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

Hello,
From a few days I have problem with my 9th it works very slow, I don't know why, I don't have any virus, because I checked it by diffrent programms and now I am thinking about clean instalation 8.1 with my DVD disc (I don't want to use recovery, because there is normal 8 and I would have to do update to 8.1, it is waste of time), and I have a few questions, before doing it, because always I did normal format + drivers from page of producer notebook, but this notebook is a little different (fast start, fast start from sleep mode, etc):

1. I want to do clean instalation without deleting recovery disc, because I read that service can't repair it without recovery, so I am going to format disc C and instal clean instalation.
2. Install all drives from SWupdate and intel site.
3. What with "fast" things? I have to do something? IRST wasn't on windows 8, wasn't it? or I have to install, do something else?

 

I recommend you first try to do some debugging.

Use HWiNFO to check that the CPU is running over the full speed range. People have unwittingly locked their CPU down to 800MHz by enabling either Silent mode or Eco mode. Then look at the CPU Utilisation in Task Manager. It should be below 5% when idle. Even 30% (usually an indication of a program fully loading one core) should noticeably affect the overall performance.
Also look at the RAM utilisation. If you installed IntelliMemory (often recommended by SW Update) then uninstall it.

John

 

I afraid you will not be able to go directly to W8.1. The embedded W8 key will not pass on a W8.1 disc, don't ask me why, it's MS being MS. I suppose if you have a working 8.1 key you may be able to install and do a phone activation, but I wouldn't count on it. There is fast start, fast storage, fast boot. Fast storage is probably the only one you'd want on W8.

 

Hey SkuterPL,

In addition to the issue with Product Key for Win8 vs 8.1 that go45cvi mentioned, there is a risk that clean install of 8.1 may damage your Recovery. A few members have mentioned that (though far from all).

Ordinarily (when just clean installing Win7 or Win8) you should be safe if you simply format the C drive (as you mentioned yourself) and leave the two Samsung Recovery partitions alone (the ones at the end of the drive). But again, some members have reported that Win8.1 clean install prevented their Recovery from working afterwards.

If you DO decide to proceed with the 8.1 clean install (again, assuming you have a Product Key) I highly recommend you first create a Bootable Factory Image Backup in Recovery, as described in the first two steps of this post. That will allow you to re-image your drive no matter how messed up it becomes.

 

@John Ratsey

In Task Manager all time I see 2,7Ghz, so I don't have enabled silent mode (I have never used it)

IntelliMemory I uninstalled after bought it


@go45cvi

Have you checked it themself?

It is very stupid that I cannot install 8.1 directly, I have to double work to do if it is true


@Dannemand

I don't affraid do clan install Windows, because I always do that, the recovery isn't need for me, so even I could delete it, but I read that service wants it :/

 

Indeed, if you have access to Win8 install media (which many don't) and are familiar with UEFI/GPT installations (which many aren't) preserving Recovery is not that important.

The other reasons to preserve it (or back it up) are (1) if you want to sell the computer someday, and (2) if you get a problem and need to prove to Samsung that it's a hardware defect so that they will accept a warranty repair.

 

@go45cvi

Have you checked it themself?

It is very stupid that I cannot install 8.1 directly, I have to double work to do if it is true

Here is a possible workaround, but I haven't tried it. Not sure if it will work with the embedded key (which you will have to extract).

Installing Windows 8.1 (or 8) without a product key · Medo's Home Page

Here is a trick for getting the W8.1 iso if you have a W8 key (not sure if it works with embedded though, did work on my upgrade key).

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/windows-81-tip-download-windows-81-iso-windows-8-product-key


If you get it to work post back, but I agree that you should do a full backup before attempting. Better yet, get a new drive if you still have a sandisk.

 

the 2nd way looks very good, but could you tell me if I understand it well.

I will download win 8.1 with my orginal key which is bulit in BIOS? and this ISO will be only for my computer?

Because I have clean 8.1 ISO from MSDNA, even I have key, but I woudn't want to use it, because maybe in the future I will use it for another PC, because I have orginal key in my computer I prefer to use it.


I think that PC a little was faster, because I uninstall and install kaspersky, because I had problem with it, very many times I got hang up with information about scanning pendrive etc.

 

Right so the second link is only if you wanted to download 8.1 iso with 8 (upgrade) key if you don't have MSDN. The 8.1 iso WILL NOT allow you to install with a W8 key. But the first link seems to be a workaround where you can edit the iso so it installs without any key, then you could possibly add your embedded W8 key (provided the version matches, i.e. pro or core) and activate in Windows, after the fact. I am not sure whether it would work with an embedded key that has been extracted but I think it may.

Antivirus can often cause problems and I don't recommend using anything beyond Microsoft's built-in. If you still have problems, I think you are probably better off doing a restore, uninstalling the bloat and doing the 8.1 upgrade. But if you want a challenge... Either way, make sure you backup.

