Samsung Series 5 - NP550P5C Thread

thanks skor78!... I have the plastic tools that are used to disarm cell phones, will try to do with them

 

You will need stronger tools, if the plastic tools are the ones I think, they might break before you pry the covers. Proceed with caution. Good luck.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

 

can some1 explain the whole recovery thingy to me ? its my first laptop n i didn't get a cd with it.....i don't know how i'm gonna do recovery if something happens :S thanks.

 

Run Samsung Recovery Solution and create a backup, this recovery and others will be saved in Recovery partition.
If, in example, you need to format the drive, you can, after, you boot from recovery partition and choose which recovery image you want to restore to main drive.

Hope this helps.

Cheers.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

I bought the Samsung NP550P5C back on December 2012 with windows 8 installed. I used for a few months until the AC Power adapter burnt back in June 2013, then last month i bought a new adapter but the laptop does not turn on. The power switch light turns on as well as the led on the edge but not the led indicating the hard disk is being read. I removed the hard drive believing that was the problem but it happens the hard drive has not issues at all. I put it back and i kept on trying to turn it on until it finally turned on without any issues while it is on but as soon as i turned it off the same problem again, it is not turning on again; all i get is a black screen, not even the samsung logo. I would greatly appreciate any help with this problem. Unfortunately the computer is out of warranty already :-(


Thanks

 

Unfortunately seems to be a faulty board issue. Unless you're electronic savvy and have the right equipment to solder micro electronics, I recommend you take it to a certified electronic repair tech.

Just to rule out battery, take battery out and test again, if it works it means it could be the battery or a faulty board also, but in the battery power module..

Good luck!

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

 

I wonder whether it's a UEFI-related problem such as discussed here. Samsung pushed out several BIOS updates which seemed to have largely fixed the problems although there are still residual issues with some configuration data held in the CMOS and others in UEFI. There are several suggestions in that thread for trying to resurrect a dead computer. The first one is disconnect the mains, disconnect / remove the battery, then hold down the power button for a minute. Then replace the battery and plug in the mains. If you can get into the BIOS then you can use the reset to default option while if you can get into Windows then Charms > Change PC Settings > General > Advanced Startup gets to options for troubleshooting boot issues.

I would also remove / replace the RAM since any bad contacts can cause the computer to appear dead: If the BIOS can't find the RAM then the boot process stops before it gets to the Samsung logo.

John

 

Using i7 (NP550P5C-S02IN) version since June 2012. I had a white spots (dead pixels/whatever on screen) when I bought it which got replaced by company. And after that I faced no issue at all till last month:
1. Unable to write CD/DVDs. I never user to write dvd and I tried it last month for the first time and it just wasting the dvds
2. Power connector jack loosen the laptop power port, so right now have to set/adjust it by moving the pin in a specific way in order to get power to lappy
3. Last week, it's HDD start to make continuous click-click noise and windows showing error 'DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE' (win 8 blue screen) and keep restarting. Sometimes just hang and start to make click sound. I bet my HDD going to die very soon (already have backup) and still under 1 + 1 warranty (extended). May I get hdd replacement from company, not sure about this.

My question is: I want to place a 256 SSD at the place of HDD and additional 1 TB HDD at the place of blueray drive, so I need hdd caddy. I searched for the right caddy in my local market (Jaipur, India) but found nowhere. It would be a great help if someone knows if I can order it online in India (Exactly something like this Samsung NP550P5C HDD Caddy - add an extra HDD or SSD into your laptop!

Thanks in advance!

 

Hi,

I made that in my NP550P5C laptop, hdd caddy seems right but they don't provide measures, there are 2 different thickness measures, you need the larger one. I still have a smaller one stored around I bought in mistake of assuming I had a slim drive instead of checking first.

Before doing any of this use your warranty to fix dvd and hdd. Warranty might not cover power jack alleging bad use.

