2013 Series 7 chronos / Ativ Book 8 15" owner's lounge (NP770Z5E / NP780Z5E / NP870Z5E / NP880Z5E)

Do they hang right after boot, and are you using Microsoft/Win10s AMD driver? I ask because I found those drivers to cause a looong delay during boot. But that's on my older AMD PowerXpress model (NP700Z3A). I wouldn't expect it to affect Enduro and newer AMD chips. I use Leshcat drivers for that reason, and block Windows 10 from overwriting them with Microsoft's "Windows Show or Hide Updates" tool (wushowhide).

This may not apply to NP770/780/870/880 models at all, but I though it worth mentioning. And it's all I got

 

It's amazing, if I do not connect to internet I can actually install the intel video drivers, and when I install the AMD graphics it just hangs. From there on reboot doesn't do anything and I have to reinstall windows.

If I connect to internet during the windows 10 setup program it will hang at some point, sometimes after completing setup (guess it's related to windows 10 trying to install the drivers), or even during setup, wich I understand isn't a moment when windows 10 will install drivers from internet.

Its weir becausse the old 1TB HDD work ok, and I have another laptop with a Samsung 850 pro 1TB SSD that doesn't have any problem.

There is no firmware update for the kingston A400, so no luck with that.

 

I agree, there isn't much logic why the AMD display drivers would cause a laptop with one type of SSD to hang, but not a similar laptop with another type of SSD. An interrupt taking too long to process and eventually times out. Or some such thing. Who knows. But some kind of driver problem. It's usually the graphics switching that messes it up.

I'd look for older AMD drivers. Again, I use Leshcat 14.4, very old, but working and stable. You can probably go newer than that, having Enduro switching on your Sammy. But you have to block Windows from overwriting them since the Microsoft provided drivers are much newer.

 

HI

Have started to get a white transparent bar down the right hand side of my screen on my NP78085E machine.

Have tried a number of current and older versions for the display driver for the Intel HD 4000 (including the latest 10.18.10.4276) but he bar keeps coming back.

Any ideas?

 

That sounds like a hardware problem more than a driver one: Either the screen itself or RAM, video RAM or GPU. Could also be a loose or defect cable.

Does it happen in games only, in plain Windows, or both? Is it constant or intermittent? Does it also occur during power-up or if you boot to BIOS settings (F2)?

If you post a photo of the problem, that may give us a better idea.

 

Its the built-in screen of the NP780Z5E laptop. Happens when I boot up, in plain windows, in all programmes. It is mostly constant and flickering. Goes away sometimes when I reinstall the driver

 

Thank you for the update. I must say I don't recall seeing that before during my time here.

Have you tried booting into BIOS settings (F2) and see if it is also present there? If so, it is 100% certain a hardware problem, not a driver issue. And even if it only happens in Windows and goes away sometimes, I think it is more likely to be some kind of hardware defect. The ribbon cable connecting the screen to the motherboard would be my first suspect, followed by RAM/VRAM or the GPU.

You could try and disable the GPU in Device Manager. If it makes it stay away, you'll know it's VRAM or GPU.

Backup your data before making any kind of experiments or disassembling the laptop. Seriously.

Edit:
Come to think of it, here is an experiment for you:

0) First check in BIOS settings (boot F2) if the problem is present there. If so, no need to waste time with the rest of these steps.

1) Disable network to prevent Windows update from messing things up. (Fn-F12 or select Airplane Mode in Windows Settings.)

2) In Device Manager, uninstall your AMD Display Adapter and check the option Delete the driver software for this device. Then choose Scan for hardware changes from the Action menu (or right-click).

3) Keep repeating step (2) as long as the Delete the driver software for this device option shows up. When it no longer shows up, you have rolled back to no driver installed for the AMD.

4) Now disable the (driverless) AMD Display adapter in Device Manager.

5) Completely uninstall your AMD driver using Windows Programs and Features. Restart Windows.

6) See if you can still reproduce the problem, now with no AMD device or software.

7) If the problem is still there, do the same with the Intel Display adapter and its driver. But don't disable it in device manager (maybe you can, I just never tried that.)