It is extremely annoying how MS has made reinstalls a complete nightmare in W8.

 

thanks for the information.

Now aftert restart kapsersky my computer works better, but if I want to do clean install, I will use 2nd way

 

I checked this program and I see that all time I have 2.8Ghz and 85 degree, I think that it is too much, what do you think about this temperature?

 

Assuming that you are using the Performance on Demand (Samsung Optimized) power plan (if not, then select it) the sustained high CPU speed indicates that something is fully loading the CPU.

What does Task Manager's Processes Tab show? (Note, you can sort by CPU usage by clicking on the header of the CPU column.

John

 

I use high-performance not samsung optimized. The high is better than samsung.

Now it shows about 40% and I can see a lot of chrome process (because I have open a lot of browser with website).

 

High Performance usually leaves the CPU running at full speed so it runs hotter than the Samsung Optimized (performance on demand) which lets the CPU adjust its speed according to the workload.

I recommend you try the Samsung power plan and see if you notice any difference in performance. The CPU can change its speed in nanoseconds.

John

 

Okey, I will try it.

Can you tell me if CPU has 100% almost every time, when I have open about 100 sites in chrome?

I think that it should be less, because all webiste doesn't work in the background, there are open and don't do anything.

 

I wouldn't be confident that webpages aren't active even though they are in the background. Some contain timed scripts to check for updates, others contain animated content. I discovered some years ago that animated Flash content was causing a significant increase in my power consumption so I installed (for Firefox) Flashblock and AdBlock Plus to minimise the unwanted web page content. Are the equivalent add-ons available for Chrome?

My Firefox, with around 50 tabs open, is typically using about 5% CPU. If Chrome is at 100% then either it is very inefficient or you have some web sites using a lot of CPU power. You could usefully open and close those sites while watching the CPU usage in order to track down the culprit(s).

John

 

Now when I chose Samsung optimized, the PC works very quite and isn't hot, now show about 60 degree

In Task Menager I see less CPU, about 30-50% abut processor is set on small freqeuntly about 1,6-1,8Ghz, bo now PC doesn't need full power.

EDIT
I connected power and now again I have hot and loud PC :/ (again 85 degree, 100% CPU and all time 2.8GHz)

 

Look at the processes in Task Manager. Is one of them using about 25% CPU which is equivalent to one thread running at full load. if you can identify which then reinstall the software or driver (although there are a few badly written programs which have this problem even if not corrupted). Something is running in a loop and it will go round that loop as fast as the system will let it (which is slower when running on battery because the CPU doesn't go into Turbo mode.

John

 

I got a licence/key of Win 8.1 through my university's MSDNAA.
Is there anything I need to consider before I do a full format of the SSD (including the recovery partition)?

 

Hello LouisXIV,

A few comments/warnings:

1) As you are probably aware, lots of people have had lots of problems with Win 8.1 on Samsung laptops, and Samsung tech support seems to generally advice people not to upgrade to it. That's not to say it cannot work: Many users here managed to get it working, although most required a lot of effort and driver hunting -- and some failed miserably. Models without discrete GPU (like Series 9/AB9) generally have an easier time. See our Win 8.1 sticky thread.

2) If you are installing on the original SSD, I highly recommend that you create a backup of your Recovery and factory image before deleting those partitions. Most users (experienced ones in particular) don't think they'll ever need their Recovery, but I cannot count the number of cases here of users who ask how to get their Recovery back after wiping it (which they can't). Unfortunately, traditional partition image backup tools (Acronis, Paragon etc) don't work with Samsung Recovery (they destroy it when you restore). But Recovery has a built-in feature to backup the the Factory Image onto a bootable USB drive, which can be used to re-image the drive with full working Recovery -- say if you want to sell the laptop someday, or you need to convince Samsung that there is a warranty issue. See this post for details, including a space saving alternative to full wipe which will preserve working Recovery.

3) If you proceed with a clean install (and I like to do that myself) do note that lzrsfa's install guide in this thread directs you to switch from UEFI mode (which is default on your PC) to legacy BIOS mode. This switch WILL wipe your entire SSD whether you want it or not. It also loses the benefits of UEFI mode, such as faster boot and maybe some features in newer versions of Samsung Settings. I generally recommend disabling UEFI when installing on older models (which didn't have proper UEFI implementations) or when installing Win7 (which has notorious UEFI-issues on Samsung laptops). But on new machines that were delivered with UEFI Win8 installations, I generally recommend keeping it. Once Windows is installed, UEFI cannot and should not be changed in BIOS: it is baked into the Windows installation and the way the drive is formatted (GPT vs MBR style). See this post for more details.