Good luck.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

I agree. Get things fixed under warranty first. The ODD might just be in need a a good clean to remove dust from the lasers (I know that India can get quite hot and dusty so the cooling fan will be sucking in dirty air).

If the power plug is straight it is much easier to overstress the socket than if the power plug is L-shaped, particularly if the socket is on the side of the computer. (The original Series 9 power supplies had a straight plug which seemed very fragile. Samsung then changed it to the L-shape).

On some of the notebooks the power socket is soldered onto a board so it is more vulnerable to damage. The better design is to have a separate socket on a short cable so it can move slightly without breaking.

John

 

Guys, I'm having some sound issues with my 550..
Keeps doing clicking sounds in some situations like loading youtube videos, playing pokerstars, etc..
Already updated drivers but didn't solved it. Went through realtek and Sound Alive options, still nothing. I'm out of ideas.

Any solutions?

 

I wonder whether the noises are caused by switching between all the options. It might be worthwhile removing the Realtek bloat and seeing what happens with the basic Windows sound driver.

John

 

Already did that John, also went through windows driver options, isolated everything one by one, etc.. I honestly think its something regarding sub woofer but I have no options available for it.

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Hey everyone.

I replaced my lappy SSD and installed Win8.1 instead. Now I'm having a few problems I could use your help..

-Laptop is overheating, even though cpu load rarely exceeds 20%. I think it might be related to Intel HD GPU driver..
-Intel HD CP won't allow me to configure my LG TV (720p) resolution to 1280x720 and scale it like i did in Win7.. Oddly enough it does allow me 1280x720 resolution and scaling if i duplicate screens, but if want TV only, i can only choose 1024x768 or 1920x1080. I have latest driver installed. It's very frustrating and distracting trying to watch something on the TV with the laptop screen working on the side..
- Lost my option to disable Bluetooth only. Now wireless fn key only allows me to turn airplane mode on/off.

Any solutions?
TIA.

 

So what is the CPU temperature? The Intel GPU is in the same package.

Which version of Settings are you using? You may want to try another version to find the best compromise between 8.1 compatibility and loss of support for your notebook's features. You can get a good choice using the Find Model facility in SW Update to look through the whole database.

John

 

Yeah I know the Intel GPU is inside the CPU, that's why I referred it. Temps are:
Idle - win7 50-60'C - win8.1 60-80'C
Running flash or performance tasks - win7 up to 72'C - win8.1 up to 90'C
Difference between are massive.
Settings version is 2.0.0
I did choose a different model in SW Update, basically the same laptop, only difference is win8.1 support.

Here's print screen of my current situation..

 

I agree that's too hot and something in Windows 8 isn't configured correctly. Are you getting the heating when the computer is idle or under other conditions (please clarify which).

Some thoughts:

1. Right click on something that running in Flash and see if it is using hardware or software acceleration. Then try the other option.

2. Try the latest graphics driver direct from Intel.

And Settings is generic so you can use a version offered for another computer. I'm using 2.0.0.38 although I believe that 2.0.0.55 also works well with the older notebooks.

John

 

Hey skor,

If your Intel graphics control panel doesn't allow you to create custom resolutions, then search for CustomModeApp (a utility that comes with newer Intel graphics drivers) and see if it will let you do what you want.

As you found, Fn-F12 simply toggles Airplane Mode in Win8.x -- all radios. You generally use the Charms - Settings - PC Settings menu to toggle Bluetooth -- but that toggle is usually only available if you install Samsung's own BT driver (as opposed to the Intel driver or the one from Microsoft). In any case does it merely disable the BT adapter in Device Manager, which you can do yourself.

Some new versions of Settings have Bluetooth control while others don't. That too relies on the Samsung BT driver to be installed. The latest Settings version I have seen is 2.3.0.17, which can be found in SW Update under model NP930X5J-S01US. Note that Settings versions 2.1.x and newer do not have tabs to control BLE and ExpressCache (found on older Samsung laptops) although the features themselves still work the same.

