I also suggest using a micro HDMI to HDMI adapter which includes a short length of cable (something similar to this to avoid stressing the micro HDMI port.



John

 

Check if member damouk's post here applies to your situation.

Otherwise try Googling site:notebookreview.com/samsung touchpad freeze which gives a number of hits for various models.

We have a thread (linked below) where much of the useful touchpad discussion is gathered, although individual model threads have some as well.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...hronos-np700z5a-trackpad-discussion-only.html

 

Yup, having the same problem. It used to be fine... not sure where the driver conflict is. Some point with a Windows Update or driver update? I've been testing a series of drivers, but all eventually have the problem. If I figure something out, I will let you know. Frustrating indeed.

Update

I might have a quick fix. It's been consistently stable for 24hr now. If it remains stable for next few days, I will post instructions.

 

There was a recent graphics update, and since the update my screen is changing brightness depending on the background color. For example, if the background is darker the screen will automatically get a few notches brighter and vice versa on whiter screens. I remember I edited a setting prior to the update that disabled this from happening, but I don't recall what that setting was. I checked the battery management and the graphics options but I can't seem to find it. Does anyone have any idea what this setting is?

Edit: So I looked it up online and I found that I need to turn off the "Display Power Saving Technology" however, that setting seems to have disappeared from the Intel graphics settings. Any idea where this was moved?

 

use the settings program and disable adaptive brightness

 

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus NP940X3G
Windows 8.1

Symptoms: Erratic, completely unusable touchpad / trackpad with jumping cursor on Elantech drivers (11.7.10.4, 11.7.18.2, 11.7.19.9, 11.7.20.5)

Temporary Fix: Put system to sleep, then wake up. Touchpad works fine during session. Symptoms eventually come back during another session.

Permanent Fix:

Stay tune... I believe it is the bios/micom.

 

It's not that setting. I already turned that off. That's to adjust the brightness based on the light from the outside environment. The setting I'm referring to is based on color of the actual onscreen image, not external brightness. I need to find the setting from my edit in my previous post.

 

Hi guys I'll be getting my NP940X3G-K04US in the next couple days and I would like to know what the first things I should do should be?
Should I format the laptop? Get rid of any bloatware (if so - how?)?

Thank you in advance!

 

This problem is persistent and I'm beginning to wonder if it's a hardware issue... The touchscreen with sporadically work if I repetitively attempt to use it, then will just as erratically stop working again. I know the touch pad problems seem to be common on this thread, but surely I can't be the first person experiencing touchscreen issues.

EDIT: Indeed this seems to be hardware related... I've pinpointed the issue to be the angle at which the screen is open. Anything less than ~85 degrees opened and the touchscreen will not work. It's as if the connection is getting pinched or disconnected, but only for touch capabilities? Makes we worry that unless I send it to Samsung for repair, the entire display will stop working

 

DO NOT format before you have created the bootable usb restore stick (F4 on startup, 16-32GB thumbdrive only). This will allow you to return to factory settings if you have warranty issues. After that it's up to you if you want to reinstall windows or just uninstall some of the pesky apps. Be warned, you MUST have a W8.1 iso to reinstall, these are not easy to come by if you do not have an MSDN subscription.

 

Okay so how do I go about creating the USB restore stick?
Where can I get a W8.1 ISO?

And if I don't reinstall windows, which apps should I remove and how do I remove them completely?

Thank you in advance!

 

I'm sorry if this was answered before, what is the maximum resolution supported by the HDMI? Thinking about upgrading one of my 24" monitors to the Dell P2815Q 28" 3840 x 2160 monitor. I know it uses DisplayPort and HDMI 1.4 as the connection options.

Not sure which version of HDMI the Samsung has. Also anyone has experience using converters from HDMI to DisplayPort?

 

The Samsung forum sticky list has links to the guides you need.

The only way to get an official Win8.1 ISO is from Microsoft MSDN/TechNet. If you have a retail Win8 or 8.1 Product Key Microsoft has a way you can download an ISO just for that. Links to that are in the sticky as well.

 

Correct, also Samsung does not offer Win 8.1 recovery DVD, they do for Win 7 and Win 8 Home Premium. Now they do offer option to send in your computer to one of the service centers and they will reimage the drive for you for I think it was $50?

I have the Win 8.1 ISO image ~4GB and just burned it to a DVD and booted the Samsung from USB DVD drive. It picked up the product key from the BIOS just fine.

 

It is almost certainly HDMI 1.4.

Member dhm282 reported here about doing 2560x1440@40Hz (147MHz dotclock) using a custom resolution; and member kitejumping reported here about doing 4K 3840x2160@30Hz (249MHz dotclock) by just plugging it in.

Also check the discussion starting here earlier in the thread.

Microsoft's policy of making these ISOs so difficult to get (even for owners of a valid license) is infuriating. But as you probably all know, NBR's forum rules have a zero-tolerance policy regarding piracy discussions. Until/unless Microsoft changes their stance, we don't want to attract the attention of their lawyers. I mention it preemptively because the question comes up regularly.

 

Awesome, thank you much

 

For people who've had this laptop for a while, how much wear do you have on the battery? Does the battery in these high-end Samsungs hold up well?

 

I don't recall all that comes with W8, maybe other owners can comment on the bloat samsung has included. I would at a minimum remove the norton trial (MSE is just fine for antivirus) and the office trial (unless you want to get 365) and abobe. Generally you can tell what's useful and not in add/remove programs. It used to be you could perform a Windows reset that would return the computer to fresh installation, but apparently Samsung includes the additional software at that level. I would like confirmation this remains to be the case though.

