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

I don't know.. You can always make a portable version on your own (I know how to do it with winrar, and I can tell you how if you want), but it might be a not so smart choice: antivirus needs/should be always up to date, and portable apps usually don't support updates. Probably you would have to download every time the latest version of the portable app. I'm speculating here, I didn't any research, since I'm in bed with my phone

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Guys to make a clean installation of W8 on a ssd I have to deactivate fast boot and secure boot, but once installed it, if I enable secure boot, will it work?

 

Yes, that should work, and will improve security some.

 

Thank you for the update.

Yes, several members have discovered that you need to use the Samsung supplied HD4000 driver to fix that. In fact, alfling pointed it out in this post just a few days ago, responding to another member about clean install. I should make that more explicit it in that post I refer to with the list of drivers.

 

Hi everyone I might just be a little paranoid but I was wiping my laptop down and I noticed that there's a 1mm difference between the center of the lid and the laptop when closed. Also there's an uneven spot at the bottom across the ram cover. I haven't dropped it or anything so are these normal?
Also how accurate is HWiNFO? I'm asking cause the wear keeps changing, it went from 3% to 11% then back down to 0.3% (i think) I can't remember the exact figures but I haven't made any changes so this worries me. Recently wear was at 21% then dropped to 14% then I ran the SMART Battery Calibration now the wear is currently at 17.4%. I keep this plugged in almost all the time and don't have BLE.
Thanks

 

To the owners of the ATIV Book 8: did any of you contact Samsung to ask informations about BLE and why they removed it? I know there was that article about a new system (Battery Life Plus, IIRC), but at the moment there is no way to preserve battery from wearing

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Just registered on this forum to give you a reply

Yes I've contacted Samsung about the missing BLE. It's hard to get through first line of customer support though(at least in the Netherlands), they keep referring to 'the manual' for enabling power related features. I'm now in contact with a Samsung 'product expert' who was surprised that he couldn't find the feature on his demo model. He's investigating / cotnacting Samsung HQ.
To be continued...

 

Thank you very much for taking the time to contact them and to write here! Would you please keep us updated if you hear any news about it?

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Restarted my laptop and now the wear is at 9.1% at 12 cycles..it's better but I've barely had this laptop for two months the battery shouldn't have worn as much..

 

Totally gonna buy this,not now tho.I'll wait a month or two,but whatever.I've just realized how exagerated prices in my country are.The old chronos model(the one with Nvidia GPU) with an i5,not an i7, costs about 1500$ here.Maybe the haswell models will come up in the meanwhile .

 

This is aimed at those who kept the original slow 5400rpm hard drives. When I open the task manager it shows that my drive is constantly working at 100% which in turn makes my computer super slow. I don't have any viruses or junk programs since the computer is new. The program that uses the most of the usage is the free AVG virus program. But it's not a demanding program so it shouldn't even be a problem. It runs easily on my 3yr older laptop. I'm wondering if any of you have the same problem? or if I maybe should return this because of a slightly damage drive? Or maybe 5400rpm is this slow.

Also my laptop gets super hot when I'm gaming. By just turning on the game like maybe Tomb Raider and Sleeping Dogs, and still just browsing the menu in the game makes the laptop really hot. It almost burns. Is this common?

 

Just bought my 880z5e . How do I control the JBL speakers? like not just volume but also other things like bass and surround?

 

Did you keep Intellimemory? It's included in the factory installation. If you didn't uninstall it, do it now, because it causes the problem you discribd (100% hard disk usage).
I cant' help you about the heat because I don't own the laptop

 

Thanks for the quick reply!

I have been lurking around this forum so Intellimemory was the first thing that I uninstalled. However, it seems like I have solved it. I tried uninstalling Avg and installed Avast instead. Now it works excellent! Disk usage is at 1% when doing ordinary things like browsing the net. But it's strange that I could run AVG perfectly fine on an old laptop. Well, it works now at least.

 

Happy that it works properly now! However, it's really strange, I didn't know that AVG was so hungry.. Maybe something was messing it up... God knows

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I see that you already stripped IntelliMemory (which I would say probably could provide benefits for users with lots of RAM sitting unused) and that you fixed the slowdown by removing AVG. Good job there.

Beyond that, you can use this post as guidance for stripping bloat and optimizing your factory installation. Also check the links in that post.

 

Yeah it does get real hot on any game and the cooling pad I got didn't help a whole lot..according to speedfan i get average temperatures of about 70C for temp1 and 2 and the gpu at around 68..the highest i think i've seen temp 1+2 go was almost 80C i don't know if that's normal or whether it's safe even for the laptop. Oh and i kept the slower 5400rpm too i can't afford to swap it out for an ssd yet i'm saving up for one that's 960gb hopefully it will get cheaper as well right now it's at 800usd..