4) If you intend to install from a USB (as opposed to a DVD) you want to make sure the USB is formatted with FAT32, since UEFI doesn't support booting from NTFS. If you install from DVD, this shouldn't be an issue. Also, in BIOS settings (F2), disable Fast Boot/Fast BIOS and SecureBoot in order to boot the USB/DVD. Keep OS Mode Selection=UEFI OS (or UEFI & CSM OS if necessary) if you want to stay in UEFI mode. Choose OS Mode Selection=CSM OS of you want to switch to legacy BIOS mode (as described in lzrsfa's install guide).

In your case, I would make a Bootable Factory Image backup in Recovery, then delete only the Recovery Data partition (the big one, thus preserving F4) and stay in UEFI mode. But that's just me.

 

Hi Dannemand,

once again thank you for your substantial reply, which is very helpful and much appreciated!

1) The 900X3G I received came with Win 8.1 preinstalled.
I expect the exchange unit to come with Win 8.1 too.
I am a Win 7 user at the moment but plan to switch over to Win 8.1 with the new notebook because I expect a recently published machine, which is shipped by Samsung with Win 8.1 preinstalled, to run more smoothly with Win 8.1 than Win 7.
Would you rate this assumption to be probably true?

2) Do I lose my warranty if I remove the recovery partition?

3) I think there is no use in switching from UEFI mode to legacy BIOS mode in a 900X3G, right?

What is kept in the Recovery partitions different from the Recovery Data partition you refered to and is there any use in keeping them apart from the possibility to recreate the Recovery Data partition?

 

1) I didn't realize your unit had come with Win 8.1 pre-installed. Like you, I would assume it should be working well in that case -- and Samsung will be fully supporting it, of course.

2) No, deleting Recovery itself does not lose warranty (not that I've heard). But if you encounter a problem that you suspect is a hardware defect (and it isn't obvious) Samsung may ask you to restore the factory installation in order to prove that you didn't just mess up the installation. Also, if you want to sell the laptop some day, being able to deliver it in as-new state will be helpful. If you create a Bootable Factory Image Backup, that USB stick becomes a standalone Recovery which can be used to re-image the SSD to factory state (or any new SSD).

3) No, on a new model like this, I would not switch away from UEFI/GPT. But it does have a few added complexities that many users don't realize -- including users who are experienced installers of XP and Win7. That's why I always recommend members to read up on UEFI/GPT before jumping into a clean install.

The question is whether need to do a clean install or simply trimming the factory installation is enough for you. This post has a some guidance regarding bloatware cleanout, while this post has some suggestions to free up a bit more space on your SSD.

 

I prefer a clean install.
I have used nLite to create custom Win XP installations in the past and have never enjoyed using a system that was set up by somebody else.

It's great though that you invest so much time and thoughts in preventing others from making avoidable mistakes.
Thank you!

 

Got it. I'm like that myself as well.

 

I upgraded from windows 8 with my 900x4D series 9 to windows 8.1 and was having problems with samsung's application for toggling laptop functions like power saving mode, USB charging, Screen brightness etc so I did a fresh install of 8.1

I downloaded software update from samsung and installed everything but I'm still missing express settings. How do I get it back? I can't even control screen brightness and audio now

 

If the version of Settings offered by SW Update for your notebook doesn't work properly (or isn't offered) then use the Find Model facility to get another version.

Be forewarned that the latest Settings (IIRC newer than 2.0.0.55) doesn't include the Battery Life Extender control.

John

 

For proper 8.1 compatibility, you may need to find versions 2.2.x of Settings in SW Update. Look under recent models such as NP900X3G. But as John said, those newer versions don't support BLE and ExpressCache (for models which have those features). The features themselves still work, there are just no controls for them in Settings.

 

All,
I have read this thread from start to finish and have searched the site for threads applicable to Samsung/Windows 8.1 Recovery Partitions. This thread is incredibly technical and efficient--and it seems to be the only one addressing a problem that has got me beyond angry. What did I do wrong? I researched and waited for a year to buy an ultrabook with 256 GB SSD capacity to replace my old machine that runs my whole little business. I needed the the 256 GB because I was maxing out on my old 120GB disk. Bought the Samsung ATIV Book 9 NP940X3G from Microsoft for the warranty, good price and lack of bloatware. Spent a long week as a modestly knowledgeable user transferring from a Vista environment to Windows 8.1. Looked at my available storage last night to see that there was only 8GB left! I went into disk management and found 449 MB Recovery Partition; 300 MB EFI System Partition; 110 GB NTFS Boot, Page File, Crash Dump Primary Partition; and 127 GB Recovery Partition. Then I remembered that my old Samsung had this concept of a mirror backup partition on the same hard disk. In this day and age of multiple online backups and external hard disk backups, I never imagined that this concept still existed. Why would anyone recommend taking precious storage capacity away from a thinly provisioned SSD? Did I unknowingly give permission for this partitioning when I set up the computer? Did I have any choice? Now it looks like from this thread that I have to be several levels above my technical pay grade to reformat the disk and recover Windows 8.1. Is is possible to offload and backup my C drive, take down the 127GB Recovery Partition, and reload my C drive? Otherwise, should I find an expert to help? Did I really make a mistake in setup and am I therefore the only fool who thought he was getting a 256 GB SSD when he really only got a 110GB drive? In this thread, you all seem smart enough to go about your business, fix the problem, and win back storage capacity, but I feel a bit duped as an ordinary consumer. It shouldn't be this difficult.

