TUTORIAL: How to reformat and do a clean install of Windows 8 on Samsung Series 9 laptops

Note from Samsung moderator: Please read this post later in the thread before proceeding with the tutorial. Also, please study the entire thread for relevant discussion.

This tutorial explains how to do a clean install of Windows 8 and remove the recovery partition, which will leave ~100GB free on a 128GB SSD (compared to ~66GB free out of the box.) I did these steps on a NP900X4D-A05US but they should work on any new Samsung laptop with Windows 8. You will need a 4GB+ USB flash drive for this procedure.

Before doing this, make a backup of your recovery partition (connect an external hard drive, open Recovery by searching for "recovery" in Metro, and select the backup option.)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Download a Windows 8 ISO file that corresponds to your machine's OEM version. Microsoft has a list of every Windows 8 ISO here (you can only download from this link if you are an MSDN TechNet subscriber, but that page includes SHA1 hashes for every ISO which makes it easy to confirm yours is genuine, in case you obtain it legally elsewhere.) For example if your machine came with Windows 8 (x64) (English), you will need to download en_windows_8_x64_dvd_915440.iso. As long as you choose the correct version, Windows will activate automatically and you will not be asked to enter a product key during installation as Windows 8 product keys are now embedded on the motherboard.
   
2. Verify that your ISO downloaded properly and is genuine using the MD5 & SHA-1 Checksum Utility.
   
3. Download and install the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool (it says Windows 7, but works just fine for Windows 8.) Connect your USB flash drive and follow the instructions to transfer the ISO to your flash drive.
   
4. Update the BIOS to the most recent version using SW Update. If for some reason you don't have SW Update, you can download it here.
   
5. Shut down the computer and reboot into the BIOS by pressing F2 repeatedly immediately after pressing the Power button. Under the "Advanced" tab, set Fast BIOS Mode to Disabled. Under the "Boot" tab, set Secure Boot to Disabled, then OS Mode Selection to CSM OS. Then select "Boot Device Priority" and move USB HDD to the top. Hit F10 to save and exit.
   
6. The computer should restart and boot from your USB drive into the Windows installation. Go through the prompts and choose the custom installation option and when it asks where you want to install Windows, click "Drive options (advanced)" and delete every partition until you have one big unallocated space (~117GB on a 128GB SSD.) Proceed with the installation.
   
7. The installation will go through five steps and then restart; remove the USB flash drive during the 10 second restart prompt. If you don't do this, you will end up at the initial installation prompt again...in which case just close the prompt, remove the flash drive, and restart from there. The installation will continue normally.
   
8. Once the installation is finished and you've configured all your initial settings, install SW Update and update your drivers. Most items can be left unchecked; the only ones I installed were the Touchpad, Chipset, Intel Rapid Storage Technology, Graphics, Settings, and Display Color Profile...but you may want to install more or less depending on your particular configuration.
   
9. After SW Settings has installed all the driver updates, reboot into the BIOS and set Fast BIOS Mode back to Enabled (but keep Secure Boot disabled and the OS Mode as CSM OS) and you're done!

 

Good work. It's probably wise to backup the recovery partition and maybe worthwhile to keep the 1GB F4, though you can rebuild these with some effort (I don't remember the link).
Another option is using W8's native "reset" option which will return the computer to a near fresh install state with only software update installed. You can then delete the recovery partition in diskpart.
Details here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/683577-samsung-series-9-windows-8-a-35.html#post9030362

 

Thanks so much for this! My laptop is arriving today, will be doing this tonight.

One question in Step 5...does the USB drive that stores the ISO file have to be completely empty other than the ISO file? I have a big Western Digital My Passport that I'm thinking of using but it has alot of other files on it from my previous computer.

 

Yes and no. When you use the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool to transfer the ISO to the drive, it automatically formats everything on the drive. What you can do is create a separate 4GB partition on your external HD. That way the tool will essentially read the partition as a separate drive so you can put the ISO on that partition.

