Windows 10 on Samsung Notebooks

I tried it again today and it got stuck in the exact same place as last time:
" Working on Updates 71% Don't turn off your PC. This will take awhile."
It froze there and has been hanging there for over a hour now??? I'm gonna shut it down in a bit.

So, what in the heck do I do now???

 

I did a online search and apparently others had this problem, getting stalled at 71%. It appears it could be a wireless or WiFi driver problem or conflict between network drivers and I was using wireless connection to install Windows 10. I'm going to try again, this time using LAN.

 

No input on my problem?

 

Hi jack53: I am sorry, I've been kind of MIA latetely.

If I were in your shoes, I would try a clean install of Windows 10 and see what happens. Maybe it picks up a license from your BIOS (in case the previous owner installed Win10 within the free period). Otherwise enter a valid Win7/8/8.1 Product Key and see what happens.

If your Win8 Product Key isn't printed on the laptop or the charger, you can extract it from the factory installation using tools like ProduKey or similar (Google it). Of course do this before you begin the clean install.

As I've mentioned earlier, my only experience with Win10 has been clean installs, so I cannot speak to that 71% hang you experience when you try to upgrade from Win8.

 

I'd been having an issue in Windows 10 on my Samsung Series 7 Chronos where the volume icon to control the volume in the system tray wouldn't work. I checked my drivers and noticed that my Realtek HD audio driver was from 2015, so I downloaded the latest driver from Realtek's site and installed it (the driver now says June 27th, 2017), and this fixed the issue with the volume icon, but now under Playback devices I have two "High Definition Audio" devices. One has muffled sound that only comes out of the left side of the laptop, and, and it oddly references "About Software MIDI Synthesizer" in its context menu. I've disabled that one, and am only using the other one, which seems to play back through both channels. I vaguely recall some sort of subwoofer channel on this laptop, but I could be crazy. Maybe that's what the other one is? If that's what it is, maybe the latest, generic Realtek HD driver isn't handling it correctly? Honestly, I don't think the audio is able to play back as loudly as it was able to prior to me installing this newer driver, so it would make sense that this other audio channel isn't being used properly. Any ideas guys? Maybe I'll try reinstalling the older Samsung Realtek driver and see if it somehow keeps the volume icon working but fixes this new issue.

 

To answer my own question, I went back one Realtek driver release, to 2.81 (2.82 was the newest one that had created two playback devices) and everything seems to be working now, with one playback device again.

 

My amd gpu is burnt for sure and I wonder if anyone knows how to physically disconnect this garbage. I have installed the latest version of windows 10 (1709) and everything is perfect but do not even consider installing the amd trash drivers. For this I disable windows update and for this reason I would like to remove the chip. Thank you.It seems that turning off a coil voltage regulator near the gpu does disconnect the chip, can anyone help?

 

You were right as I was having a major problem updating my switching GPU drivers which weren't working properly with Win 8.1 on my Samsung ATIV Book 6 NP680Z5E-X01US and I couldn't migrate to Windows 10, failed three times... then I figured it out and now it works like a charm. Here is the link to that as it may be helpful:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...870z5e-np880z5e.713184/page-617#post-10677329

And here, specific to my laptop thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...tting-down-on-me-lately.812800/#post-10677370

 

Any tips for a clean install of Win 10 Fall Creator's on an NP780Z5E?

Tried a clean Win 10 Fall Creator's install with Ethernet plugged in and it would lock up while looking for updates. Unplugged, setup completes and I got to the desktop, but it locks up after about a minute. Can't reboot into Safe Mode - it locks while attempting to 'restart in safe mode'.mode'. Manager shows most of the system is missing drivers. On one manual power cycle, it let me into Safe Mode because it detected that Windows didn't start properly. There, I installed the GPU Driver and Intel ME Interface, the two most significant looking Win 10 drivers in Samsung Update. Now it won't let me past the login screen. I see on Samsung Software Update that there's a chipset driver for Win 8.1 but not Win 10. I'm wondering if installing that somehow would resolve the issue. As I said tho, I can't even log in now and can't get into Safe mode, so it sounds like I have to start over whatever recommendation I get.