8) You should now be back to the generic VGA driver. If the problem can still be reproduced at this stage, it is almost certainly a hardware problem. LCD panel, ribbon cable or RAM would be my best guesses.

9) If the problem is gone now, you can re-install Intel Display drivers, restart, and see if the problem comes back.

10) If the problem still hasn't come back, re-enable the AMD Display adapter, restart, but DON'T install drivers yet. See if the problem comes back (which would be surprising without drivers).

11) Now install the AMD drivers of your choice (study the thread for guidance), restart, and see if the problem comes back. If it DOES, you know it's a GPU/VRAM or AMD driver problem.

I don't think this will irreparably mess up your Windows installation, but no guarantees. I have tried it myself on older Samsung models with older Windows versions. But in any case, please do backup before doing this.

Good luck. Keep us posted,

 

Hi Dannemand

Vertical bar is also in the BIOS (F2 screen) screen so does sound like a hardware problem like you indicated. Cognisant of how difficult this laptop could be to open, which end of the LCD screen cable should I investigate first - motherboard end or screen end?

Thanks

 

Thank you for the update. I am sorry to hear that. While it is indeed what we would expect given the symptoms, it is also harder and more expensive to solve than a driver problem.

I would definitely start inspecting the motherboard end of the ribbon cable -- simply because you can get to it without tearing apart the glued together display assembly. The most vulnerable part of these ribbon cables is usually "the bend" at the hinge.

Of course the defect could also be in the video RAM or the LCD panel itself. Since the white band overlays the display elements (which can bee seen underneath) I am increasingly thinking it may be the panel itself: If it were RAM I would expect much more erratic symptoms. The same is true if it were the ribbon cable.

Still, start inspecting the most accessible, least costly parts, i.e. the cable. The tricky phase will be if you have to buy replacement parts without knowing exactly where the defect is. A repair store has an advantage here in that they have parts with which they can test.

I am no expert on hardware repairs (although I've done several over the years) and no expert on the NP770/780/870/880 models either.

I would hope that others with more practical experience, including with your model, can step in here.

 

I would start by checking the dispaly connector on the mainboard. The twisting of the cable through the hinge can cause this to get loose. You need to remove the bottom of the computer. This guide is for the 13" Series 7 but is likely to be similar to the 15" and the display cable is the thick cable which passes through the hinge. Lift up the connector on the mainboard and then push it down again to make sure it is properly seated. There is connector at the display end of the cable which can be accessed by prising off the display bezel. However, this is less likely to be the problem as the connector has little room for movement. Otherwise it's time to look for a replacement display unit complete with cable and hinges.

John

 

Helloooo,

My trusty Samsung Series 7 Chronos np770z5e - the track pad has stopped working for some reason or an another. I'm currently using windows 8 (not 8.1) and just want to check if there is safe way to update the driver? Or is there something else I should do in order to get it working again?

 

Which W10 build have you installed?

 

I have installed an SSD to my old and beloved laptop, can anyone suggest which W10 build works better? I mean drivers, brightness control working and acceptable battery comsumption

Please help me, I installed W10 1803 but brightness control doesn't work, neither has an acceptable battery life

 

Good evening all !
I have an issue with the AMD GPU, since a restart two months ago.
There was a request to restart due to the installation of windows update. After this, my computer start to freeze when i was playing (about 10 minutes).
Then i download and install new drivers, but i had a black screen at the reboot.
I success to uninstall the driver in safe mode, but now, the graphic card is :
not recongized in Windows management devices
as soon as i run AMD installation driver, it is said that the graphic card is "on pending"
when i tried to do a customized install, the laptop freeze during the installation.

I have tried also to uninstall the AMD drivers, and install them in safe mode:
the amd installation driver exec, can't recognize the card and only a manual install of the driver work but the laptot had a black screen as soon as i reboot to go back to Win 10...
Anyone as the same issue ?
So i'm a bit lost, as i don't know what happen :!
Thanks for your support !

 

This sounds almost exactly like the crap I went through about 3 years ago. I couldn't find any other reason than Win 10 not working well together with this laptops GPU. I tried a bunch different drivers and they all resulted in the same freeze/not recognized/installation failed etc. I even sent the laptop in for repair twice in hopes to get a refund or new laptop, but I think they just replaced the motherboard and sent it back. So I gave up on Win 10 and have stayed with Win 8.1 since. Won't try installing Win 10 again until I know of a solution to the GPU problems.