 

Hi GuzziRider, welcome to NBR.

I am a little puzzled that you say you have a 127GB Recovery partition. Normally you should have two Samsung Recovery partitions (the last two on the SSD): One being 1GB, and another being 16-24GB, depending on the model. All the other partitions (including the 449MB Windows Recovery and 300 MB EFI) are standard Windows 8.x partitions as required by Microsoft. See this post for a list of standard partitions on Samsung Win8.x models.

Maybe you chose to have a separate Data partition when you first loaded the computer, and that is the 127GB partition you are seeing?

Fortunately, Samsung provides a nice feature to backup your Recovery to a USB stick, so that you can delete the Recovery partitions from the SSD and reclaim the space by extending the size of your Windows partition (or Data partition if you have one). Keep that USB stick backup safe, it can be used to completely restore your SSD to factory state -- if it becomes messed up, or if you want to sell the computer someday.

It is not very complicated, just follow the first two steps in this post, particularly regarding your choice of USB stick, since not all brands and types work. That post also contains some tips for further trimming your SSD and gaining some extra space.

If you choose to delete Samsung Recovery after making this backup, I generally recommend deleting only the bigger of the two Samsung Recovery partitions (the one called SAMSUNG_REC2) and leaving the smaller one. This will allow Recovery to still load. If you then also make a secondary backup of the Factory Image on an external HDD (that's the image containing your factory Win8.x installation) you will have a fallback in case the USB stick should fail -- which has been known to happen. This post elaborates on that.

I hope this helps more than it confuses. Otherwise don't hesitate to ask again. And don't worry you got a great computer there. An excellent one, in fact!

 

Dannemand,
You are very kind to show patience with me. Somehow, the disk structure of what I have now does not conform to your standard case. I will allow that maybe I pushed some unusual keys upon set-up. I just don't remember. I will try to attach a screen print from my Disk Management utility. I don't seem to have partitions that resemble the Samsung Recovery ones that you reference. It could be that I rejected anything Samsung-related from a bad memory of the Samsung recovery system in a previous computer that required me to split my disk in two---the mirror idea. Do you still think the first two partitions are the standard Windows 8 partitions that you referenced? I have to presume that the C partition is a standard C drive with all programs and data stored in it. And I am presuming that the last partition, the 127GB Recovery partition, is empty.

I will get a proper USB stick for the backup recovery and also have an disused external hard drive that I could use for the secondary backup. From all your references and other posts, this seems as important as all the backups for primary data. People get in a real pickle without it sometimes. But, with no Samsung Recovery partitions/drives, there is no direct relationship between the backup and deleting any nonexistent Samsung partitions.

A final question as I went through various background material from your post. If I delete the Recovery Partition and then extend the C partition "to the right" to encompass the unused space, does the C data remain untouched and unharmed? I must be old enough to remember that if you combined partitions in the old days, that required a reformatting of the entire space. Now, it would surely be wisdom to do a proper backup of all my C drive before moving forward, but it appears that this new era of partitioning is a lot more friendly to the disk and data.
GuzziDriver

 

GuzziDriver,

The two first partitions on the SSD (449MB Windows Recovery Tools and 300MB EFI) are indeed the standard ones. And there is almost certainly a third Microsoft System Reserved partition (so-called MSR, probably 128MB) just before the Windows partition. Windows Disk Management hides it in an attempt to protect users from themselves. It is possible that the small 1GB Samsung Recovery Partition (SAMSUNG_REC) is also hidden for this reason. It should be the last partition on the SSD.

In any case am I puzzled by the 127GB Recovery partition. I have not seen that before. Certainly Recovery was never meant to take up 50% of your 256GB SSD. I don't think this was caused by you pressing a wrong button at startup, it would have required some more deliberate partition management. Maybe some mistake when Samsung imaged the drive at the factory.

I suggest you download Minitool Partition Wizard (free for private use) which gives you a complete view of the SSD with all partitions. It also allows you to easily inspect the contents of that large Recovery partition. The contents of the two Samsung Recovery partitions should look similar to this:



I also suggest you try and run Recovery (either by booting F4 or through the Samsung Recovery Solution Windows app) before you go out and buy a 32GB USB stick, just in case you are unable to run Recovery. If you are NOT able to run Recovery, you should contact Samsung and demand they either re-image the SSD for you (requires sending in the computer) or at least send you a Recovery disc (which is probably just a plain Windows 8 OEM disc).

