Samsung Q320 : 13.4" 16:9 notebook

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I had that with my first Q320. Exchanging @ future shop was the solution.

If you have to go through Samsung service, be ready for disappointment. Be sure to document everything for when you need to escalate to the President of Samsung.

(see my thread 'dust under screen')

 

I read it, awful support. Another reason not to send it in for such a minor issue. I'll get a replacement drive myself and fix it. Rather spend a little bit of money than losing my only and main computer for a few weeks.

 

I also took the liberty of updating to 05LH. Fan noise seems not so excessive as 03LH, but it's worse than 01LH. On the other hand, it results in lower temperatures. I'll try it out for a few days.

 

Interesting TC03, please keep us posted. I did try to install 05LH but it won't work on my 64bit Windows7 Q320. (it stops with it gets to updating the MICOM) Which OS are you running? How about the charging USB? Is it working with 05LH?

 

W7 32-bit. I'm going to try the charging through USB, although I should mention I only have an iPhone to test it, so if it doesn't work it may be because of the proprietary Apple dock port.

 

It doesn't seem to work with my iPhone. After reconsideration, I don't think there's any noticable difference between 01LH and 05LH, fan noise seems the same.

Edit: I measured the voltage on the powered USB port after I put my laptop in suspend mode. It read 5V, so to me it seems that the powered USB port works. Only my iPhone probably needs to communicate to the computer.

 

Thanks for the diligent follow-up TC03. Did you try when the computer is off? That's the situation I was interested in for an iPod shuffle but charging stops when the computer is turned off. Worse, when I run the Samsung USB charging application, it says the feature is not supported by the computer...

 

Yeah, that's why you have to update the BIOS I think. I also installed the most recent Samsung USB charging application.

I didn't try it when the computer was turned off though. It probably won't work with iPods or iPhones anyway.

 

Is it just me or has this thread suddenly been renamed to "HP $250 Off Laptop Stackable Coupon Code"?

 

I think it's an issue with a certain NBR feature, I have notified the admins.

 

Thanks again TC03; I gather that the Samsung USB charging application is not giving you the "not supported" message with BIOS 05LH? That should be a good sign that it is working...

BTW, given your experience, you may want to consider contributing to this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=457017

 

sorry, but i'm sort of confused...just to clarify:

1. even with the new updated bios, the charging usb port isn't working?
2. if working, does it work with ipod touch/iphones specifically?
3. does the charging utility work after the updated bios?
4. what does that utility do precisely?

if anyone can definitively answer that, i'd appreciate it greatly!

 

I installed both the latest BIOS and most recent USB charging application. When I open the app, this is what I see:


So yes, it appears to be working. Just not with the iPhone.

 

1. It appears to work, just not with the iPhone.
2. I'm afraid not.
3. Yes.
4. Enable USB charging. Silly app, since you can already turn this feature on or off in the BIOS.

 

hello everyone
I'm new to the Q320 club, just received my unit a week ago.
It has been great so far..and i'm still playing around with the chargable usb too.
But i'm having trouble finding a white replacement battery for the Q320 with around 5300MaH 6 cell. Does anyone know where i can buy one?

 

I believe that the battery is shared with some other Samsung notebooks so you might find more success if you search for the battery part number.

John

 

Thank you for the response! John
But i've search over google and all that with the part number , still can't locate one with higher capacity.

Jason

 

hi guys

this morning i was really bored and since I couldn't fine the inspiration to write my research paper, I had the bad idea of opening my laptop.
Basically I wanted just to try to lift up the keyboard, as in some laptop this is the first 'gate' to the inside...but soon I realized it is kinda embedded in the upper chassis, so I went to unmount everything.
basically I removed all the screw from the framework, the screws under the hard disk, but still had bad time opening it, I got stuck on the region near the USB/power ports.
and still i'm wondering if the keyboard must be removed first, as anyway the upper chassis seemed somwhat constrained close to the monitor.
Anyway, I closed again RAM and HD lid, screwed back hinges and keyboard screws only, cos I wanted to ask for assistance to you....
and damn, the keyboard is not working anymore (both win and bios)!
I ran to buy a USB keyboard and at least is working.