 

Hi guys,

Just wanted to update, I've tried all your recommendations and more but the laptop was only getting hotter and hotter. Finally I got fed up and rolled back to Win7. Everything is normal now. I'm using exactly the same drivers (all the latest I was using in 8.1) and same software, and instead of idle temps at 75-80ºC, my laptop is now running at 50-55ºC. Go figure...
Later on I'll have to replace the thermal paste, on load laptop is heating a little faster, probably because the thermal dried up while on 8.1.

In sum.. Windows 8.1 is a cancer!! Never again!

Only one issue came up after installing 7, I can't change my monitor from laptop to my TV using fn+F4, I can do it over in Windows and Intel GPU settings and i can roll back from TV to laptop using fn+F4, but I don't get any options to connect to TV, clone or extend.. Not serious, but truly annoying! I was very used to use the fn key..


Thanks.

 

I thought that the Fn+F4 was hard wired, but you could try (re)installing Easy Settings.

Note that there is a version 2 of Easy Settings which you will find in the Win7 folder of the Settings installer for Windows 8.

John

 

So.. I was using Easy Settings 1.1.0.49 and updated to 2.0.0.30, same thing, only laptop on fn+F4. On a quick note, instead of external screen or TV, i see a projector in Settings.


Thanks.

 

I can't explain why it offers a projector but it must be detecting something because you have a choice of displays.

How are you connecting to the external display? VGA or HDMI or other? Did you try a different cable or socket?

John

 

HDMI. I don't need a new cable. I can clearly read 'LG TV' on nVidia, Intel and Windows settings. I believe the issue is the settings version, if you click on help you will also see the projector mentioned in help. I'll try to contact Samsung later on, and hopefully they have an answer.

Thanks.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

Try a different version of (Easy) Settings.

Use the Find Model function in SW Update to look through the database. I think anything that is 2.0.0.xx should work with your computer but some of the newest versions don't include controls for some older features such as ExpressCache and Battery Life Extender.

John

 

Hey John,

With all respect to your intentions to help me, I'm not going on a wild goose chase with this. Already lost too much time on 8.1.
If I have the time, I'll check out the settings version in my old SSD and see if it matters, but considering I always try to keep everything updated, I'm septic..
Hopefully, Samsung support can provide a solution for this.

Thanks.

 

Hi folks,
First time on here - hope you can help.

I bought an np550p5c in October 2012 (so out of warranty). I rarely use it as I tend to use my Galaxy S3 for browsing, email etc. It's "semi permanent" with a screen, k/b, mouse, printer etc connected. Effectively, I use it like you would use a desktop PC.

When I powered on this week, it wouldn't boot. Instead, I get the power button illuminated blue, the battery light is green (when connected to AC supply) and initially the disk light goes blue for a second or two. The screen stays blank

I took it to my local repair shop. They cleaned it and repasted the CPU to no avail. They suspect the video chip/GPU is damaged. Although out of warranty, I would not expect this to happen so relatively early in the machine's life, particularly as it has been used so little and never for gaming (which I understand can heat things up somewhat). Unfortunately, they say it is uneconomical for them to repair it as they say the motherboard is expensive.

So, I'm asking you experts:

1. Is this a known fault which Samsung should take responsibility for?
2. Is replacing the motherboard something I can do myself? I have removed the Base, HDD, ODD and memory but not gone beyond that before reassembling and it looks like I'd need to unscrew the CPU and repaste onto new board. Anything else?
3. Mine is an A02-UK dated Apr 2012. Are all boards the same apart from CPU and memory?

Thanks in advance.

 

The first thing I would do is to remove / replace any RAM and try each module separately (if more than one). Sometimes the contacts oxidise which causes problems when the boot loader in the BIOS tries to access the RAM. And if it encounters any such problems then all you see is some lights but nothing more.