 

What are your idle temps?

 

A few of the Ativ 6 with the 8870 are back up on ebay today 7-15

 

On average they're all around 41-48C the hdd being the coolest at 35C

 

Hi all,
New here, and I spent most of today browsing this forum. Thanks for all the great tips! I just bought the 15.5" BB model, NP880Z5E-X01UB, and did the F4 image to a USB stick after I turned the machine for the first time. I wanted to get a complete, bootable virgin image backup before I do anything else. I'm not a real power user, so I don't plan to tweak a lot of settings.
My question is that after I created the image, the USB stick showed that there were about 16.5Gb on the stick, but checking the properties of the oem hdd, it showed that 39gb were used. Why the difference? Will I be able to use my stick to re-create a new hdd, complete with the recovery partition, os, drivers,etc (basically a clone of the original disk) or do I need to re-do the image?

 

On startup, , my disk is at 100% for up to 5 minutes. When I first bought my machine, I also thought it was defective. At that time, I messed with removing Intellimemory and some other windows service(Superfetch?) that performs some application caching. I don't remember the exact details of what I tried. In the end, I left on the Intellimemory and the other caching. I've stared at the task manager while starting up; mostly the processes using the disk are system related. In the end I decided this is how Microsoft achieved very fast boot times. They moved lots of initialization stuff to just after boot.

I've seen this complaint on other forums. Not Samsung specific

 

Also wanted to note that on startup when my disk is at 100%, the task manager shows disk response times in the thousands of milliseconds ... do you see the same?

 

unfortunately, yep....that's what is to be expected from hdd's when reading from here and there..

 

Hi Inspector Bob, welcome to the forum. And congrats on that great laptop.

If you used the Factory Image backup and selected the Create Boot Disk option when you created that USB backup, you should indeed be able to re-create your factory disk from it. I would try and boot it to verify that it works as intended -- without actually restoring, of course

The main reason for the size difference is that the Recovery Data partition (SAMSUNG_REC2) also contains a copy of all your System Software (drivers and utilities). These are not backed up as part of the Factory Image. You can make a separate backup of System Software if you want, your Recovery should have a feature for that. I believe SW Update pulls drivers from the Recovery partition when there is no internet connection. At least its predecessor Easy Software Manager did that -- and it's a very fast way to install drivers after a clean install.

You can optimize your factory Windows by cleaning out some bloat, using the guidance in this post.

 

I second that, mine's like that too. I think a clean install usually gets better boot times but I have no interest in doing that right now, maybe later I'll get an SSD and just start from scratch anyway. Anyway, after the machine has finished booting it's usually very responsive, so if you don't like to wait too much you could just boot it once a day and hibernate it whenever you're not using it

 

Thank you very much!
I want to be sure I am following the forum rules. Should I have started a new thread, or did I post properly?

Also, I am doing my updates now. Should all Windows updates be done in the Samsung SW Update application, or should I go to the Microsoft site?

Thanks

 

No worries, you're in the right thread. But thanks for asking

SW Update will only give you Samsung updates and (for some models) important Windows updates/patches. I would run that first. But after that definitely run Windows Update -- as you always should.

Personally I would clean out bloat first (using the post I linked earlier) before running updates. Otherwise you'll spend time downloading and installing senseless updates to already senseless junk.

 

Anyone managed to get a 120hz external monitor working with this laptop?

 

Last night I got really worried about my laptop cause the speakers were crackling so much at some points and the overall performance of the machine was TERRIBLE. Folders would open in something like 5 seconds, everything was damn slow. Should I check anything? The crackling speakers didn't give me a good feeling.... And why in the world would the laptop slow down so much? (I was on samsung optimized power setting at that moment)

 

Sometimes a program can get stuck in a loop. If it happens again then run Task Manager to find out what is hogging the CPU and then the best thing is to kill it (but make a note of the program name and search for any other reports of problems or updates).

In your case it must be a program that can run multi-threaded because it was loading all the cores and making everything else (including the audio) wait.

John

 

I think I'm going to succumb and buy the Best Buy version this week. I have a few questions.

1) Is performance really quite bad with the included HDD? I don't want to switch to an SSD because of the storage space sacrifice but if the computer is slow and laggy with the HDD I guess it would be a worthy trade-off. It'd be nice to hear from people who're still using the HDD.

2) Am I right that 4GB RAM is soldered on and 4GB is removable? If I wanted to upgrade the removable one to 8GB for a total of 12GB, would I have to buy and use a specific kind in order to coexist with the soldered RAM?

3) Is the battery in the BB version the same size as the 8870 international version? If not, how's battery life?