Here's a tutorial:

 

Very useful and added to the sticky list.

John

 

Nice tutorial. Would the same steps apply for doing a clean install of Windows 7?

 

It's a little different with Win7. For one thing its ISO is readily downloadable from Digital River.

Second, if installing Win7 from USB onto Samsung Series 7 and Series 5 models, Win7 Setup tends to confuse the ExpressCache (iSSD) with the boot drive (which it cannot be) causing a failure to boot after files have been copied.

The simplest solution is to install from DVD instead of USB. If you MUST (or insist on) installing from USB, follow one of the procedures described in hanime's USB Install Thread.

 

Just wanted to say thanks to the OP and to Dannemand for their instructions in this and the other thread. I managed to install Windows 7 Ultimate from a USB stick following the tutorial, struggled for a while because I stupidly forgot to set the OS selection mode to CSM OS so I couldn't boot from USB until I changed it
Had to reinstall the wireless driver manually but all the others were a breeze with SWUpdate.

So many improvements with Windows 7, you'd think it came out years after Windows 8.. I finally have a usable laptop!

- Cleartype can be applied everywhere, no more eye bleeds when using Office 2013
- Aero is back, looks gorgeous on the Series 9 screen vs. that abomination of plain colors on win8
- VPN has the option to redial if line is dropped, no idea why they took it out in windows 8
- WIFI reception is much better on windows 7! It used to drop a lot in windows 8 when changing rooms, now it's rock solid.
- No more metro interface, although I had bypassed it with 'classic start menu' it's nice to know it's gone forever

I understand MS's strategy of wanting to unify all their platforms under the same OS, but dumbing down windows 8 on notebooks is not the way to go. I'm sure windows 9 will come out in less than a year (the same way win7 rescued us from Vista) with all these issues addressed.

/rant

NB: Apologies for going off topic, just suffered a lot and had to get it off my chest

 

LOL happens all the time Win8 is certainly generating a lot of heated discussion. Don't know if it's the kind if passion Microsoft had hoped for.

Thank you for the update. Good job getting it all working.

I personally went the other way recently: I have been very critical of Win8 ever since trying the Consumer Preview last summer, and only installed it a few weeks ago -- mostly to be able to answer question on this forum. However, after installing IObit Start Menu 8 I've now made it my primary. And I have to admit it runs VERY smoothly on my PC. I still think it would be far better without the Modern Metro Mess (it's fine for tablets), but the rest of it works great for me.

And for some odd reason, my WiFi is actually a a bit better on Win8. It was never bad to begin with, though.

Once again, good job getting it all running.

 

Is there any walk through that I've overlooked in doing a fresh install of Windows 7 on the new a new Samsung Series 9? I have made both a bootable USB as well a bootable DVD of Windows 7.

 

Glad to see someone else confirm my experience. Windows 8 has been running pretty flawlessly on my NP900X3D-A02US.

How do you like IOBit Start Menu 8? I've been running Stardock's Start 8.

 

Hi Thor,

In a case of odd timing, just yesterday I was at a meeting where Win8 simply couldn't hold the Wi-Fi connection, it kept dropping throughout the meeting, very annoying. I have meetings at that place every month and never had Wi-Fi problems while using Win7. Since my laptop was on the projector most of the time with a large audience, a reboot into Win7 wasn't feasible.

It's odd because Win8 gives me great Wi-Fi at home (on the 5GHz band). I'll have to investigate further. For those suffering disconnect problems with Intel 6235, my NP700Z3A has 6230 and historically had pretty good Wi-Fi. I can only assume it's a Win8 related driver or power savings issue.

Other than that, yes, as you've said previously Thor, Win8 itself works very smoothly on the Sammy. I haven't had any compatibility or other problems. Everything seems to work. After a couple weeks I finally switched over ExpressCache as well, and this thing flies.