Next I would try disconnecting the HDD. If this has an electronic problem (rare, but not unknown) so the BIOS can't interrogate it then the boot process stops. If there is no drive connected then the BIOS will report "no boot device".

We also have the bricking thread with suggestions for trying to resurrect dead notebooks (as a result of BIOS updates or UEFI issues).

If none of the above work then visit Samsungparts.com to find out the part number of the NP550P5C motherboard (my link is to one version but there is a long list of other versions so check if they all have the same motherboard part number).

Then you can search for the part number(s) using your favourite search engine or shopping sites. I can see a possible board here. Be thankful that you don't have a soldered CPU which, typically, doubles the cost of a replacement board.

Let us know how you get on.

John

 

Hi John,
Many thanks for the quick response. I'm probably not the first to say it but YOU ARE A GENTLY! Your first suggestion hit the nail firmly on the head. The 2GB module is to blame. It doesn't work in either slot whereas the 4GB works in either. I guess I can limp along on 4GB or treat myself to a 4GB upgrade. I've read about "matched memory" before but I guess having two different module sizes, it wasn't matched originally. So, would it be OK to source a single 4GB module of the same spec and use that?

As an aside, can you actually mix DDR3 modules of different speeds? I have a spare 1GB module from an older laptop but it is 8500S whereas the ones in the np550p5c are 12800S.

Once again, thanks

Stu

 

IMO, checking the RAM should have been higher up your repair place's list of checks than repasting the CPU.

Did you do a BIOS update just before the computer died? I ask that because Samsung introduced a bug into their BIOSes towards the end of last year which created incompatibilities with various RAM modules (I thought I had a bricked computer after a BIOS update then put the original RAM back in ready for sending in and it worked again). People have made Samsung aware of the problem but we've seen neither a fix nor a list of compatible RAM modules.

Normally, I would say to buy the cheapest RAM. However, since you know that the 4GB module works it would be safest to find the same (if you can) in case there's the BIOS compatibility issue. But, since you have it, first try that 1GB module that you have lying around. Any two modules is better than one and their speed isn't so critical as shown by my table here.

John

 

Thanks John. I'll try the spare 1GB tomorrow.

AFAIK, it didn't do a BIOS upgrade. Now that it's been on for a while, a Windows update has occurred (still on Win). What I have noticed for the first time is the Samsung Power app. I read a little about that elsewhere on here but not noticed it before.

I agree totally about the repair shop. They're only a 5 minute walk from home so I'll "have a word" with them tomorrow. Scanning eBay for memory now

 

OK, so I installed the spare 1GB card. All working fine, even tho it's a slower spec.. I'll likely get a 4GB card to replace it.

I contacted the repair shop this morning. They are adamant that they removed all the components off the MoBo and did a bench test, adding various components as they went along. When that didn't work, they repasted the CPU. Still didn't work so returned to me. Well, I can't understand why the very first time I removed the memory modules and added individually, it orked just fine! They say it could be a heat problem which might recur sometime in the future and advised me to keep an eye on temps.

I've downloaded SpeedFan and running that now. I'm not entirely sure what it is monitoring - HDD (obvious!), Temp 1 (ACPI?), Temp 2 (ACPI?), Core 0 and Core 1 (dual-core i5 CPU). What are the ACPI readings? Anyway, with mains power on and little processing activity other than my typing on here and other web search stuff, all are generally in the 45-55c deg C range, with the occasional spike to 57C. All seem pretty low to me - right?

Stu

PS. I've just realised that the NP550P5C-A02UK doesn't have the NVIDIA GeForce-GT 650M card, even though I have the NVIDIA settings tool.

 

I think the ACPI temperatures are extra thermal sensors in other chips eg northbridge and southbridge.

An overheating CPU is unlikely to stop a computer from starting the boot process because (i) it does not heat up instantly and (ii) the built-in thermal management slows down the clock speed once the CPU temperature gets into the 90s C. At least that's what happened with my Lenovo T420s where the cooling system couldn't handle sustained full speed operation without the temperature creeping into the 90s. I doubt that Intel have dispensed with that feature on the newer CPUs.

