Problems with Installing WIN 8 on Notebook

[AlanHo]

I have a Samsung Notepad model NP305U1A-A01UK running Windows 7 home premium which I decided to upgrade to Win 8. I went onto the MS site, paid my £24.99 and downloaded the installation assistant.

Part way into the installation it reported that there were 8 software items that were incompatible and provided an uninstall button against each one.

These were : -

Samsung Control centre

Samsung recovery solution 5

Samsung support centre 1

WIDCOMM bluetooth software

AMD Catalyst install manager

ATI Catalyst control centre

MS Security Essentials.

I clicked on the Samsung control centre button to uninstall it and at the end of the process received a message that the computer had to be re-booted to complete the uninstall - which I did.

On rebooting the computer, the install window for Windows 8 did not reappear so I waited for about 15 minutes before trying another reboot - but yet again no Win 8 install window appreared.

I then decided - I know not why - to manually uninstall the list of incompatible programs and reboot the computer before trying to use the Windows 8 Install assistant again. On rebooting - the screen resolution had changed to 1024 x 1068 from the original 1366 x 768 and upon reloading the Win 8 installation assistant I got a message that Windows 8 could not be installed because the screen resolution was not accepted. Hence Winows 8 had asked me to uninstall some software that caused this problem.

I then decided to resore the computer using a full Acronis back-up I had taken as a precaution before downloading Win 8. Acronis loaded OK from the software on the hard drive, found the back up file on my USB external hard drive and then rebooted the computer to restore the system. However, the computer did not reboot and for almost 2 hours displayed a black screen and a flashing cursor top right.

I have tried to manually boot the computer - but it will not respond and I still get the blank screen and flashing cursor.

F2 on boot up for settings shows the boot order as

1st. USB.......................N/A (It is not possible to alter the N/A setting against USB)

2nd. Hard drive spec is then listed

I have tried moving the hard drive to be the first in the boot order - but it has made no difference.

So my situation is :-

I have a 4 month old Samsung Notebook that will not boot

I have an Acronis system backup on a USB hard drive that I cannot access until the computer boots and I can load Acronis again

I have an emergency Acronis boot CD - actually for my desktop computer - but no means of using it on the Samsung Notebook which lacks a CD/DVD drive.

Help!!!!

[MANEMAN]

Well that's a bugger Alan. Mind you, about par for the course for Microsoft.

In the specs for your machine it does say that it has a restore partition. Can you use that to get back on the road again. ?

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I'll just throw in a few ideas without going into too much detail as I know ya ! :)

Use system restore partition option.

Howzabout making up a USB flash drive Acronis Bootable Rescue Media stick on your Desktop machine ?

That will get you back into Acronis recovery mode.

See here: http://www.whatsabyt...0_USB_Boot.html

Create a Windows Repair USB drive:

See Here: >> http://www.intowindo...ation-dvd-disc/

And Here for W8: http://www.eightforu...indows-8-a.html

Errmmmmmm............... Cant actually think of anything else at the moment. Try that first and report back.

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When it is up and running again make a small partition on the main disk and keep an updated / rolling Acronis image there also. Not much good if the whole disk is unserviceable perhaps, but quick and handy at times.

John.

[AlanHo]

I have solved my problem. A good nights sleep enable me to think straight. Before I saw your reply John I used my desktop computer to put Acronis onto a USB memory stick, set the notebook BIOS to boot from USB first, and the notebook recognised and booted into Acronis - which enabled me to restore the hard drive from the Acronis backup on an external USB hard drive.

I had to do this because as I suspected - Acronis had wiped the notebook hard drive - including the restore partition. It was my fault for letting it - I could have just restored the C: drive had I have stopped to think. I have learned that if you use the Acronis recovery menu stored on the computer's hard drive, you better not let it delete all the partitions because when it reboots, the Acronis recovery file has been wiped as well.

Thanks for your efforts - this is another step in my computer learning curve.