If you ARE able to run Recovery, you can go ahead and make the regular (non-bootable) Factory Image backup to your external HDD -- and the Bootable Factory Image backup on the USB stick. Then you can delete the larger SAMSUNG_REC2 partition.

Extending the current Windows partition into the empty space (after deleting SAMSUNG_REC2) should not affect your data. You can do it with Windows Disk Management or (better) with Minitool.

But I would DEFINITELY back up important data before proceeding with ANY of the steps discussed here. Computers fail and humans make mistakes, it happens all the time, even when it shouldn't. I learned that through some expensive mistakes many years ago

Edit: wait, I just remembered you got this computer from Microsoft Store, who do their Signature processing before shipping. That could invalidate pretty much anything I wrote here about Samsung Recovery. If Samsung Recovery Solution doesn't run (either from F4 boot or through the Windows app) you need to call Microsoft and ask them what they did. It still doesn't make sense to have a 127GB Recovery partition, so maybe whoever did that Signature processing made a mistake.

 

I just did a clean install of windows 8 and downloaded the corresponding drivers and everything. I'm having problems with my power option. If I set it to high performance as default and restart the pc it will go back to power saving mode. Also tried going to 8.1 and it's still happening. Am I doing something wrong? Or is this hardware related like my battery or something.

 

Sounds like you may be in Silent Mode (toggled with Fn-F11). Load Settings (Fn-F1) and check in there. Once Silent Mode is turned off, it should stay in High Performance.

Note that High Performance locks your CPU (and other components) at maximum speed, regardless of whether it's needed. You may find the default power plan (Samsung Optimized) to work better if general -- it will adjust CPU speed to demand. You can tweak its settings if you need.

The post linked below has more info about Samsung power management.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...us-owners-lounge-np940x3g-47.html#post9463637

 

Thanks. After four days I finally think I got it setup right on Windows 8. How do I get the Samsung app that gives u menu shortcuts and a start button in the middle? The one that automatically hides after use. I can't find it Even in software update

 

Looking at my old bloatware list, I see Software Launcher, which I recall worked as you describe. But that was for Win7, they probably updated that for Win8 and maybe gave it a new name.

The only Samsung software I have installed (beyond drivers) is Settings and SW Update (for which I disabled auto-loading of sAgent). I use IObit Start Menu 8 to make my Win8 work as Win7. It is pretty good, but not perfect. There are many others, some free, some cost a few dollars.

 

I forgot the NE of tz he app but it was definitely there before I did the reformat. It's annoying how many times I tried downloading drivers and got a lot of different results. I do t understand why Samsung can't centralize all their updates by model. I downloadedlds drivers but some of them still don't work I'm seriously considering getting a mac now.

Thanks for the help though

 

Hi Dannemand,
"Curiouser and curiouser."
1. Attached is the screen print from Minitool Partition Wizard. There is the 128MB MSR partition which you knew was there. And then you see the mysterious 128GB "RecoveryImage" partition with 6.3GB of an "install.wim" file. Does this suddenly make any sense to you now? Install.wim is the Microsoft version of a restoration file, right? How did it get there? Is this something I should be storing on an external drive? And, of course, why does it need half of the SSD to live in?
2. I can't make F4 work. Maybe it is operator error, but I have interrupted start-up before using several hand techniques like toggling F4, holding it down long or short, using Fn to make it work... nothing seems to work here. Also, I cannot find as a separate program or a subset program Samsung Recovery Solution. I have tried the Search function and the listing of programs for Samsung. In fact, Samsung software is rather spare on this computer, which I read was part of the Microsoft Store plan. So, for instance, I have a Samsung Galaxy phone, but the special new software that links the phone and this computer is, I believe, a separate purchase for me from Samsung. All I could find is this Microsoft "Recovery Drive" program (see screen shot) which I did not advance through.
3. I bought the Microsoft helpdesk/warranty plan, which I heard was a good idea---like the Apple one is for many novice Apple users. I have already gotten my money's worth out of it by spending an hour or more working on transferring Outlook email and contact files from 2007 to 2013. As you know, different versions of Outlook might as well be separate countries. The couple of people I worked with were knowledgeable and friendly. I think you have educated me enough to call them on these issues and see if I can get back a good portion of that unused disk space. The goals would be 1) effective re-partitioning to benefit the C drive, and 2) proper external creation of a Recovery file/folders. If you have more specific suggestions, I am all ears.
This discussion with you has been very helpful and interesting. Although I am not ready for prime time, I think I am learning to manage this wonderful machine better. I am also shedding some guilt, because I am thinking that this unusual set-up may not be of my making.
Thanks--GuzziRider (which stands for Motoguzzi, a large 850cc Italian motorcycle that I rode the length of Africa in my reckless youth)

 

Mostly, clean installs are pretty easy on Samsung computers. See this post for Win8 clean install guidance, and this post for Win7.