I REALLY like Win8's Fast startup feature: I used to have Sleep assigned to the power button (I never used the lid for that). But in Win8 I assigned Shutdown to the power button instead: Hitting power logs me out, micro-hibernates and fully powers off; no worries about incurring a new battery charge cycle if I move the laptop to another room. Next time either my wife or myself power on, it's up in a few secs, ready for either of us to log in. If I ever need a full reboot, I just use the Restart command. Very nice!

As for IOBit Start Menu 8: It's very decent -- and excellent considering it's free

It behaves almost like a Win7 Start Menu. A few little quirks: The Recent sub-menu acts a bit funny displaying all kinds of folders; I cannot set the number of apps to show in the Start Menu; Shut Down does a FULL Shut Down (not a Win8 micro-hibernate); it sometimes gets confused with Auto-hide Taskbar and on dual monitors.

But these are little things. Most of all does it make Win8 usable for me -- which it would NOT be without it. It goes straight to the Desktop, allows me to disable the hot corners, and gives me a Start Menu so I don't have to whiplash into Metro all the time.

I still really wish Microsoft would release an update to make Metro optional, so I didn't have to flip back and forth between two user interfaces. It simply doesn't make sense on a non-touch PC. But we've already exhausted that debate

 

Oops, looks like we overlooked your post, sorry about that. Many Win7 install guides have been posted in this forum over the last 12-18 months if you search a little. I have posted a few myself, though none of them specifically for Series 9. Still, it should be close enough.

And it's not very different for Win7 and Win8. Hence, SGMD1's guide in the Opening Post of this thread is already a good place to start.

It's actually very easy with these Sammies: Boot Windows Setup DVD (or USB), delete partitions, create new partition, Install Windows (wait), run SW Update (wait), done.

There is a more step-by-step install guide in this post, and SW Update details in this post. It's based on Win8, but is very similar -- just make sure you download and save your Wi-Fi driver from Intel Download Center before you begin.

For a very extensive Win7-specific install guide (including pre-install backup and post-install tweaking) check this post.

I want to stress three things:

1) When you wipe your current partitions, leave the Recovery Partition alone if you can afford the space. It's very useful to be able to restore the PC to factory state, in case you need to contact Samsung Support/Service OR if you choose to sell the PC some day. Recovery Partitions can be notoriously difficult to recreate (with working F4). If you MUST delete it, make some backups first. I hear the new models have better features for backing up and cloning the Recovery Partition. By all means use that.

2) On Series 5 and 7 models, installing from DVD is much preferable to installing from USB, because it avoids an issue with Windows Setup mis-identifying the built-in iSSD (used for ExpressCache) and placing its boot partition there (SYSTEM). Series 9 (like yours) and other models without ExpressCache (such as newer Series 7) should not have this issue. For users who DO have ExpressCache and who MUST install from USB, use the guides in member hanime's USB Install thread. OR just avoid deleting the original SYSTEM partition from your HDD.

3) Edit: Almost forgot the most important thing: If your PC came delivered with Win8, that means it is setup to boot in UEFI mode with SecureBoot (as opposed to the good old BIOS mode) and your disk is partitioned using GPT layout (as opposed to the good old MBR layout). Although Win7 theoretically supports UEFI and GPT, it has created problems for many users -- some of them serious. You may have a smoother ride if you switch to classic BIOS mode and convert your disk to MBR -- but unfortunately that will lose all its content, including that Recovery Partition I told you to preserve. This subject is covered in more detail in the threads linked below:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...-clean-windows-7-install-series-9-900x3d.html

http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/711865-difficulty-installing-windows-7-series-9-13-a.html

Keep us posted on how it goes. There are lots of helpful people here for any questions you might have.