So I am back with Windows 7 - but I will leave the installation of Windows 8 until after I have done some more research.

[AlanHo]

Just in case another forum member wishes to install Win8 on a Samsung Notebook - here is the next instalment.

I called Microsoft again and they remote connected to the Notebook and tried to instal Win8 again - but met the same problem that the installation could not continue because some Samsung software was not compatible. They asked me to contact Samsung and download the latest drivers, load them onto a USB memory stick and get back to them so they could try again.

I looked on the Samsung support site but all the software and drivers available were dated Dec 2011 and the same as already installed on the computer - so I phoned them.

I explained the problem in detail and their support technician guided me to a download called SW Update 2.1.5.30.zip which contains all the Samsung software for Windows 8. I asked him if I could install it now - on Windows 7 - so that the Win8 install could go ahead unimpeded. He said NO, I first have to install Windows 8 and then install the new software.

I then explained once more that the Win8 install would not complete unless the Samsung software was compatible - hence it must be installed first.

He then understood the problem and has gone off to seek help from Samsung support elsewhere - promising to phone back when he has found a resolution

[MANEMAN]

Dear Sir,

We thank you for your reply. Unfortunately you have been mislead into believing that the upgrade that you received will in anyway enhance your computing experience beyond Windows 7.

The following link is the one that you should have used. Apologies for the mix-up.

Windows 7 Upgrade (Corrected)

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Early adopters always get this crap Alan, which is why it is better to let Microsoft argue with manufacturers, and then manufacturers argue with Microsoft for a few months first. Between them they get the drivers and service packs sorted out, - and you get time to sit and read peacefully around the forums of all the trials and woes, and let everyone else get all the hassle and sort out the problems. (Unless you are a masochist as well as the bondage stuff you were telling me about.)

People who have bought computers with Windows 8 pre-installed are also in for a few suprises if they think downgrading to Windows 7 is going to be a picnic.

Adopt anything new only after approx. 18 Months. ( Longer if it involves money and time.)

One of the reasons I put together a Windows 8 guide (more yet to come) was to head off questions in the right direction, otherwise you are answering the same questions over and over again.

LINK: > > Windows 8 Help Guides

When you get your fix we will include it in the guides.

By the way. Why did you want this crap Windows 8 on your laptop in the first place ?

Keep us posted on your progress.

John.

[Alan2273]

You were certainly unlucky Alan, I upgraded my Acer from Vista to Win 8, the first day it was available and it only cost me £14.99.

As you can do a restore from Acronis, why not try and install the Samsung Win8 drivers and see what happens.

[AlanHo]

By the way. Why did you want this crap Windows 8 on your laptop in the first place ?

Keep us posted on your progress.

John.

I have a Ph.D in Windows upgrades - awarded for my galantry and dedication by upgrading Windows as soon as a new version is released. The only upgrade that went smoothly so far is the move from Vista to Windows 7. With all the other upgrades - I have had a whale of a time sorting out problems so I didn't really expect this to be any different. Do you remember ME - now that was a hum dinger of a challenge.

I am aware that Windows 8 is a much tweaked version of Windows 7 with better security, faster response and a more tablet like front end. Sooner or later it will supplant Windows 7 so I might as well start now to learn a new OS and enjoy the third party tweaks that people release over the coming months. I might even get a Win8 Microsoft Surface computer once the price comes down - not the micky mouse basic one - but the all singing all dancing one with a proper keyboard that will run all my software.

For me - it is a challenge that I take pleasure in. I am retired, it is winter and I want to stay indoors, the upgrade was cheap, the Notebook is only used for when we are away from home and not needed for a month or two, my old brain needs a challenge to stave off Alzheimer's - so why not.

[MANEMAN]

Well, - that told me then. :lol:

I know where you are coming from on the something to fiddle about with aspect of things. I used to enjoy messing with engines and gearboxes a lot, but as one gets older an indoor hobby is a bit more luxurious i must admit.