But now I have big trouble; also, in the device manager the laptop keyboard is present (at least, it's the one which remains after I detach the USB keyboard, labeled as 'Standard PS/2 keyboard') so i'm really afraid I may have damaged something.
but to be sure and check if for example one cable is unplugged, I really need to open it.
so please, all the insane people that tried to open it, please help me?

Your suggestions?A part something like 'tie ur hands up next time!'??
Do you think I really screwed off things since windows somewhat recognize it?

Many, many thanks!

EDIT: honestly, it's not the first laptop that I open, but I really had bad times. I know I'm stupid, cos when I was seeing it was hard I should have stopped; but you know also how it works in these cases, you really don't want to stop...
other times it was really straightforward; maybe this time the thing I missed was a walkthrough, as I always opened laptop with some kind of instructions..

also, the touchpad is still working!

EDIT2: and I'm even dumb in the power of 2, as TC03 has made a walkthrough here, I even answere on that months ago, but I wasn't rememberign about that....damn me, damn!

 

OK, everything under control.
i disassembled the laptop till the very last small piece and reassembled it again, now it work flawlessly.
indeed, the socket of they keyboard is really a pain...
things are even worse due to the 'anti-spill' keyboard system.....if morons wouldn't drink tea and coffee over a keyboard, I would have saved at least 4 hours..

anyway, next days I will post here all the photographs of the autopsy!

 

I'm glad everything worked out. You got stuck on the exact same part as me. You have to remove the KB (= keyboard) screws first, lift up the keyboard using a screwdriver and then remove the screws behind the keyboard.

 

Does anyone know where I can get a replacement keyboard?

 

For those of you guys trying to charge your iPhone with the charge port you need something like this: http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/ridax-offering-iphone-3g-charge-converter/

 

You will need to contact Samsung support to find out who their authorised repair agents are (they may be listed on the Samsung website).

John

 

I have a problem booting up windows, which I have a potential solution for but to do this I need to remove a cd from the drive. I've googled for this but can't find a manual eject for the q320, perhaps it's staring me in the face but I just can't find it. Any help or advice gratefully received, cheers.

 

On page 58 of the Q320 User Manual I think I can see small (about 1/16" / 1.5mm) hole in the fascia. Straighten half a paper clip and push it in the hole (see here for how to use the paper clip). You should hear a little click and the disk will partly pop out.

The same page of the User Manual also says that Fn + Insert will work in the BIOS, but does not work while Windows is booting, so you can try pressing F2 or Esc at the initial boot, then Fn + Insert to try ejecting the disc before looking for the paper clip.

John

 

Thank you, managed to get it out in the BIOS (couldn't see any hole) but unfortunately it still didn't solve my problem so I have an expensive paperweight on my hands. Any further suggestions welcome if anyone has had similar problems. I get the blue screen of death and safe mode halts at classpnp.sys.

 

Burn a Linux live CD and see if you can boot from it. That should confirm whether you have a hardware problem or Windows has got its underwear tangled.

John

 

Yeah that's what I did, managed to boot into ubuntu but then couldn't access the drive that windows is on (someone on another forum claimed to have fixed problem by replacing the classpnp.sys file) and didn't know what else to try and rectify it. Currently trying a windows recovery disk but it's been stuck on 'recovery options' for ages.

 

If Ubuntu can't read the HDD then maybe the HDD has a problem. Does Samsung have any diagnostics in the BIOS? Or you may be able to download a bootable HDD diagnostics CD from the HDD manufacturer's website.

Otherwise I would remove the HDD, put it in an enclosure and check it using another computer.

John

 

Thanks again for your help John, could you elaborate a bit on the first couple of lines as I'm not really sure what I'm looking for? I was hoping to avoid having to remove anything, as I'm not at all skilled at this sort of thing and have only had the system a month.

 

If the HDD isn't detected within Ubuntu then it might be the HDD itself's problem. In order to verify that, the you notebook's BIOs might have build in disk check utilities that can check whether or not your notebook's HDD is working. When you boot up the notebook, there should be on screen prompts such as "Press F2 to enter BIOs" of course it could be any F#.