 

Hi Jamesg,

Just a quick question.. I am also planning to upgrade my Samsung 256 GB M.2 2280 to Transcend TS512GMTS800. Since you have been using this for couple of months, just wanted to check how is the performance compared to Samsung? As Samsung has no plans or I probably am not aware, whether they would have a 512 GB version for this formfactor.

 

I can add that a 512GB Samsung M.2 2280 does exist (model No. MZNTE512HMJH-00000), as mentioned in this thread. However, it may not be easy to find and is probably entended to be an OEM, not retail, part.

John

 

I tried to replace the SSD today, but the screw is totally stripped..... tried all sizes of screw drivers and nothing worked. what now?
Why does Samsung screw it so tight??

 

One option is to look for a very small stud extractor similar to this.

Or you can try other tricks such as glueing a screwdriver bit onto the remains of the screw with a hint of superglue.

John

 

I've been searching for a tiny extraction bit, but no luck. The smallest one I can find is a 2mm one, but the one I destroyed, if I'm not wrong, is a 1mm screw.

I guess I'll give this one a try, but I do not hold high expectation, it does not seem to hold tight and give a big torque. The screw is really tight, and that's why I stripped it completely.

If it does not work, I guess I have to drill the head off.... what a pain in the a.s.s

 

There are some more suggestions here.

Drilling off the head must be the last resort because leaving the rest of the screw in the hole means you can't put in a new screw.

I use one of these screwdrivers for my notebook work because the big handle means I can apply a useful amount of controlled force.

John

 

Argh, I know I hate those damn tiny screws. You're talking about the ones that secure the bottom plate right? They put this blue locktight crap on them and then sell you 2, yes only 2, replacement screws for like $15. Crooks. I did strip one and had to carefully drill the head off. However, there was enough of the threading left sticking out that I was able to unscrew it with some pliers. I found a replacement set of screws from a teardown on ebay. After I unscrew them now I dip them in 3 in 1 oil so they (hopefully) turn a little easier.

 

I doubt this offer will last for very long but the Transcend M.2 512GB is currently £149.99 on Amazon UK. It's normally aroud £200.

John

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/760513-bloatware-should-i-remove.html

Please help me out guys, I need to get this laptop running ASAP and I can't find any infos about most apps.
The old Series 7 bloatware list is completely outdated and I don't even have programs that are similar to those on the list.
I just need to know what's safe to remove and what isn't!

Thank you in advance

 

Hello i wanted to know if it is possible to replace/upgrade the wireless card with the "Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 Plus Bluetooth". Would this void warranty if it is possible?

 

I have received my Transcend M.2 512GB drive and would replace the factory shipped 256 GB drive. My system came with Win 8.1 OEM. Can you suggest me the following -

I am looking to partition the new 512 GB drive into 3 partitions, 1 OS and 2 other personal partitions. If I want to clone the drive with the Samsung Image plus the other existing drives (Recovery, SRS, EFI Partition etc) which are already part of the existing SSD, will I be able to create additional partitions.

I also wanted to get rid of other bloats, is it possible to have only the OS loaded in the new drive and then activate it with the key (can be retrieved with 3rd party apps). I also understand that users faced problems installing the retail image and activating this with the OEM key...

Ideas please ...

 

Isn't that the standard WiFi card already in the NP940X3G?

The easiest way is to use Samsung Recovery Solution 6 to make a backup of the factory image onto a 32GB flash drive and then use this to install everything on the new SSD once you have done the swap.

Once you have the new SSD in operation you can use Minitool Partition Wizard to create the new partitions by shrinking C: and, if you want, delete the biggest recovery partition.

John

 

Only if you can obtain a W8.1 iso from MSDN or a friend. Note that the ones made with MS' download tool will not work. If it came with W8.1, setup will pull the key from the bios and activate once connected to the internet. If it came with W8, you can use the generic W8.1 core (assuming you don't have pro) key and activate with your W8 key (that you have extracted prior to installation). If you already have all your programs setup, you might be better served migrating using recovery.

 

I'm looking to get the NP940X3G-K06US, and from what i keep seeing it shows "Intel® Wireless-N 7260AN" Not the AC model. Unless did they upgrade them after a certain date to have the Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260?

 

Thanks. Perhaps they decided to save a few cents on the production cost of that version.

Those WiFi cards are all the same family so it should be an easy swap provided you get the right format card.

This review shows the location of the WiFi card and says that it is socketed. You will need to check the socket format and make sure the replacement card includes Bluetooth.

As you should have noted from other recent posts in this thread, there's the challenge of getting the screws off the base of the computer. You need a good (preferably new) Philips size 0. I recommend something like this which has a good sized handle so one can provide plenty of controlled force.

John

 

Does anyone have any other suggestions regarding this issue?

 

thank you so much for the reply/ help i very much appreciate it!

Im also assuming in the UK their models have the Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 stock?

 

Samsung show the NP940X3G-K01UK and NP940X3G-K02UK as having the 7260AN WiFi.

However, I would suggest that you try to double check this against reviews in case this is a discrepancy that has crept in while Samsung gave their website a make-over a few months ago.

John

 

Could a NP940X3G owner help me out and test their touchscreen when the laptop is mostly closed? I.E. the screen at something less than 80 degrees open.

I talked with Samsung on the phone, and they tried to convince me that my touchscreen not working, when the laptop is not open more than 80ish degrees, was a built in feature of the laptop. While I could understand that, I swear I remember it working in the past. The only time I really use the touchscreen is when I'm lying down with the screen tilted forward...

 

Squrly, my touchscreen at 45 degrees works just fine. It has worked at every angle I have tried.