 

Ok , so going back to Win 8.1 solved the issue ?
i didn't have issue with this GPU on win10 until this reboot (i assumed it was to go on 1809 update)...
So i will try to reset to 8.1

 

Well at least with Win 8.1 I can successfully install gpu drivers and play games without freezing. If I recall correctly the problems started with a game freezing and multiple gpu related BSOD so I had to uninstall the gpu driver in safe mode to even get back into the PC. After that it was impossible to get a gpu driver working, so I just stuck with Win 8.1. No idea exactly what causes it but at least it doesn't happen in Win 8.1.

 

Well, i tried yesterday evening to install an old driver under windows 10 and it crashed.
It was not possible to boot in safe mode to uninstall the driver. I had to format the SSD.
I reinstalled win 8.1 on it, and before any update on windows, i tried to install last AMD driver compatbile with Win 8.1. It crashed also...
I guess the GPU is dead...
I will reinstall win 10 to night, but i need to not forget to disable my internet box, otherwise it will reinstall amd driver and will crash again....
Gaming is finished on this laptop !

 

Just wanted to say I found the link to this page after not checking in for a couple years, and it's great to see the community is still at it. I bought my NP770Z5E-S01UB when they first came out almost six years ago and it's been a workhorse, still going strong. I almost immediately upgraded it to 12GB, then replaced the HDD with an SSD, and I still use it regularly to this day. The best upgrade I ever made to it was replacing all of the keycaps with charcoal colored ones so that I could see them regardless of lighting/backlight. Since then we've added a Surface Pro and a Lenovo X1 Carbon to the family and the Chronos still gets regular use because it's the only one that can pull any weight in mobile gaming (due to the GPU).

 

Hello all,

So, I've continued using my Ativ tangentially for the past several years - CAD work at school, as a secondary feed monitor when I stream, nothing major. It's still kicking, every major hardware component is working super well (new thermal paste every year, good general maintenance, etc) - but I'm having two / three issues that make it near unusable for my typical use-case (remember, I use this laptop at school and on the road mostly). Here are my issues, any help is appreciated:

1. My lovely black-keycapped keyboard (check out my old-as-can-be thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...ide-keyboard-replacement-lots-of-pics.780629/) isn't working properly. Several keys are just not taking any input, and it happened completely at random one day. I was so dumbfounded, I performed a full, fresh Windows 10 install. I tore it apart, checked the ribbon cable for kinks or corrosion, cleaned the contacts with rubbing alcohol... nothing changes. Several keys on the numpad, a lot on the top row of letters... all unresponsive.
2. The fresh windows 10 install led to issue #2 - I can't get Samsung Settings installed, and can't adjust ANYTHING because of that. I've downloaded Samsung Update from the Windows Store, but it only has a few drivers I don't seem to really need. I never was able to get the brightness control working properly for any length of time after Windows 10 became a thing, but not even having proper fan control or use of my function keys is a major PITA.
3. WiFi works just fine, but my Bluetooth mouse for some reason doesn't register - kinda. It shows up, connects, and shows as a device, but the damn pointer doesn't move at all when it's selected. The mouse works fine connected to Bluetooth on my desktop, and it works fine both on my desktop and this laptop with the dongle, but it hates Bluetooth on this laptop for some reason.

I know I can get a few more years (minimum) out of this machine if I can figure out these issues, so any help is appreciated.

 

Hey Matt!

It's been a while. Good to have you back. And glad to hear your AB8 is still going (somewhat) strong.

I'm afraid I don't have much to suggest on question (1) beyond what you've already tried. Sounds to me like a hardware problem (ribbon cable or keys themselves) but you already checked that. You could boot into BIOS settings and test some of the dead keys in there (say, the NumPad as cursor keys).

On question (2) I ended up going with good old version 2.0.0.89 of Samsung Settings, even after updating my Sammy to Win10. Mind you, my NP700Z3A is an older generation than your AB8, but as far as Win10 compatibility I had no issues. I since went back to Win8.1, not because of Samsung incompatibilities, but because Win10 infuriated me, increasingly so with each new version. But even on Win8.1 I still use Settings 2.0.0.89. Check this post in the Easy/settings thread for how to find it.