I installed W8 took a look at it, and thought, - "I really cannot go through all of this again". So there it sits on a hard disk ready to plug into the caddy if I want to know anything specific about it, or any of it's idiosyncrasies. I think spending so long on Vista and all it's various builds only to be disappointed by the final RTM killed off a lot of my enthusiasm. I can fully appreciate why Alan 2273 would want to stamp something / anything, over the top of that one ! :)

Windows 7 is good and sturdy now, as was XP. I use them both. Windows ME I got a lot of fun out of but it was bloody annoying as you say. I only had to look at it funny and it would crash. Armed with a pile of floppies and a system image made with the old DOS Norton Ghost, re-imaging three times a week was not unusual. I have decided to put my time in on computer generated music, audio, and photography rather than Windows 8 this time around. ( Learning stuff still, - but in different areas.)

One of our Grandsons is getting a Nexus 7 with Android Jelly Bean 4.2 for Christmas. I've been reading up on it and have got really interested. I may just get one in the New Year. I already know how to root it, break into it, and probably get it to the stage you are at the moment with the Samsung !

Like you say it keeps the old brain working.

Keep us up to date on how things are going Alan.

John.

[AlanHo]

Microsoft support had asked me to get back to them once the Samsung software was available – but I decided to see whether I could get the Windows 8 Upgrade installation files off the web and have a generous fiddle with the computer. I can't do much harm because I have Acronis to back to if I screw it up.

Some judicious Googling led me to a site where you can download the Windows 8 Upgrade file and install it with the product key you have purchased from the Windows 8 store - thus avoiding the problem of the Installation Assistant taking me back to the payment page. Note that this is an upgrade file, Windows 7 must be running when the file is used to install Windows 8

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only

The installation flagged up two items of Samsung software that had to be uninstalled – one of them requiring a reboot to complete. This time I didn’t let the computer reboot, but clicked for it to be done later, and the installation of Windows 8 continued uninterrupted. I didn't time it but I guess it took about 90 minutes.

So I now have a Notebook with Windows 8 installed - it seems to be running OK even though it is now missing some Samsung files.

I have spent only about 3 hours playing with it - mainly trying to see how you use the IE10 browser. I know we all resist change and some clever buggers have put this all together - but after 3 hours I am getting frustrated. I am used to being able to click on a favourites menu and see all my favourites - and there are several hundred - all nicely filed in folders and sub folders. It is a doddle to find the one I want. In the new browser the favourites are all tiles, shoulder to shoulder horizontally across the screen in totally ramdom order with only about 10% of them on display. They are not grouped in folders. I have no idea where the others are and find it very tiresome to scroll across so many to find the one I want. I am also used to having a print icon, a spelling icon etc in the IE header - I have yet to find out how you print anything in the new browser. I cannot yet see how you use tabs sensibly and I am clumsy at moving from one window to another.

I am going to persist further - surely it cannot be as bad as the first impressions - because I foresee the days of the traditional start menu coming to an end as touch screens slowly make inroads and we all have to use "apps"

[MANEMAN]

Well done Alan !

Before I go any further I would just like to satisfy some of those posting in this slot over the last few days by telling them their favourite publication is now being masterminded down here in Penryn, Cornwall. It will never again be issued in hard print , but it continues online. It's abscence perhaps reflects the quality of some posts. Here is it's new home: Forum Posting Computer Genius

Remaining in the Christmas spirit of joviality, I found the following video which sounds as though it is narrated by John McEnroe on a bad day. :)

John.

/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTYet-qf1jo&feature=youtu.be

[D4\/!d]

By the way. Why did you want this crap Windows 8 on your laptop in the first place ?

I've just seen this thread - a bit late I know - but straight away I was thinking. Why. Why are you bothering with WinHate?

Needless to say you beat me to it, John.