 

Thanks so much for your info! Super kind of you, I really appreciate it!!! Btw I didn't even know I could download Windows 7 legally and so available until I read your post #7 in this thread a couple days ago, so thank you! (My Samsung from Best Buy did not come with any DVD with Windows on it, or any info about obtaining it if I needed it)

I will probably attempt the SSD swap out tomorrow, and I'll see how it goes.

Thanks again!!

 

FWIW, my NP900X3B has the 6230 and has better WiFi performance (speed and quickness to reconnect after hibernation) than the 6235 in my NP900X3C. I must make another attempt to get a 6230 card working in the X4C. The 6235 has some drop-out issues which are discussed on the Intel forum so, I hope, we will one day see a fixed driver.

Win8's improved sleep has many similarities to the Intel Rapid Start Technology that is included with the Series 9 (and version 2 seems to be trouble-free and worth getting from Intel because SW Update doesn't offer it).

John

 

Thank you, John.

Yes, I took note when you mentioned some time ago about 6235 performing worse than 6230. The debate we had recently in the NP700Z5C thread (where member gadgetrants also referred to that Intel forum) I think confirms the issue -- either hardware or driver related.

What surprised me, was that I suddenly got dropped connection issues on my 6230 -- which until now had performed very well, both under Win7 and Win8. And it leads me to wonder if some of the same issues that plague 6235 might be driver related and have spilled over to the Win8 driver for 6230. I still haven't gotten to investigate it further.

Re Intel Rapid Start: Does it also offer this micro-hibernation, where programs are closed and the user logged out, all as if it were a "real" shutdown? That's what I really like about Win8's Fast startup feature.

Something I should have posted and never got to: Some time ago I actually tried shoehorning Intel Rapid Start onto Win7 on my Series 7 Sandy Bridge (which doesn't have it from Samsung). I figured it's just a piece of software, it should be possible. But no go, I couldn't get it to take, no matter what I tried. It seems that it really only does work with certain Intel chipsets -- as Intel has claimed all along.

I would be curious if those with Series Ivy Bridge models that do NOT have official Rapid Start from Samsung are able to squeeze it onto their machines...

Edit: This got a little off the thread topic. I apologize

 

I'm a good one for pulling threads off-topic, so I'll continue.

IRST is more like normal Windows sleep / hibernation except the transition from sleep to hibernation is just a matter of switching off sleep. I think the hibernation partition is mapped to the RAM and is quietly kept updated in the background with some form of table showing what was most recently used. There's no time delay in writing a hibernation file because little has to be updated when sleep/ hibernation is triggered and, on resume, the most recently RAM active contents are loaded first so the time the user has to wait to get back to where they were is reduced. There is a user-adjustable timer for controlling when the computer goes into hibernation. And hibernation means powered down. Does the windows 8 system also power down or does it slightly drain the battery if left overnight?

I'm sure that IRST needs some supporting firmware on the computer because, in the implementation on the Series 9, resuming IRST skips any BIOS screen (or password).

John

 

@John: Thank you for that explanation. I kind of had a vague idea how iRST worked, but you made it much clearer for me. It sounds like they're simply trapping all page writes and mapping the entire RAM into the hibernation partition as one large pagefile. That's brilliant!

Again, what I do like about Win8's feature is that it's one button to log out and shut down -- it just happens to be a faster shutdown and faster boot when I turn it back on. And yes, it DOES fully turn off power, so I don't have to worry about incurring a new battery charge cycle if I temporarily unplug the laptop.

Before, I often wanted the speed of hibernation/resume, but I really didn't care about my entire session being saved and restored. For one thing, my wife and I both use this PC (it's officially hers, but I end up using it more, both for its portability and for its excellent keyboard and touchpad ) That means hibernating the entire session not only takes longer (when you don't have iRST) but also requires whoever uses the PC next next to log out and log in his/her own account. Now we just hit the power button and it logs out and and quickie-shuts down.

But that iRST mapping of RAM really is a stroke of genious!

 

Which Wireless Lan driver are you using?