But Samsung does indeed make it more difficult by not keeping the software list updated for older models in SW Update. You would think a database solution (as opposed to posting drivers on their website, which they stopped doing long ago) should make it easy for them to keep it up-to-date.

That said, clean installs also got more involved after Win8, when Microsoft switched to UEFI and GPT. This is true for all brands of Windows computers, and Microsoft didn't do much to warn about it. Many owners who had previous experience installing Win7 and XP never realized the differences, and got in trouble when they formatted and re-installed, only to find that nothing worked as they were used to.

 

@GuzziRider:

Thank you for that update and the screenshots.

There is no doubt that you do not have Samsung Recovery Solution (SRS) on this PC, but rather standard Windows Recovery. I presume Microsoft replaced that as part of their bloatware cleansing. (I suppose it could be Samsung themselves that made the switch in their very newest models. I have not heard of that, but it would make sense.)

However it got there, I think it is probably a good thing for you: SRS has many quirks, I just happen to know them so I can work around them

But that doesn't explain how the Recovery partition got to be so large, surely that must be a mistake (and not one of your doing). I think you can most likely just Shrink the Recovery partition and Extend the Windows partition into the empty space. But I would contact Microsoft about it first, since they created this setup. Also ask them what is the best way to back it up so that you can re-image the disk if you ever need it.

If you use Windows Charms - Settings - Change PC Settings - General - Advanced Startup, I believe you can get to the Windows Recovery tools. But I am afraid I don't know anything about this.

You could also ask in our Windows OS forum or search for relevant threads there. I just tried Googling site:notebookreview.com/windows-os-software windows recovery partition which gave some seemingly promising hits.

Please keep us posted on what you find out. I would like to learn about this.

So, is that bike something like this (maybe without the accessory)? That sounds like a great journey you had there.

 

Dannemand,
Update.
Since this ATIV Book 9 Plus came from the Microsoft Store, I talked again to Microsoft tech. They blamed Samsung. I called Samsung, and they, naturally, blamed Microsoft. I called Microsoft again, and they accepted responsibility.
1. When Microsoft took control of the virgin computer from Samsung, Microsoft installed its "Signature" setup of 8.1 Mine got messed up before it was shipped. The partitions are all wrong, as you know. No one at Microsoft or Samsung had ever seen this problem, so it appears to be idiosyncratic as opposed to systemic.
2. The existence of the Microsoft .wim recovery file on that huge Recovery Partition is just all wrong. A knowledgeable Microsoft tech said there is no way to just cut up that partition and extend the c drive. The setup is wrong and the right way to fix this is to eliminate the partitions, effectively wiping the SSD, and install Windows 8.1 fresh. The re-installation of Windows 8.1 should establish the partitions properly. I am preparing backups of all my data and settings and preparing to start over again---probably a little faster since I just did this last week.
3. One Microsoft tech rep looked in vain for the Samsung Recovery software. Today's more experienced rep said it is not there. Microsoft advertises that its Store machines come relatively clean, and they mean it. There are no Samsung dedicated recovery partitions. I am supposed to do a full hard disk backup on an external drive to serve as the recovery function.
4. Microsoft was surprisingly accommodating, and their initial tech reps are far more experienced than the initial filtering reps for Samsung. Microsoft offered to me to send in my computer and they would send a new replacement. To save time, I could buy a new one online with the service plan (pushing my credit card), and then they would credit me the original computer amount plus shipping once Microsoft received the bad computer. Essentially, I would not have to go offline. But here was the hitch. This model with i7 and 256GB SSD is sold out with no ETA for a new batch.
5. The fix. Tomorrow, I have a meeting in Northern Virginia (40 miles away) and will drop my computer at the Microsoft Store. It should be relatively straightforward to delete the partitions, wiping the SSD, and then reloading 8.1. The problem will be if there is some kind of store backup or a unique problem with the machine, and then I would have to leave the computer overnight or longer. That's not good. We'll see. Alternatively, I can just keep backing up and wait until the online store has more stock. Microsoft has my problem well documented in their files, and it is under warranty, of course.

We are not done yet, but the machine is working fine and is a beauty. She is just running out of storage.

Yes, that is a modern version of the old Motoguzzi. Note the unique Motoguzzi 90 degree angle of the cylinders (BMW is 180 degrees. Both Motoguzzi and BMW come from a 2 cylinder, four stroke heritage, which allows high torque at low RPMs, so they rumble instead of whine. Low revs make them particularly useful on bad African roads where you are dragging the bike at low speeds through potholes, corrugation and tire ruts. I had a wonderful and tiny female British companion, but not the one pictured in the promo photo.

GuzziRider

 

Excellent, thank you for that update. Or rather, not so excellent with the mess that Microsoft created on your PC. But at least they take responsibility after your persistence and tenacity (that being the excellent part).

If it were me, I would simply place an order for a new one, so that you are first in line when the new batch comes in, then keep using the computer normally. As you said, it works fine. When the new computer arrives, you make a backup of your data and restore them to the new computer.