On question (3) I don't have much to offer, other than to try uninstalling ALL Samsung Bluetooth drivers and rely entirely on Microsoft drivers.

Good luck. As always, please keep us posted on your progress

 

Hi:

1. Changing the keyboard is the only way, it's really cheap on ebay, I've had to replace 2 of the 5 np770s I have
2. I posted a solution to the brightness problem in the new versions of windows 10. Neves had problems with the setup file I have for samsung settings, you want me to share it with you?
3. I allways have problems with bluetooth on a new installation of windows, in my case it's related to a setting on windows to reduce energy consumption of bluetooth. Solution is to never let the bluetooth dongle go to sleep.

Hope it helps somehow

 

Hi, to anyone whose Windows updates get stuck at 42% with the juggling dots freezing. If like me you tried hours looking for solutions, disabling graphics drivers, clearing out the software distribution folder, fighting with Windows update to suppress yet another attempt.....

Try this: once the download has finished and the installation phase starts,
"unplug the network cable [if you use one] and switch the WiFi setting to OFF".
Yep, and that's it. [..at least this is what did the trick for my NP770]. There was a little delay at 84%, but no actual freezing.
Found this little gem of information in the small print of some other website and thought I share it here. Hope it helps some of you.

 

I'm sad to say my NP770Z5E has finally been replaced. One of the fans has started making a grinding noise so it's been replace with a Dell XPS (which is amazing, but sad too see the Samsung go :-(, I loved that laptop).
I am going to sell the NP770Z5E for spares though, as the battery, screen and all other components apart from that fan are in great condition, just a few scratches on the case and the hard drive has been removed. Any takers (UK) before I put it on ebay, make me an offer and allow for shipping?

​

 

Hi damouk,

Great to have you back here. Sorry to hear that your Sammy wore out, but that's what happens when good gear gets a lot of use. We have a very active Dell forum here on NBR, I am sure you'll find XPS compatriots there

You can't sell your Sammy here in the Samsung forum. But you have enough posts that you can sell it in the NBR Marketplace. That's a very attractive place to sell gear, because we have a targeted demographic of experienced laptop owners as members. In fact, it is so attractive that we regularly get new members who sign up just to try to sell their stuff -- and we have to tell them they can't until they have made 100 quality posts: We only want "real" members selling here, not newcomers who come only to take advantage of our members. But you qualify and are good to go! Make sure you use the form wizard to create your For Sale thread.

Again, welcome back!

 

Hi all,

Feels like I'm beating a dead horse with trying to fix this laptop, but I figured it was worth asking you all before deciding to buy a new one. I have an NP780Z5E-S01UB, and I recently did a fresh install of Windows. The reason I wiped my computer was because I noticed my DJ software (Serato) was stuttering, which was unusual. Unfortunately, even after wiping my computer, the issue still remains.

After the wipe, I'm having issues with getting my graphic drivers back to how they used to be. I went to AMD's website to download the most up-to-date drivers for the dedicated GPU. Just like everyone else, I lost my brightness control, so I went to Device Manager and just the Microsoft Basic Device Adapter instead of the Intel 4000 Graphics. However, once I did this, I lost "Switchable Graphics" menu under my AMD Radeon Settings, which you can see here: https://imgur.com/a/QpCkKOt

Is there a certain version for these graphic drivers that I should be installing instead of the most up-to-date ones? I have only installed drivers for the AMD GPU, and nothing at all for the integrated Intel graphics. I'm just frustrated at this point because I have been battling issues with this laptop for quite some time (fan died, charging issues, keyboard clicks not recognizing, etc etc), and now I am unable to do any DJ gigs until I can resolve this and not have any stuttering with the audio that's being played out-loud.

If anyone might know how I can retain that switchable graphics menu (so I can set it to high performance in my DJ app) and also retain brightness control, I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

 

Ive had this problem, in my case it gets resolved with the following combination (other combinations also work too).