 

Intel Driver Only version 15.4.0.11. A newer 15.6.1 came out since, I have yet to try that. But I am also considering if the original Microsoft/Win8 driver might be better. Again, I haven't investigated yet -- except for that one location, my Wi-Fi is flying, and I am not going there again till next month

Update: Hmm that driver version 15.4.0.11 (read from Device Manager) doesn't match my latest Intel download file (Wireles_15.6_De64.exe). I wonder if I AM running the original Win8 driver and simply forgot to install this downloaded Intel one

 

Or maybe 15.6 didn't install. I've tried to run the installer and it runs a pretty animated icon on the screen for about 15 seconds but the driver stays at 15.4.0.11. It's unclear to me what, if anything, the installer package does.

John

 

I think you're on to something there, John. I just searched Intel Download Center for the latest driver for my old HP HDX18 with Intel 5100 and was offered the same 15.6 package (*Ds64 for Win7). After running it, my driver version (as shown in Device Manager) remains at 14.3.2.1.

15.6 is clearly a unified package, containing drivers for many different adapters (even back to this old 5100) and available for both Win7 and Win8. As late as January, they still had individual driver packages even for similar adapters like 6230/6235 -- and different versions for Win7 and Win8.

Maybe 15.6 is just a bundle that only contains newer drivers for some adapters, while for others it just contains whatever was the most current driver.

 

I greatly appreciate the tutorial, and I have successfully installed Win8 fresh on my NP900X4D-A06US. However, one thing to note is that using your method, you MUST delete all partitions (including recovery) to be able to install Windows. If you attempt to install it on a partition without deleting all others, it will give you an error of "Windows cannot be installed on GPT partition" or something along those lines. I was not aware of this so I was unable to back up the recovery partition beforehand, but anyone who wishes to follow this tutorial should do so.

 

Thank you for the tutorial, it is very concise.

However, I ran into a serious problem, my NP900X4D-A03CA will not detect the USB drive. SSD is SanDisk SSD U100 SMG2 and BIOS Version is P07ABK.

On Step 7, NP900X4D says:

"Windows cannot be installed to this disk. This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk's controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu."

So I went on Google and found the following solution: Windows 8 and the dreaded couldn't create a new partition - Mark Empson's Global notepad - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

Now NP900X4D is says:

"An operating system wasn't found. Try disconnecting any drives that don't contain an operating system. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart".

Any thoughts?

 

Did you double check that all the BIOS settings are correct? (Fast Boot disabled, Secure Boot disabled, OS mode as CSM OS)

 

Yes I did. I actually tried every combination. I also tried having the USB drive as NFTS or FAT32 and still the computer doesn't seem to detect there is a USB connected.

 

As i suspected. It is the USB drive. Bought a new USB drive and worked right away. Thank you OP!!

 

Hi Everyone,

First post here. I bought a NP900X3C-A02CA second hand. When I got it home I realized that it had a clean install of Windows 8 on it with SW Update etc. but the recovery partition is missing. I don't mind having the clean install, but I cant recover my computer at all. should I just be on the hunt for a Win8x64 iso and use that everytime I want to recover the hard drive? or is there a way to do a clean install and add a new recovery partition.

The person I bought it from doesn't have a backup, and I go this computer for such a good deal, I really don't want to return it. Do I have any options?

 

You can make your own recovery partition or a recovery USB drive. Just repeatedly press F4 at the start up and system will enter into restore mode. It will give you an option of make a recovery disk. If you want to make an external recovery disk, insert a USB drive and copy all recovery files on that. Before making a recovery disk, the machine will tell you the minimum required size of the disk. If you want to make an internal recovery disk, just exit the recovery screen, start your computer in a normal mode, create a partition equivalent to the size you saw on the recovery screen earlier and name it recovery partition. Now restart the computer and again press F4 to re-enter into recovery mode and copy recovery files on the fresh partition you made earlier. Now you will be able to recover your computer easily at any time.