[D4\/!d]

Windows 3 – esp Windows for Workgroups 3.11 OK

Windows NT 3 Yuk

Windows 95 OK

Windows Me yuk

Windows 98 OK

Windows 2000 Yuk

Windows XP OK

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Yuk

Windows XP Service Pack 3 OK

Windows Vista Yuk

Windows 7 OK

Windows 8 <using the above trend insert the next verdict>

[AlanHo]

The experimental honeymoon lasted for 36 hours. During which I probably spent at least a third of it trying to conquer Windows 8. I finished up abandoning the use of the Metro tiled interface which is mind blowingly ghastly, and used the desktop one. However, the desktop one lacks a start button and easy access to programs etc - so I installed a third party start menu (Stardock Start8) which got me back to a standard Windows 7 desktop. So I was then using a computer that looked and felt like Windows 7 but was definitely much quicker to boot up (45 seconds versus 97 seconds with Windows 7) and seemed slightly faster in use - but that could be a placebo effect.

The nails in the coffin were that the latest versions of Adobe Premier Elements 11 and Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 - which are claimed to work on Win8 - refused to install, throwing up an error message that there were files missing on the computer which were required for the installation - but there was no information to identify which was being referred to. This software had previously installed and run without problems on Windows 7.

I then ran into problems installing some Garmin sat-nav software and maps I use all the time in conjunction with my sat-nav.

I could find no way of uninstalling Windows 8 to get back to Windows 7 - so I again used Acronis to restore my computer back to where I came from.

My next time-filling project is to learn how to make a perfect pork pie - a favourite snack with crusty new bread, some pickles and a glass of red - followed by a couple of Bisodol tablets.

I joke not - I am fed up with the modern commercial ones - so I am going to have a go myself now that I have Windows 7 back again and I am able to download and print some recipes..

[MANEMAN]

David - Alan.

I never think it is either clever, or good manners to tell people " I told you so." - But Alan, - " I told you so." :lol:

So, - I have forsaken further work on Windows 8 to concentrate on computer generated music, audio, and photography. You have forsaken Windows 8 studies to make Pork Pies, and Dafyyd absolutely hates it.

It has got a seasonal ring of the "Three Wise Men" really hasn't it ?

The jury is still out as far as your chart is concerned David. Dependent on a U turn by Microsoft if they ever read feedback and act upon it.

Funny thing is though David, we went out to a birthday celebration about two weeks ago, and I sat with a couple in their mid 70's. The conversation got around to how wonderful the internet was. I asked how long they had owned a computer, and what version of Windows they were running.

It was their first computer ever, and it had the very latest Windows 8 operating system. "Are you pleased with it ?"

"Absolutely delighted"."We've learnt so much in just under three weeks, and all by ourselves."

Which goes to prove I suppose, that if you think that what you've got is the norm, - you just get on and learn about it.

There is no reference point from the past.

I cannot see the younger generation taking to it that well though (W8). They are too used to the simplicity of the iPod, iPad, and the Android systems on phones and tablets.

I do think that Google are going to beat Microsoft at their own game this time around. Operating systems are in no way as lucrative as they used to be. Google are going to be pushing tablets and other hardware out at loss as a sales leader for the real money maker. - Advertising and personal information.

I changed the conversation with these nice people at the birthday celebration after a glare from my wife which said "No more bloody people joining the queue to have their computer explained or fixed." - PLEase !!! :)

John.

[D4\/!d]

I changed the conversation with these nice people at the birthday celebration after a glare from my wife which said "No more bloody people joining the queue to have their computer explained or fixed." - PLEase !!! :)

John.

Yes, I can relate to that, esp that "glare".

Funnily we ran into a couple " full of years" on holiday. She had a brand new iPoo and loved it. She said that after just a few days she was up and running and sending emails to all her friends, something she had taught herself last week. Never used a PC/tablet before and was overjoyed how easy it was. I didn't see the wife's glare but felt it behind me, ha ha.