Incidentally, I just swapped the battery which blistered tremendously and installed a new Intel SSD before attempting the windows clean install.

Thanks!
(edited for typos)

 

@MrFigment: Welcome to NBR.

Sorry to hear about your Win10 installation problems. I don't have firsthand experience with NP780/880 myself, so I hope some of the members who do will chime in.

The only advice I can provide is somewhat generic:

1) Make sure you are on the latest BIOS version before starting the install. Check our Samsung BIOS Update thread for safe update advice.

2) Make sure your new SSD uses GPT partition layout style (assuming your laptop is still in UEFI mode, as it was from factory). Windows Disk Management or Minitool Partition Wizard can help with this.

3) Try disabling SecureBoot in BIOS before you install, but make sure OS Mode Selection is still set to UEFI OS (it sometimes automatically changes when disabling SecureBoot). Re-enable SecureBoot when everything is up and running.

(UEFI and partition layout are probably not your problem, as it sounds like you were able to install and boot Win10, and the problems only occur during subsequent updating).

4) Check the NP770/780/870/880 Owners Thread, which has extensive discussion, including about Win10. You can try searching it, buy you may be better off manually scanning through the last 25 pages for relevant posts. There are many great links in the opening post of that Owners Thread, but none specifically about Win10 (as I recall).

I managed to install Win10 on my (even older) Samsung NP700Z3A, mostly without incident -- though I had to block some Microsoft provided drivers, particularly AMD display drivers, for which I use Leshcat version 14.4 instead (google it). I posted about my Win10 experiences here, but I don't think they are that relevant to your problem. I include the link mostly for others who use older models (with AMD PowerXpress and ExpressCache).

Good luck. And please keep us posted on your progress.

 

Thanks, will do.

 

I used to discuss Series 7 Chronos issues with Dannemand and John Ratsey, but it's been a long time. Maybe someone can recall an easy solution to this issue?

I recently obtained a secondhand NP700Z5C-S01UB. (The B in the model name apparently denotes a special Best Buy version which had a special BIOS version P00AAS. I don't know if that matters.)

The problem is, I'm not getting the General menu (or Power Management menu) in Samsung Settings, meaning no keyboard backlight settings. Furthermore, the Fn keys for controlling screen and keyboard backlight brightness aren't working when just Settings is installed. The keyboard backlight just remains stuck at one brightness level. I tried versions 2.0.0.106 and 2.0.0.89. Uninstalling and re-installing Settings doesn't help.

I also own an NP700Z5C-S02UB, same exact version of Windows, same generic keyboard driver in Device Manager, same version of Settings, and it *doesn't* have this problem! The Fn keys on it properly control the brightness and keyboard backlight brightness, and they produce the black and white OSD pop-ups that better match Windows 10.

A workaround is to uninstall Settings and install an old version of Easy Display Manager. This actually gets the Fn keys working again on the S01UB and provides working keyboard backlight settings in Control Center. This proves it's not broken hardware. With Easy Display Manager, I will deal with the colorful OSD pop-ups in the center of the screen, lol, and Control Center has a few broken items, but I can live with it; I just thought I'd ask if anyone remembers some simple way to get the black and white OSD pop-ups and Settings working properly? Maybe it's some old registry or configuration setting?

The offending S01UB Settings: https://imgur.com/a/P4RBiZb

The working S02UB Settings: https://imgur.com/a/aVcrOxT

The Settings on my S02UB appears to be the same version (2.0.0.106), but maybe not? Maybe there's some mishmash of other Settings versions still on it from the past? I don't see any stray instances of dmhkcore or EasyDisplayMgr that might otherwise explain why it's properly handling the Fn keys and OSD, but who knows.

I'm also aware of a "Settings_OSD_Win10.exe" file under "C:\Program Files (x86)\Samsung\Settings", but knowing of its existence doesn't actually fix the problem, lol!

I did come across the following post from someone else with an S01UB where his backlight wasn't working, but I don't have UEFI boot enabled and he was on Windows 7, so I don't know if it would apply:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...t-you-need-to-know.729139/page-7#post-9983368

Edit: One additional finding, Easy Display Manager's Control Center timer option for the keyboard backlight to turn off doesn't work, so now I've found a practical reason to get Settings working for that!