 

The OP sounds as though the original owner wiped the entire drive, including recovery partitions. If that is the case, recovering the Samsung recovery (no pun intended) may not be possible. Perhaps you can find someone with the same laptop who made the thumb drive, but I'm not even sure that would work. However, there are numerous recovery software packages available and W8 even comes with some advanced options that may be all you need, but off-disk backups are always a good idea. You might ask the seller if he can provide the W8 disk in case things get completely hosed.

How to restore, refresh, or reset your PC - Microsoft Windows Help

 

Hello DutchieP, welcome to NBR.

As I am sure you already gathered, F4 won't boot Recovery if your Recovery partitions are gone. And as go45cvi indicated, the only way to get them back would be if you had a bootable Factory Image backup on a USB stick from your own or exactly the same model as yours.

Of course you can backup your current Windows installation and use that as baseline, but if you want a fresh start, you need Win8 install media. Samsung doesn't provide those for Win8 PCs and Microsoft isn't making them publicly available.

The links below are some posts that cover various legal sources of ISOs downloads. We don't discuss "alternative" sources on the forum.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...y-bridge-np900x3e-np900x3f-3.html#post9323404
http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/706510-samsung-laptops-bricked-using-uefi-9.html#post9287299
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...780z5e-np870z5e-np880z5e-205.html#post9312619

I think, as go45cvi said, you should try to obtain proper Win8 install media from the seller. You bought a laptop which includes a Win8 license, and he/she wiped the installation source that came with it (the Recovery partitions).

 

Thanks for your reply! That's exactly right. I too assumed it would be near impossible. Also, the chance of finding someone with this exact model laptop will definitely be difficult. For some reason windows is not giving me a chance to make a recovery flash drive. It tells me the amount of space needed and then hangs every time it starts making the drive. A fresh install might be my best bet at this point.

 

Thanks for the welcome and the reply! I have a buddy who does have a very legal version of the MSDN Win 8 ISO (he has a MSDN account). I will shoot him a message to see if he'll share. I do think a fresh start is the way to go at this point. That way I can hopefully resolve the fact that I cant even make a Microsoft version of the recovery drive. Now I'm pretty sure I'm right in the fact that regardless of whether or not the previous owner wiped the installation source, the key remains embedded in the BIOS... or am I way off?

Thanks for the links. If I can't get in touch with my buddy, I will give some of these a shot.

 

That's the way to go, you're in good shape there. The first post I linked has the download from MSDN -- assuming you have a login. And yes, your product Key is in the BIOS and should be picked up when you install Windows anew. Just make sure you get the same version (Pro vs non-Pro).

 

As far as I know, there are two recovery partitions in NP9004xC. On is of 500 MB and other is slightly bigger than 21 GB. Backup copy of widows 8 (core) sits on one partition whereas Samsung recovery software sits on 500 MB's partition. I deleted windows backup partition to claim 21 GB but Samsung recovery partition of 500 MB remains intact. When I press repeatedly F4 during boot up process, my machine takes me to Samsung recovery option and gives me option to either restore or make a backup.
But I do understand that different models of Samsung comes with different options.

 

That is correct, Samsung laptops delivered with Win8 use Samsung Recovery Solution 6 which splits Recovery in two partitions: SAMSUNG_REC (Recovery Software) which is normally 1GB, and SAMSUNG_REC2 (Recovery Data) which is 20-28GB depending on model. The Recovery Data partition contains the Factory Image (about 15-16GB on most models) as well as SystemSoftware (Samsung drivers and utilities, which can be backed up separately, or just downloaded with SW Update).

You make a good point that even after deleting SAMSUNG_REC2 (Recovery Data) you can still boot Recovery, since the F4 link points to SAMSUNG_REC (Recovery Software). So users looking to save space on an SSD can delete SAMSUNG_REC2 after backing up the Factory Image, without losing their F4 link.