You don't need Recovery during daily use, it's only when something goes wrong. So don't waste more time on this, let Microsoft do the work for you. Spend time on Recovery backups when you get the new computer.

If you run out of disk space, I bet you could shrink that Recovery partition without problems. It's got 120GB free space on it doing nothing. But you may need to use Minitool or some other 3rd party utility to do it -- which is why Microsoft said it couldn't be done. Of course it may be best to get their blessing first (a little more persistence should do) so that they don't claim you messed it up when they receive the return.

And the mystery is solved: Earth is still spinning at regular speed, and Samsung Recovery is still its old self (for good and bad). Microsoft just remove it as part of their Signature cleansing. As long as they include an alternative with similar features, you are in good shape. And I'll keep this in mind for future reference!

 

If the SSD will get reformatted in due course then a temporary solution would be to delete the oversized recovery partition and extend the main partition. I doubt if Windows disk management will do this but Minitool Partition Wizard should be able to. That would get you the space you need until new stock arrives.

John

 

My concern would be to make sure Microsoft won't argue that you messed up the system after they get the return. So whether you shrink or delete that Recovery partition to make space, I would talk to Microsoft first and make sure they won't hold it against you. Just tell them that you have to do something to free up space while you wait for them to deliver the exchange unit, and have them include that note in your file.

 

Dannemand,

For those of you who were on the edge of your seat wondering what the resolution was to that crazily partitioned disk that the Microsoft Store sent me on the new Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus with 256GB SSD, here it is. (That's a poor attempt at a joke---just another computer problem, but Dannemand should know the final outcome thanks to all his help in getting to the right answer.) Review--with Dannemand's help and lots of time on the phone with Microsoft and Samsung, we determined that Microsoft had sent out a defectively partitioned SSD. That happened because at some point in the chain of delivery, Microsoft or a Microsoft surrogate actually re-images the disk received from Samsung, and places its "Signature" version of 8.1 and associated programs on the disk. (Am I using the right technical terms?) Microsoft brags that it removes lots of bloatware (including some desirable Samsung software), which is pretty nice for a novice like me not to have to figure out what is essential and how to remove the rest. In the process, Microsoft removes the Samsung Disk Recovery program and sets up its own partitions including a partition with a basic .wim recovery file of approximately 6GB. The whole problem with my computer was that the 6GB partition was incorrectly partitioned to be 127GB---half the SSD. Only the very brave and savvy among you suggested trying to partition that partition and extend the C drive over. For reasons of their own, all the Samsung and Microsoft people gasped and strongly suggested a deleting of all partitions and a reloading of everything. Some said a re-partitioning was impossible given this problem.

Microsoft owned up to this problem and offered me a new computer. One hitch---they were out of stock. Also, I had spent a week loading and tuning up the original one before finding that there was half the storage. So, I wanted the easiest solution. I went to the local Tysons Corner store that was out of stock the day before. They discussed saving the data, wiping the disk and leaving my computer for several days. Nice people but bad solution for a small business person. Then, when we agreed that a new computer would be the best solution, they looked in back and found an exact model that had come the night before. Real lucky. I bought the second one courtesy of VISA. I have spent some days loading this new one. It works beautifully. All I have to do is send the old one back to Microsoft for a full refund including shipping. I am out a lot of time, but I actually learned a few things about navigating and loading up my computer, which is useful.

In discussions with many Microsoft technicians, I found a second person who had seen this same problem with another customer and he had created some kind of technical alert within Microsoft so that they could trace the problem. So, it is unclear how many computers got out the door with this problem. I have attached for Dannemand's reference a jpeg Disk Management image of the proper Microsoft partitioning. Again, it does not show that one little extra fifth partition. But this is how a Microsoft partitioned SSD should look.

Thanks for everything. GuzziRider

 

Hello GuzziRider, thanks a lot for taking the time to post that update.

I am glad to hear that you got a machine with the correct partition layout. And who knows if there were others gremlins in the drive image on that first machine that simply hadn't revealed themselves yet.

Everything looks as expected on that Disk Management screen (on a machine with Windows Recovery instead of Samsung Recovery). As we discussed before, there is almost certainly a small (128MB) MSR partition on that SSD as well, hidden in between the EFI and Windows partitions. Windows Disk Management hides the MSR, but Minitool would show it.

With only 7GB (about 1/3 of Samsung Recovery) I would consider leaving the Recovery partition there for convenience and safety.

So it looks like you can finally get on with the business of actually using this great laptop

 

I found the best way to install clean version of 8.1

You have to download clean version of 8.1 and install it with universal key (you can find it on google), when Windows will be installed, you have to connect to Internet and try do activation, you should see notification that key is wrong and have to write another one and now you could write your key from BIOS and Windows will active it.