 

Hi mmortal03, it has indeed been a long time. I am sorry I didn't respond sooner, but I must admit I don't come here very often anymore.

I have no explanation why Samsung Settings would behave differently on your NP700Z5C-S01UB versus the S02UB. I don't think the model differences are why.

It's so long ago, but I seem to recall there was a trick we used when re-installing Samsung Settings to make sure it "takes". Definitely restart Windows several times, that much I remember.

I would check the Samsung Settings thread linked below, if you haven't already.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/settings-easy-settings-what-you-need-to-know.729139/

I agree that you shouldn't have to resort to Easy Display Manager. That's just too old, even older than Easy Settings.

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

Edit: I definitely recall that we had to uninstall the currently installed Settings, restart Windows at least once, install the new (or different) version of Settings, then restart Windows multiple times. It is quite possible that other versions of Settings than the ones you tried could work better, although that doesn't explain why it works on one unit and not another.

Somewhere in this thread I posted my setup to get Win10 working on my NP700Z3A, which is a generation older than yours. I believe I managed to get everything working, including keyboard backlight.

(Oh, that wonderful Sammy keyboard! I am currently using an awesome HP Desktop PC as my main computer, with an iClever scissor switch keyboard. But my wife still uses the Sammy, and whenever I get to it for backups etc I notice how perfect that keyboard is. Best I ever had, except for the lack of NumPad!)

 

Thanks, but no luck. It must be something lower level that's messed up, like with the dlls not properly registering and the previous install not having uninstalled properly or something like that. I'll have to do some file comparisons on the machine that is still working. I also ordered a used np700z5a recently, lol, so I'll do a fresh install on that one to compare. I could make a fresh Windows 10 install on an external drive and boot to that to test, as well.

Yep, the keyboard is great, the problem I have is that the paint on the keys wears down after a while such that you can't read them, and the hinges on the screen ultimately break.

 

This irks me. I keep trying to think what might be the cause, but cannot think of any beyond what we already discussed. Sorry...

I assume this was a clean install of Windows?

I know what you mean about the paint wearing from the keys. I have some of that too. But not so much as to make it a problem. Still my best keyboard ever... and now my wife's.

 

Nope, that's what I'm looking to avoid. It's my prediction that it *will* work on a clean install, and I plan to test that using an external drive install when I get a chance, just to rule out some quirk in the hardware. It's just not worth it to me to do a clean install of Windows just to get the backlit keyboard's auto-off timer working, as everything else that I need still works. I'll report back once I've tested on a clean install external, and on the np700z5a that's in the mail.

 

Update: Unfortunately, my prediction was wrong! I created a clean install of Windows 10 21H1 on an external drive and tested it on the S01UB, testing the Windows 8 version of Samsung Settings 2.0.0.89, and the problem persists! I have the same missing menus in Settings and the same Fn keys don't work! That makes me think it's some quirk with the hardware, but I guess the next thing to try would be Windows 8 or Windows 7. I can't understand why the ancient Easy Display Manager 3.2.6.9 would still work for controlling the Fn keys if it's some quirk with the hardware, though.

 

Update 2: I've now tested Windows 10 version 1511, which is a version that goes back a number of years, but I still see the same issues. I've also tested Windows 7 SP1 with Easy Settings (Win7) 2.0.0.89, and this works correctly, all Fn keys and backlit timer, so, it can't be the hardware. On Windows 10, I've also tried installing Settings (Win8) 2.0.0.89 with different compatibility settings, and running it as administrator, but nothing I've tried makes any difference. I'm wondering if there's some portion of the installer process that isn't executing properly on Windows 10, for whatever reason. Next up to test will be Windows 8.1.

 

I admire and applaud you for your persistence!

I would try other versions of Settings. I see a folder shortcut in my Samsung library to a version 2.3.0.17 found under model NP930X5J (afraid I don't have a sub-model) and this post mentions version 2.5.0.13 being available under model NP940X3K-K02US. Worth trying.

As you know, I concluded back then that version 2.0.0.89 was the last version to support Battery Life Extender (BLE) and ExpressCache (EC). Presumably that is still true. You model has those features, so I can understand why you have focused on that version.