I still think the bootable Factory Image backup on a USB stick is by far the best option, since it allows you to run Recovery directly from that USB stick and completely re-image any SSD/HDD.

Note that none of this applies to Win7-delivered models which use the older SRS5 (and SRS4 before that). These versions keep both Recovery Software, SystemSoftware and Factory Image (called Initial Image in previous SRS versions) on a single Recovery Partition (SAMSUNG_REC). Also, they don't have the bootable Factory Image backup feature.

If you want to play further with Recovery features, you can check Management Mode mode which allows you to create a USB Admin Tool with features to create and repair Recovery partitions and a few other goodies. The links below contain further Recovery info:

General Recovery backup/restore info and explanation of SRS5 & 6
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...red-recovery-partition-samsung-notebooks.html

Why imaging tools destroy F4
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...p780z5e-np870z5e-np880z5e-60.html#post9190186

SRS5 / USB Admin Tool Backup and Recovery
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...00z5-series-owners-lounge-73.html#post8907246

File & folder contents backup of Recovery partitions
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...00z5-series-owners-lounge-88.html#post9155057

Adding Recovery to Windows Boot Menu
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...00z5-series-owners-lounge-89.html#post9156546

Booting Recovery from external disk
http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/718205-testing-all-you-windows-8-geeks.html#post9194692

 

Hi all

I trying install back WIN 8 to mine new NP530U4C-S03 but no suucess

I downloaded right iso win8 with SHA1-1CE53AD5F60419CF04A715CF3233F247E48BEEC4



but when I put disk to dvd all time give me a message than Key is INCORECT

Any idea which SHA1 shoult to be for WIN8 NP530U4C-S03

box saying WIN8 64 bit

any help welcome

 

@urgiv: The version of Win8 you downloaded (Pro vs Non-pro) must match the one that came with your PC in order to pick up the Product Key in your BIOS. Maybe it also has to be same language.

If that is not the problem, I would contract Microsoft in this situation.

 

yes I will try another downloads due to when I try install shoving win 8 pro but shut to be win 8 64 bit only

but definitely I will going through want the time

update: I wondering is Turkish version than probably I need enterprise version due language pack

will see

 

update:

After some research I been able install win 8 by official stored key in BIOS

all looks fine but some small problem with activation
this error appears any help?

Error message 1
Windows could not be activated.
Key management services (KMS) host could not be located in domain name system (DNS), please have your system adminstrator verify that a KMS is published correctly in DNS.
Error: 0x8007232b
Description:
DNS name does not exist.


another Q?



I think BIOS shut be still ''Secure Boot disabled and CSM OS'' anf Fast boot - I am right?

 

@urgiv: It sounds like you were installing an Enterprise version of Win8 which relies on the company running a server to keep track of installations and Product Keys. I don't think it will work correctly with the Product Key in your BIOS.

If your laptop came with Win8 -- and unless you have Win8 install media matching what came with it -- you are better off trimming the factory installation. You can use this post as general guidance.

If you DO have proper Win8 install media matching the Win8 that came with your PC, you shouldn't have any of these problems. Unfortunately Microsoft doesn't make them available for download, unless you have an MSDN/TechNet subscription or are a student.

The following links talk about legal ways of obtaining Win8 install media. "Alternative" ways cannot be discussed on the forum:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...y-bridge-np900x3e-np900x3f-3.html#post9323404
http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/706510-samsung-laptops-bricked-using-uefi-9.html#post9287299
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...780z5e-np870z5e-np880z5e-205.html#post9312619

You could also contact Microsoft and/or Samsung and ask for help. You own the Win8 license that came with your PC, so maybe they will help you resolve the activation issue.

 

what happens if i install windows 8 with a different OEM version from my machine's? does it cause problems because you op said we should choose machine's OEM version?

can you please answer me?

 

Hi patates, welcome to NBR.