 

1) If you're used to SSD, then yes, it feels slow. But if you're coming from a laptop with HDD, then no, its not really that slow, it's exactly the same or better than you're coming from. With Intellimemory, it's also probably a bit quicker than most - but it's true that the HDD is the biggest bottleneck in the performance of these machines.

2) Not in the US, but this forum generally states that the BB model has 4 soldered, and is the same as MOST international versions (except a few) and yes you can swap the other 4 for an 8 and get 12. Make sure you use the same spec memory to guarantee compatibility (PC3-12800, DDR3 1600)

3) Battery is the same - quoted lifespan is around 11 hours non-touch, 10.5 hours touch. Expect to average about 8 in reality with normal usage, about 5-6 with really heavy use. I typically get between 8 and 10.

Good luck!

 

So, can I exclude the idea that the speakers are faulty? Or at least, which tests can I run? Cause I remember this happened to me even on the first days, but it was much shorter, and didn't make me worry..

well, I've just launched counter strike with itunes playing music, and when the intro video started playing, the speakers crackled a bit, for like one second. It never happened, and I'm on high performance profile.... getting so worried

 

Thanks for the quick response! I'm coming from an HDD but I really hate knowing that I'm limiting an otherwise beastly machine. Maybe I'll consider thr 512GB 840 Pro though it's an unplanned expense...

Also, does anyone have a link to a single 8GB stick of (compatible) RAM? I'm seeing only 2x4GB or 2x8GB for sale on Amazon. Never mind. For anyone else looking, this is what I found: Amazon.com: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 (PC3-12800) Non-ECC CL11 SODIMM Notebook Memory (KVR16S11/8): Electronics

 

There is a message on my task bar on my new 15" Ativ 8 (BB model) that says "virus protection--important". Opening the message takes me to the Action Center, where it says that both Windows Defender and Norton are turned off, and gives me the option to turn them on. However, selecting the option to turn these on does not do anything. I checked the Norton application, and everything shows green---live updates, scanning, live protection all turned on. How can I tell if I am really protected, and why does the message keep popping up? Thanks!

UPDATE: Windows Update seems to have fixed the problem.

 

@InspectorBob: If Windows Defender is disabled it's probably because Norton is the designated AV. Get rid of that Norton thing fast, you'll be glad you did. I'm just saying

 

I seemed to have messed somthing up on my Ativ 8 with Windows 8. I ran a Disk Cleanup, but it hung about 1/2 the way thru. I left it for about a half hour, but it wouldn't do anything. I cancelled out of the cleanup, which took me to a black screen and "updating your system, do not turn of your computer" message appeared. Well, I left this for another 1/2 hour, and it also hung. I tried to turn the machine off with Ctrl/Alt/Del, and also using the power button, but it was totally unresponsive. I unplugged the power, and the only way I could figure to shut it off was to put a pin in the bottom battery reset hole. That shut it down, and it took several restarts to get the screen to stabilize. I plugged the power back in, and the battery shows it is fully charged, but the battery light is red. What do I need to do?

 

guys what antivirus and firewall do you use on this laptop.i got eset nod32 and comodo firewall on my dest desktop.

 

I chop and change between ESET and Microsofts own, both offer great protection. The difference being that ESET is paid for and MS is free!

 

In future, just press and hold the power button for 5-10 seconds to power off the laptop, you shouldn't need to resort to the battery disconnect switch.
Not sure exactly what your problem is, is Windows now behaving? Is the only problem the battery red light? If so, try a battery calibration from the BIOS (use the laptop on battery to drain it down first), to do this just press F2 on booting the laptop and you should find it quickly under one of the BIOS headings. Follow the instructions!
If the light you're talking about is actually orange, this is normal, once the PC is charged and running on mains (check the online manual here, it might be more red on the new ATIV range - it's orange on the Chronos).

if you still have Windows problems in addition to the battery light, let us know too.

 

Why not try a smaller capacity, cheaper SSD which you can run Windows and your apps from, plus a cheap USB 3 enclosure (USB 2 would also work but you sacrifice a little speed) which you can put the original HDD into for storage. That way it works out cheaper - especially if an SSD was an unplanned expense!

I went for a 256gb Samsung 840 pro SSD (make sure you get an 8mm thick or less SSD, some are bigger - not sure what that is in inches, but google can help you there! The samsung doesn't have much space and a thicker one will stop the bottom fitting back on), plus the external enclosure, it has worked perfectly, and the SSD has plenty of capacity for me to keep my "working on" documents on, when on he move (The 256gb SSD is actually still just under half empty, despite having the full recovery partitions, Windows 8, tons of large apps installed, lots of work saved etc, for the cost saving over the 512gb, this worked perfectly for me)

 

has anyone downloaded amd catalyst 13.6 is it straight forward download and run,i don't know which version I got.
Samsung np770z5e-s02uk

 

@InspectorBob: I've seen those same symptoms caused by some recent Windows Updates: You think the updates are all fully installed after a restart; then you run Disk Cleanup, which offers to clear several hundred MB of Update/Service Pack files -- and takes forever, but it DOES finish eventually. Then, surprisingly, on a subsequent restart Windows continues installing updates, which may or may not ever complete.