For peace of mind I would run a couple of tests that load the system. Run HWiNFO and open the sensors then run wPrime 1024M which should give the CPU a good workout. You can use HWiNFO's dynamic CPU speed indicator to monitor the CPU speed while also watching the temperature. Then do the same while running 3DMark which will exercise both the CPU and graphics system. I would hope that the maximum temperatures keep below 90C.

John

 

Hi everyone,

After a driver update from nvidia appeared today, I clicked update and after a few minutes nvidia experience become unresponsive and the laptop started heating up.. I restarted and now I always get a boot error asking for system repair. However if I boot bios and exit Windows will start.
What's happening with my laptop? Can anyone make sense of this?

Thanks.

 

Are you running Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1?

Are you shutting down before rebooting or just rebooting?

Perhaps start by resetting the BIOS to the defaults.

John

 

Windows 7, both shut down and reboot, will try reset and post back.

Thanks.

 

I bought my Samsung 550p5C-S05IN from India a year ago. I live in Chicago right now. Lately, my laptop fan has been making a lot of noise and I'm starting to see FPS drops when I play League. I've been using a cooling pad for a couple of months now. My friend suggested I should replace the fan with a new one. Problem is that the nearest Samsung service center is about 800 miles away from me in Dallas. I searched the net for a guide on replacing the fan but I can't seem to find one. Help me please D:

 

Hi guys,

I want to replace current wireless card in my laptop because it doesn't support 5ghz channel . I couldn't find any guide how to do it! Is it possible to change it? If answer yes, how can I reach to wireless adapter? Open the bottom part or is it located somewhere else? If I am able to change it, does it cause to BIOS issue? Does it have whitelist-blacklist?

I am planning to change with this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DMCVKMU/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3G4Z7JJ34B7QN

Thank you in advance!

 

Some of the newest notebooks have used a soldered WiFi device but your's is a bit older and should be in a socket. You'll have to remove the bottom of the computer to check what is there and also the size of the existing card, particulary if it is a half height card (as you have linked to) or full height (which is longer). If you don't anticipate getting an AC router then you can save a few $$$s by getting the appropriate dual band 6235 WiFi card.

Some people who have done a similar upgrade on other Samsung notebooks have encountered a problem with Bluetooth switching which can be fixed by taping over one of the contacts on the card to disable it.

John

 

Hello, and my first post here and my laptop (Samsung np550p5c) not turn on, only light energy and the light of the button on / off. I installed recently windows 10 and used about 1 month.recently appeared the logo of windows the logo of the windows it was with a black screen and only, but now it's not any sign of life only the power LED. took the assistance and said they tested all Spare and they think may will be bios.
Sorry for my bad English.

edit:I already removed the memories and tested one at a time in different slots, as seen in a post back but did not work

 

I would suggest that you start by reading through this thread.

Which version of Windows did your computer originally ship with and was UEFI enabled / disabled?

John

 

I have an NP550P5C-T01US running Windows 7/64, and have a few questions:

1. Easy Software Manager wasn't installed on my computer from the factory, but is offered as a download on the support page. Is there any reason I shouldn't install it? I understand it can be used to uninstall other Samsung bloatware.

2. Software Update is now offering me BIOS P10AAA. I have P08AAA, and previously decided not to install P09AAA. Everything seems to be working ok, but I wonder whether I should consider P10AAA (see the next question). I also wonder whether anyone else has flashed P10AAA, and what the results were.

3. I bought this computer because it had Windows 7, so I passed on the chance to upgrade it to Windows 8. But I might want to consider upgrading to Windows 10, which I understand will be free. Things are a bit complicated by the fact that I use Truecrypt whole-drive encryption, which requires that I stick with BIOS and not use UEFI/GPT. Has anyone actually installed the Windows 10 preview successfully on this machine, or on any Series 5 computer? Or is this whole idea perhaps a bridge too far?