If I remember correctly, members who tried this were NOT able to complete installation properly with different Win8 media. Others reported they were able to upgrade using the Add Features to Windows 8 control panel (see here). And yet others reported that calling Microsoft resolved their licensing issues. I would expect the latter should work out if you have a legit Product Key and install media.

Hopefully others can provide more concrete answers.

 

Thanks for the answer. I have another question.

I want to use my external 320GB HDD instead of a flash drive. "Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool" doesn't recognize it though. Is there any other tool that can do the same job?

I did the instructions in the link below but I'm not sure it is suitable or not?
Joel's Geek Blog: How to Boot from a Bootable ISO (From Flash Drive or Hard Drive)

 

I'm getting frustrated with this. I tried to do an upgrade from Win 8 to win 8.1. Upgrade wouldn't proceed because "Easy Settings" was identified as not being compatible with win8. Uninstaller in control panel wouldn't run because it said easy settings was disabled because of incompatibilities with win 8. So I used revouninstaller to remove it, but unfortunately that also disabled by network adapters.

I'm having difficulty finding the correct adapters to install from Samsung. It just wants me to run SW update (newest version), but without a network connection that won't work. So am trying to download drivers on my desktop, and them move them to laptop by usb drive.

At this point I would just as soon do a clean install on the laptop, but apparently win 8.1 isn't available as an ISO.

Edit - Later...

Fortunately,

I was able to get back to where I was before forcing the removal of Easy Settings, so am back working with Win 8, and can't upgrade. Maybe I will just wait a few days, and see what new drivers come from Samsung, or if I can get the ISO I need to do a clean install.

 

Hi BenSanford,

Easy Settings should never have been installed in Win8 in the first place. It was written for Win7 and is not compatible with Win8 (even though parts of it work). See the Settings/Easy Settings thread for clarification of that:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/729139-settings-easy-settings-what-you-need-know.html

On top of that, Win 8.1 breaks Samsung's existing drivers, and they haven't yet released updated drivers for it. Some members have had horrific upgrade experiences of almost semi-bricking their computers. See the Win 8.1 sticky thread for that discussion:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...pgrade-until-samsung-has-updated-drivers.html

You are in much better shape, since you at least have a partially running system. Your goal should be to roll back to Win8, if you can, and wait for Samsung to release updated drivers. Depending on which model you have, you can use Recovery (F4, not the Windows app) or Win8's Refresh feature to do this. If you are VERY lucky, the upgrade will have created a Windows Restore Point that you can restore.

Once you have your computer running normally again, watch the 8.1 thread for updates before attempting the upgrade again.

 

Thanks for the reply.

I am back at my starting point, so will take your advice and wait.

Ben

 

I somewhere read that not installing Windows 8 with SB enabled has disadvantages (in the later running OS).

I found e.g. this for instructions: Windows 8 UEFI Secure Boot on clean install | Eraser and Crowbar

So can one, in general, install Win 8 in Secure Boot on the Ativ 9?

Also, I am going to buy a separate system builder DVD of Win 8.1 to install on my Series 9 (X3E-K06) [not X3G 9 plus, fyi], that came with Win 8.0 pro preinstalled. (I want a transferrable license). I hope that I will be able to install this correctly despite the motherboard product key of the pre-installed version.

 

You need to disable SecureBoot when you install a new OS, otherwise you cannot boot your install media. You may have to also set OS Mode Selection=UEFI & CSM OS depending on the media. But once the new Win8 installation is finished and running (assuming you installed it in UEFI mode onto a GPT disk, and all installed drivers are certified) I believe you should be able to switch OS Mode Selection back to UEFI OS and enable SecureBoot.

 

So I think I've broken my laptop by this guide.

I followed all the steps, windows install was OK, but after restart it didn't boot up. Just black screen. I tried to boot up from Windows in USB, but in drive selection it didn't find any hard drive... I also checked "diskpart" utility and there was no hard drive. Please help me

Model: NP940X3G