 

After some research on how to clean install windows 8/8.1 on Samsung series 9, I concluded that the first post of this thread is somewhat misleading. Bullet 5 of the first post correctly says that you have to disable Fast BIOS Mode and Secure Boot but selection of OS Mode to CSM OS is a wrong approach. Installation of windows with CSM OS mode will create MBR partition type and not GPT. If you already have GPT partition type, you can go for MBR partition only by deleting all the existing partitions during the installation as suggested by Bullet 6 of the first post. After having MBR partition, you cannot opt for secure boot and if by chance you select secure boot option in the bios, the computer will not boot up. Having CSM OS mode in the bios setup is like denying latest technology and every time you turn on your computer, it will take longer time to boot up.

What I recommend is to disable Fast BIOS Mode and Secure Boot but keep OS Mode to UEFI (make sure it is UEFI and not “UEFI & CSM” . When you are done with these three settings, save them and restart the computer. Insert the USB with OS and restart the computer. Again enter in the bios and select "Boot Device Priority" to USB HDD (You will not be able to see the OS USB in the bios if you do not restart the computer with disabled Fast BIOS Mode and Secure Boot). Hit F10 to save and exit.

One main limitation of starting with UEFI mode is that it do not recognize OS USB formatted in NTFS. You need to make OS USB formatted in FAT32. Generally people create bootable windows 8/8.1 USB using "Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool" which is a great tool for making bootable USB from ISO file but it create USB is in NTFS and not in FAT32. Rufus v1.4.6 can make bootable USB from ISO in FAT32. To Create a Bootable UEFI USB Flash Drive using Free Program "Rufus" you can see this page:

UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows

My experience is that the tool do not convert already created NTFS partition to FAT32 even if you select FAT32 in the tool’s option. So first format the USB in FAT32 and then make a bootable USB by selecting FAT32 partition in Rufus.

Install Windows 8/8.1. When it’s done, remove USB drive.

Re-enable UEFI Fast BIOS Mode and Secure Boot.

 

@aliennumberseven: You are exactly right about those issues with the guide in the opening post. We have indeed had to help several members who stumbled on those issues after following the guide.

We generally recommend that Samsung models originally delivered with UEFI enabled (Win8 models) be kept in UEFI mode, while models delivered with UEFI disabled (Win7 models) be kept with it disabled. This will spare users from having to wipe their disks (thus losing Recovery and user data) as they would if they follow the guide in the opening post.

There are a few exceptions though, based on reports here in the Samsung forum:

A) Win7 seems to be having fewer issues on Samsung laptops when running in Legacy BIOS/CSM mode, even on Win8 models originally delivered with UEFI enabled. Hence this post for users who consider downgrading to Win7, and the guidance in this Windows install guide.

B) The earliest Samsung Win8 models from fall 2012, which were simply converted Win7 models, suffered from a buggy UEFI implementation, which in some cases would brick if Linux or Windows were re-installed in UEFI mode. See this thread. The problem seems to have been solved in newer models (released in 2013 and later) but we still advice to proceed with caution when clean installing Linux or Windows in UEFI mode on those early tweener models.

In any case is it important to realize that changing UEFI mode (enabling/disabling the UEFI Boot Support option on Win7 models, and changing the OS Mode Selection option on Win8 models) is a serious action that requires wiping and converting one's disk, and re-installing Windows. The post here describes that in more detail, including links to articles about UEFI and GPT.

The difference in boot times is not big, particularly not with the Fast Startup feature in Win8.x (referring to the Windows feature, not to be confused with Samsung Fast Boot/Fast Start). And when booting from an SSD, the boot speed difference should be negligible.

Also, UEFI only affects which type of drive to boot from, not which data disks can be used: Win7 and Win8.x still support large GPT data disks with more than four primary partitions, even when running in Legacy BIOS/CSM mode. Even WinXP supports it, although only XP 64-bit.

So I would say the decision about whether to install in UEFI or Legacy BIOS/CSM mode should come down to compatibility and how much one values existing content on the disk (including Recovery). Before converting the disk (and thus wiping it) I always recommend creating a bootable Factory Image backup using the first two steps in this post. That will create a self-contained, bootable Recovery on a USB stick, which can always be used to restore the disk to factory state with working Recovery -- say if you want to sell the computer someday.

Thanks again for bringing attention to these issues.

 

Today I formated with clean instalation of Win 8.1, but I did a little difference, because I wanted to stay od GTP, so I installed this Win on UEFI, and delete all partition and creation it on new.
After completion instalation I installed swUpdate and Installed all drives and next I checked if on download center intel is something new (if yes, I installed it), should I install something else (for faster starting or something else who Samsung created in this model?)

 

Hi Skuter, sorry it took a few days to respond to this.

It sounds like you did a great job there, staying in UEFI mode and all. If you installed the essential drivers from SW Update and Windows Updates, and if everything is working, I think you are in good shape. I would make a backup quick: You never now when some update might upset the apple cart.