 

Hi @wayback, sorry for the late response.

1) Easy Software Manager has been superseded by SW Update, which is the best way to get updated drivers for Samsung laptops. They generally don't post updates on their website. Some users find that SW Update keeps nagging about updates, but you can disable that. There is a link to SW Update in the Samsung forum sticky on top of the Samsung forum.

2) BIOS updates can be a little risky, both in case of problems during the flashing and in case the new BIOS contains bugs or undesirable changes. Unfortunately Samsung don't post change logs, so we don't know whether a new BIOS is worth the risk. I cannot speak to the specific updates you mention as I don't have your model. The update process itself is usually safe when you follow John's advice in the BIOS Update thread: Do NOT run it inside SW Update, but rather run BIOSupdate.exe and save the actual update file, then run it standalone with all background programs closed.

3) Several members have posted about (mostly trouble free) experiences with Win10 on their Sammies. I don't remember if any of them were installing in CSM mode (Legacy BIOS) but I would be surprised if Win10 doesn't support that. Otherwise upgrading from Win7 computers would be impossible without wiping the disk, which I doubt Microsoft would demand. I have indeed seen mentions that Win10 requires UEFI, but a little Googling turned up this and this which indicate that booting Win10 from an MBR disk is possible, and this which states it outright. I have not tried it myself, though.

 

Thanks for the reply. Your Microsoft link brings up another issue for me. I went to some trouble to eliminate the 100MB system partition in Windows 7. Now it looks like I won't be able to install Windows 10 without it.

 

Oops, sorry about that (with the 100 MB MSR). I wonder if it's because of the encryption: BitLocker is one of the features that need an MSR. But you didn't need it with Win7...

I suppose you could shrink the Windows partition, use @hanime's guide in the thread linked below to manually create an MSR, then use EasyBCD to add a BCD store, and mark it Active to make it the boot partition.

Or, if you can do a clean install of Win10, probably just delete the Windows Partition, and it will create the necessary MSR. I haven't tried it though.

 

I have the Gamer and Windows 7. I tried a dual boot but Win10 wanted GPT and I had legacy MBR. I was not willing to trash the Windows 7 install. Other than that Win10 should work well with the older Samsungs. As pointed out, beware of the updated Bios as it can introduce issues.

 

Thank you @TANWare.

Was that the latest Win10 you tried there? I wonder if Microsoft addressed this in later Win10 versions (allowing them to install on BIOS/MBR machines). Or maybe they only allow it on older non-SecureBoot models.

It seems a really weird limitation, given the huge implications for all (or most) Win7 users.

 

Yeah, for the preview at least, if you have a uefi system they want it on GPT, even turning it off in bios did not help as it still has a uefi table. The Gamers are not a true UEFI but UEFI compliant, strange animals to say the least.

Oh, as far as latest version of Windows 10, I gave up on the we are listening this time a while ago so I have not tried other than the first iteration. My understanding is it still wants GPT on UEFI machines.

 

Of course GPT was always needed on UEFI machines -- that's true with any OS, as EFI partitions cannot boot from an MBR disk.

But if MS are now saying UEFI must be enabled if a BIOS has it (and thus the disk converted to GPT) that's demented if Win10 otherwise works fine on machines that don't have UEFI support (and thus boot from an MBR disk).

 

no one has said what the RTM will do, but that is what the initial Win10 did. Of course my P79 did not have the UEFI, so I went dual boot there. I quickly saw I was going to be disappointed with their vision and removed Windows 10. I am still hoping to be proven wrong but we shall see.

Back to topic, do not fix what is not broke, leave the bios alone at 08aaa.

 

Hi guys,
I have a damaged HDMI socket on my 550P5C. Can you give me a direction to find out correct part number for this component please? This type of connectors vary and I can't figure out the correct one from the photos.

Regards.