I'll be interested to hear what you find out. Thank you for posting about it here!

Edit: I mean, you did check that it's on the latest BIOS update? Sorry to even ask

 

We think alike; on Windows 10, I have tested a few other versions without luck. I didn't test them all on the clean installs of Windows 10, but I think I tested at least one other version without luck. I'll have to do some further testing tonight.

Last night I tested things on a clean install of Windows 8.1, and had the same problems there, with the Windows 8 version of Settings 2.0.0.89 not working properly. That just doesn't make any sense to me, but maybe I need to test Windows 8 instead of 8.1? I don't think it should be this version-sensitive? I don't know what could be the common denominator here, given that Easy Settings on Windows 7 works fine on it, and the ancient Easy Display Manager can also still properly control the Fn keys in Windows 10 (just not the backlit timer).

One idea I had was that my 2.0.0.89 installer might be corrupt somehow, but usually such installers will detect corruption, and it also wouldn't fit the fact that I've also tried other versions that also haven't worked.

The last version of Settings that they officially released for the S01UB was for Windows 8, version 2.0.0.30, but it has issues installing and uninstalling on Windows 10 (you have to run it from an administrator command line). I tried it, anyway, and it didn't solve my problems when I tested it a few days ago on my regular Windows 10 install. The latest versions that they officially released for the S02UB were 2.0.0.38 for Windows 8, and 2.0.0.72 for Windows 8.1, but those didn't help me on Windows 10, either. I may go back to Windows 8 and 8.1 and try those.

Yep, I believe I have the latest BIOS version flashed for this model, which is P00AAS.

 

Ok, so, I believe Settings 2.0.0.106 is the one with the black and white OSD items for the Fn keys that better matches Windows 10. That is what I was using on the NP700Z5C-S02UB, which is the one that's been working correctly. I received the NP700Z5A-S0AUS in the mail, so I moved the SSD containing Windows 10 from the NP700Z5C-S02UB into the used NP700Z5A-S0AUS that I just received. The Fn keys and Settings also work correctly there, lol; so, the only hardware that's not working correctly remains the S01UB.

Just to be sure, I re-tested Settings 2.0.0.106 on the S01UB with my regular Windows 10 install, but, predictably, it doesn't work correctly there (missing the menu items, and no Fn keys working).

I actually haven't tested Windows 8 on the S01UB yet -- that will be next. But I've almost covered all bases at this point and I'm at a loss for why only the S01UB doesn't work correctly.

 

OK so Settings 2.0.0106 better for Win10 in general. That's good info, thank you for sharing it!

But still no cigar on your S01UB, which is a mystery. Particularly when it works with Easy Settings.

 

I just finished testing Windows 8.0. Still no cigar. I get no full Settings menus on any of them, and get the following Fn key results:

Samsung Settings 2.0.0.30 (brightness controls work, but not the backlit keyboard controls)
Samsung Settings 2.0.0.38 (brightness controls work, but not the backlit keyboard controls)
Samsung Settings 2.0.0.72 (brightness and backlit keyboard controls don't work)
Samsung Settings 2.0.0.89 (brightness and backlit keyboard controls don't work)
Samsung Settings 2.0.0.106 (brightness and backlit keyboard controls don't work)

I wish I understood how to interface with the dll files directly. The following guy figured out how to do so on a 740U3E, but he doesn't really provide enough details to reproduce his work. Without having more knowledge of the utilities he used to access the lower level memory locations, I can't try to debug where things might've become corrupt (it has to be something with the hardware that retains memory, like the BIOS, but I don't have enough knowledge to figure it out):
https://blog.eleusis.se/2017/10/22/samsung-series-7-keyboard-backlight-controls/

Interfacing with the dlls still probably wouldn't get the automatic backlit timer working, though. I imagine what really needs to happen is to figure out how to reset the keyboard hardware, if that's a thing, but I don't know enough to really say.

I may just resort to making a copy of the old Easy Display Manager program folder and then running dmhkcore.exe at Windows startup. That's the most streamlined way to get me the brightness and backlit Fn keys working on Windows 10, even though the backlit timer still won't work that way.

It'd be great if someone out there knew how these laptops worked at a lower level.