1. Install win64_15.33.46.4885.exe driver for intel HD graphics
2. Install win10-64bit-radeon-software-adrenalin-edition-18.5.1-may23.exe driver for AMD
3. Install 0009-64bit_Win7_Win8_Win81_Win10_R282.exe driver for audio
4. Install samsung settings
5. Install samsung update
6. Install Win10 Brightness Control Patch 0.1_10.18.10.4242

That should do the trick for everything to work. You might still not get brightness to work, that is due to windows, not the driver the solution comes from my own quote


--------
Wanted to post the solution provided on the link John Ratsey provided
Quote:

"I was struggling with the same problem with my Samsung 770Z5E for many many long monthes,
and none of the possible solutions indicated so far worked for me. Until today, when I found a solution on another similar thread:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...ics-4000/64c255eb-517f-44d7-8af3-b5cfd7c4b79d



In my case the problem was solved by setting the value of

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Class\{4d36e968-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\0001] "FeatureTestControl"
to "f008". I'm using the latest Intel drivers."

In my case I have an external VGA, so I didn't had any luck wich 0000. In 0001 the wasn't any "FeatureTestControl" option,
but in 0002 I had luck. As written above, many thanks to John for keeping us updated with solutions to our problems in so many years.

Great notebook by the way.

-----------

 

As today, anyone knows if any of the issues has been solved? I'm still running the laptop just with the integrated graphics on windows 7 . Plus that, I'm regularly gettin a blue screen bc of a USB driver issue

 

There are no issues in windows 10 with this model of laptop, as the 5 I own in my family all perform well, at least for the age they are.

 

When I tried to go win10, the laptop entered in a failed boot loop. Only OS that has worked for me has been win7

 

Try a different build of windows 10, it happened to me on one build and the solution was to install an older version then update.

 

The NP770/780/870/880 (collectively AB8) was released with Win8 and officially supported by Samsung for Win8.1. So certainly Win7 cannot be the only OS to work.

I ended up using Leshcat drivers (google it) on my NP700Z3A in order to get the AMD switchable graphics working with Win10, and disable updating of those drivers by Microsoft. But my model has the older AMD PowerXpress graphics switching, whereas the AB8 has the newer Enduro graphics switching. The only other issue with Win10 was the ExpressCache feature, which required using a newer Lenovo version of the software. But AB8 doesn't have ExpressCache -- and again, it is a generation newer than my Sammy.

I personally went back to Win8.1, but that was merely because I don't like Win10, not because of unsolvable conflicts with the laptop hardware.

You could try (1) either a clean install of Win10, using the drivers recommended by @faeterov and others in this thread; or (2) factory restore to Win8 using Samsung Recovery, then upgrade to Win10 from there.

 

I never had problem with switching graphic not in 8.1 or win10. But now I have problems with overheating...I broke my head over reason. I went as far as changing thermal paste multiple times and checking everything 3x. Turned out it is driver issue. Haven't figured out what to do. It is quite simple, insane thermal throttling. Reason igpu and amd is working in crossfire. Don’t know why or how. But result is too much heat for cooler to handle and awful fps. Destiny 2 gets ~30fps until it overheats completely and freezes out pc.

 

That was exactly the problem I had with Microsoft's AMD drivers: I found they were running permanently on the AMD, and running pretty hot at that. Or they would hang for a long time during boot if EnableULPS was enabled in registry.

After trying various things I got tired of wasting my time, so installed Leshcat drivers. The newest Leshcat drivers I found to still work on my older NP700Z3A are 14.4. But again, I have the older AMD PowerXpress graphics switching, not the newer Enduro that you have.

You also have to run Microsoft's Windows 10 Show/Hide Updates utility to stop them from overwriting the Leshcat drivers all the time.

 

It is nightmare to find any information about this. 99.99% results are about forcing app to run on descreate and no results about them running togher unintentionaly...
also leshcat's drivers don't help in my case - 14.4 refuse to run and newer have this problem. Only thing is that after aplying cryonaut paste laptop seems to handle temps...but again 30-35fps in destiny 2...
I am not even sure what couses problem, intel or amd drivers, or win itself.

 

And problem was not in drivers or heat trasfer, but god damm game it self. runned fure mark and 100 utilization...delete game settings and same...