If there are no such build in utilities in you BIOs, then you will need to check which company manufactured your notebook, and on their website they might have similar tools that you can download, then burn to a CD or DVD, which you can use too boot to then check your HDD.

 

I can't see one on the BIOS, if anyone knows there's one and what it comes under than I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

 

My WiFi suddenly has become unusable overnight when I close the lid. I used to use my laptop connected to an external mouse, keyboard and LCD display with the lid closed without problems. Today I woke up and suddenly WiFi barely works, it only works with the lid opened. It really bugs me. Any ideas?

 

It may not be your computer. You need to exclude other factors such as the router is dying or someone else has started using the same channel.

John

 

I investigated that already. Even using the laptop very close the the wireless router doesn't help.

 

And the router still works fine with another computer, I assume.

Check you Windows power management and make sure that it has not gone into the power saving mode. And while you are there check the power management settings for the wireless adaptor.

My next thought is whether an antenna connector has come off the wireless card. Have a look under the covers on the bottom of the computer.

John

 

Thanks for thinking along with me, I'll try your suggestions.

 

I'm resigned to losing anything I had on my hdd now (nothing important) but I need to know if having a windows 7 disc to re-install will actually make any difference? I've tried the downloadable recovery disc and that doesn't work so will I be able to re-install or will the problem with the hdd mean I can't even do that?

 

" Downloadable recovery disk"? Is that available from Samsung support or is it something that needs to be bought? I'm interested because the latest Samsung Recovery Solution update de-installed the old version but could not re-install the new version. Apparently, it is because I don't have a saved recovery on the recovery partition (and that's because I still have Vista on the recovery partition). If I could install a Windows7 recovery partition on my Q320 recovery partition, maybe that would help...

 

I would first remove the HDD and put it into a USB enclosure and plug it into another computer. There's a chance that another computer can read the HDD contents unless the disk is completely dead. But even before that I would just remove and replace the HDD in your Q320 in case it's a connection problem.

The recovery solution can be obtained from the Q320 downloads. It enables you to make backups of C: to be stored on another partition.

John

 

Thanks again for your help John, I've ordered an enclosure and will try that out. Any tips what to do if it my other computer does read the HDD?

 

Yes John, I have downloaded the Samsung Recovery Solution software but it is not working because it is not finding what it needs on my Vista recovery partition. As you may remember, I have been trying to find a way to install a copy of Windows7 on the recovery partition (without success so far). That's why I was interested when I saw the "Downloadable recovery disk" mentioned previously.

 

The one I was referring to was a windows recovery, rather than samsung. I don't have the link to hand but you should be able to find it through google (as I did). It didn't work for me, but then nothing seems to be at the moment.

 

Found the links:

http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/

http://neosmart.net/blog/2009/windows-7-system-repair-discs/

 

Thanks for the links norainu. I looked it up but I'm not sure this would do anything more (for my Q320) than the Windows7 disk that I got from Samsung. It seems these disks are for those people who did not get a Windows disk at all (which is the case for some of the computers I have at home actually).

 

No problem, the disc I made from those links finally sorted me out, it took ages though. Thanks to everyone for their help.

 

Okay, I have finally manage to find what I was looking for so long. I have 00LH version of firmware for Samsung q320, but it is in win format, so I cannot start it in dos, and I cannot start it in Windows, because it complains that the version I am trying to update is older than the current (01LH) version...
If you know any way to pass over this... Let me know, your help will be appreciated...
http://depositfiles.com/files/oeveoflhu the link where you can download 00LH

 

Hey guys, have anyone seen any reports of Q320's powering themselves off? My battery is fully charged and on the occasions it has done it I was running off mains anyways. It just seemed to die.

Could it have been over heating as I do leave it on for days at a time.

I have also noticed it has started to run a little hot, I am being very careful not to block the back vents, ie when sitting in bed. I sit the laptop on a book on my lap to let the air flow but am now thinking I need something for it to sit on that provides cooling from underneath the unit. Maybe something with two layers with a gap in the middle, if you get what I am thinking.

Thanks if anyone has any thoughts on this.

 

lol, i've just discovered they actually sell notebook cooling stands. I will have a look at the Zalman ZM-NC1000.

Would still be interested to know if anyone has had the power down issue.