Fresh Install Series 9 - cannot boot to

I have a new Series 9 (NP900X3C) that only has two (2) USB 3.0 ports. I tried every setting in the BIOS can both ports with an external optical (a Samsung one) and USB flash drive (USB 2.0) and neither are seen.

I can only boot to the 128GB SSD. Which after I boot to Home Premium that Samsung installed I can see the USB stick and the external optical drive.

So how can I get a fresh install going here? I can boot PXE, which doesn't help in my situation. Anyone have any clue how to get a clean Windows 7 install on this thing?

 

This thread about booting from USB may be relevant. Unless I'm mistake, the X3C's right side USB port does not have a blue tab and is therefore not USB 3.0.

John

 

Both USB ports on this laptop are USB 3.0, which is why I cannot boot from USB flash or USB optical (since there is no built in optical either). Basically, the BIOS only can see the SSD or I can do a PXE boot if I have the Ethernet cable plugged in - which doesn't work for me.

I checked the BIOS and in the boot manager section you can see other devices as selections, but the only populated selections are the SSD and Ethernet (if you enable PXE booting). USB FDD, USB HDD, USB DVD are all selections, but never populated, regardless of what is plugged into which ever USB port on the laptop.

I'm starting to think that Samsung did this on purpose to secure a deal with Microsoft to stick Home Premium on it and charge for that "Anytime Upgrade".

Anyone else with a laptop with just USB 3.0 ports and no optical drive that have successfully installed Windows 7 from scratch.

 

@superduper: I am able to boot from the USB3 port on my series 7, but only if Legacy USB Support is enabled in the BIOS. I had an ODD-less Series 5 previously, on which I also had to disable Fast Boot in BIOS when I installed Windows from USB.

As for Boot Order, just select USB HDD/CD on top, even if it doesn't show the actual drive in BIOS. On my Series 7, I can also just press Esc at boot to select the boot device. I think it's F10 on other models.

Hope that works.

Edit: One more thing: Make sure UEFI is disabled in BIOS as well.

 

Thanks for the tips. Unfortunately, there is no "Legacy USB Support" in the BIOS of this machine. Also, UEFI disabled or enabled, doesn't matter. Still stuck unable to boot to any device but the SSD and Ethernet. I'm starting to hate Samsung.

Thanks all.

 

Exactly which model of the NP900X3C do you have? Both Samsung's specs and this review show the right side port as being USB 2.0.

John

 

Got it, thanks for the update. Be patient a little longer; I am sure you'll get it working with the help of John and other helpful Series 9 owners here.

I remember feeling the same when I first started installing on a Series 5 this summer, thinking Samsung had lost it when they designed it. But after I got to know it and learned its quirks (now a Series 7), I never have a problem booting DOS, Windows, Linux, SRS etc. I must have done at least a dozen installs on my test partition since then.

I am sure there is a way

 

A01US. I know, I looked at the model on Samsung's site and it shows up with 1x USB 3.0 and 1x USB 2.0. But I'm looking at it and it has 2x USB 3.0.

 

OK, the good news is that a BIOS update finally got the laptop to view the optical drive on the USB port (haven't tried the USB stick yet). Now of course, I need a driver to get Windows to install and I'm not sure which one. Any ideas? I figure it's something with the chipset or SSD. Though I never had a problem before with other SSD or laptops.

 

YEA!!! Finally. I got it working. Basically, the optical drive I was using wasn't able to install x64 OS (I remember something about older optical drives having this problem, though I never had a problem in the past). I was able to find a "newer" one and it's installing finally. I was trying from the USB stick, but for whatever reason that wasn't working at all. It did see it, but I just couldn't boot from it. Maybe it's just a bad stick. Doesn't matter, I got it working now.

thanks for the help and remember, anyone else with a problem... UPDATE THE BIOS FIRST!

 

Great, well done

 

I just went through this. But then I relaised it was Samsung Fast Boot which was the problem. Once you disable it at Samsung settings, it starts boot from usb.