 

Try me setup in post 6227, I do not have any problems with overheating in the 5 np770 / np670 I have.

 

I know nobody is seeing this thread anymore, but I'll leave this question so maybe somebody searching with google will come to it... can you use a screen from an 880z5e or 780z5e ona a 870z5e or 770z5e, that is can you make a non tocuhscreen notebook a touchscreen one? I'm looking at pictures and videos from the 880z5e and the conector seems the same....

 

@faeterov: Well, as a custodian walking the empty halls of a museum with few visitors, I do in fact see all posts made in Samsung

My only thought on your project would be that it has to be a 770-to-780 conversion or an 870-to-880 conversion. IOW, dont stick an 880 panel in a 770 and expect it to work, as there are motherboard and (as I recall) BIOS differences between them, which could affect display support. It might work, but lower odds.

Afraid that's all I got.

If you do try this, by all means post your results. It's stuff like that which will get some people to come back to this empty museum.

 

Hello,
My Samsung NP770Z5E fan has recently started making horrible noises. I have opened up the laptop and it appears to be the the fan on the left (the one closest to the HDMI). The fans start whirring far more than they used to so I very gently air dusted, but it has made no difference. Currently - I am working with the laptop resting on the bottom cover(not screwed on) loosely which sometimes stops the fan spinning. However, this does mean that I can no longer work in the library due to the noise output from this laptop.

Any suggestions?

 

The fan doesn't have a sticker - however, I'm unsure if there maybe one lurking at the back of the fan, but that would mean disassembling the unit?

 

There must be
https://www.ebay.com/itm/BA31-00135...440873?hash=item2aabd441e9:g:Mq4AAOSw7m9bIK6l

 

Thank you. This worked and my laptop is no longer making that grating noise.
I had to dismantle the fan (there is nothing under the sticker) and then followed the method of putting in the oil. I'm going to leave the laptop cover loosely opened as I now have he opportunity to put in a bigger harddrive and also purchase a new battery.

Is there any credible place where I can purchase a fresh new battery?

 

I'm buying used laptops since its cheaper =)

 

I did see this:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/183664756127

I've got my current 770Z5E and my old Thinkpad T60p (which I haven't used for ages) so I definitely don't want to buy any more laptops.

However - I do own a used Sony Trinitron:
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-GDM-FW900-Widescreen-Trinitron-Monitor/product-reviews/B00004YNSR

 

My NP780Z5E has just started having a strange issue. When I close the lid to the laptop it appears to go to sleep, then maybe like 5 minutes later the fans suddenly spin up for a few seconds almost like it's trying to wake up again, but then it just falls back asleep. It will do this anywhere from 2-3 times before stopping. I have an external monitor connected to the screen and when the fan starts up this comes on momentarily. Any ideas on what could be causing this? Possibly a power setting? Running Windows 10 with the latest updates.

 

I'm posting my modded BIOS, that will allow any user to disable the Radeon VGA in the case they are having problems.

This should be used only on the NP770 version.

In case of malfunction of the AMD Radeon VGA, this should be flashed using AFUDOS

https://mega.nz/#F!0Z8CwShJ!UtCgKmpsx-yykJKqAA4J3Q

 

Hi everyone!

It's been 7 years I am constanly struggling with my Samsung 770Z5E/780Z5E and it is still the computer I use...

It still works fine exepct for that AMD Radeon Graphic card that I am not able to switch on... I have now Windows 10 and did all the updates including driver's updates but eventough I switched modes to High performance for certain programs, it still runs on the Intel graphic card. I hope someone else is still fighting to make this beast works and could help me solving this!

I know at some point we had to also switch the fan on high to enter unto Radeon mode, but now with the constant updates I can't find how to control the fan on the keyboard (North American keyboard)... Anyone knows how? Could this be the problem?

Thank you all for your assistance, I am trying to work from home using CAD and 3d files and it's very frustrating...!

 

Hello,

I'am still using mine also (I really think the Samsung 770Z5E is the best ever 15" for so many things ! Incredibly fast 7 years after...). But I didn't upgrade to windows 10, I think you should come back with Windows 8 where the drivers were perfectly adapted, if you can.