I believe the problem is caused by some .NET updates which keep installing and churning in the background long after the update appears to have completed, and requires multiple restarts. If Disk Cleanup is run before they're completed, it clears files that are still needed to complete the update. In my case the issue ended up corrupting some Windows files (affecting Search among other things) and I restored an image backup. Then I tried again in order to verify it -- and exactly the same thing happened.

I figured if Windows Update and Disk Cleanup could corrupt the installation, that was so egregious, it had to be unique to my machine (which otherwise purrs like a kitten). I couldn't believe Microsoft would release something this bad if the issue was common. But it does sound like you were hit as well.

To avoid it, you have to wait several restarts (and some time) for those .NET updates to fully install in the background BEFORE you run Disk Cleanup; and you MUST let Disk Cleanup finish, even though it takes unbelievably long time.

After getting your machine going again (using damouk's excellent advice) I am afraid I'd recommend you either use Windows System Restore to get back to a Restore Point before the update; OR in case of a new machine, to just factory restore (F4 Recovery) or use Win8 Refresh, and start over with the updates.

Now I wonder if others have experienced anything similar after recent Win8 Updates.

 

Wow, thanks for the suggestions, I think I may do that. Is there only one size (physically, like in terms of inches) of 840 pro? That's the one I was looking at too. Can anyone recommend a good USB 3.0 enclosure? I already have a 1TB external HD but another cheap TB of storage space couldn't hurt!

 

Thanks Damouk and Dannemand! The machine seems to acting ok, but since I may have corrupted something that may rear it's head at some point, and since this is a new machine, I may as well just use the F4 Restore and start over. I am not clear, however, if that will bring back the computer to the same state that it was when I bought it, with all the apps, programs, etc, or what to do in order to get it that way

I think the problem may have actually started a bit earlier, as I wanted to see about adding the Windows 8 Pro module thru Windows. I got to the point where it popped up the screen to buy it, but there was no information regarding the differences, so I selected the "buy" button thinking that might give me a little more info. It immediately popped up with a message that it was "getting the system ready" or something to that effect. I instinctively stopped the operation (I know, a big mistake!) because I wasn't expecting it to immediately start the install process. So, when it hung up on the cleanup, I assumed it was because I messed something up when I aborted the Pro install.

 

@InpectorBob: OK, got it. Yeah, I guess that could have been it. Although puzzling that it would actually make system changes before getting your credit card number

But I hope that was it, and NOT the Windows Update scenario I described. I'd hate to think that Microsoft put out an update that can cause this, and prefer to believe that it was unique to my system. But in any case, Disk Cleanup can run for a LONG time when cleaning Update/Service Pack files. Best to let it run.

You may not have any corruption, and everything is fine. Running SFC /SCANNOW can help detect and repair some corruption issues. But since it's a new machine, I would choose restore as well. There is never a better time to test things than when the machine is new and you can restore without losing anything.

I mess around with my Windows installations all the time; as long as you have a clear and easy path for getting back (either to a backup, or in this case to factory) it's not a problem.

F4 Factory Restore will get you back to exactly like when you started it the first time. There should be different options depending on whether you want to completely re-partition (wiping everything) or just restore Windows to its current partition and preserving data.

Keep us posted

 

Well, ran sfc/scannow 3 times, and found corrupted files that it couldn't repair. It said that details were in the CBS.LOG, but when I tried to read them, I kept getting ACCESS DENIED error.

 

Right click the file > properties > security > Advanced > Enable Inheritance > apply. Now you can open it. This happens on my desktop as well, It's mostly just a bunch of spam for me in there (my log is 70MB!!) but you might find out something useful from it.

Purchased a 7250 AC from Provantage and will see how the install goes once I muster up to dropping 1.2k on a laptop (probably this weekend or next week, wont receive the 7260 until next week anyway...). Just an FYI the price on provantage drops a dollar or so everyday but there were 291 in stock this morning now there are only 69.

Also I noticed someone said the Best Buy Ativ book 8 comes with 4GB of ram, it comes with 8GB.

 

Update on the BLE for anyone interested.I got official response from Samsung Engineers today. Their reply is as follows:

"batt life extender softw = The "battery life extender" is not applied to new models from last year October(approx.)
The main reason is no need to restrict the charge limit 80% to extend the battery life - the battery technology is developed so far, no need to such limit."

- So they disabled it on purpose, relying on their improved battery technology. I'm happy with the answer, hoping the battery is really as good as they claim