Dual Boot screen doesn't appear

David, thank you for the link. I had the same first two settings as you in the drill-down snip, but I couldn't find a match to Pedro's Ultra #.

Pedro,

pedrotairum said:

1.) About the 'escape key' on the BIOS screen to see what other options are hiding under there, it loads a boot menu but only gives me the Windows 7 option.

1a.) About the screenshots you asked, do you want me to take screenshots from my BIOS?

1.) I'm leaning towards; you do not have Win8 installed properly. The quickness near the end of the Win8 in-stall that you explained earlier has me concerned about the completeness of the in-stall.

1a.)

• Open an elevated CMD prompt.
• The prompt line should read C:\Windows\system32>_
• At the end of the blinking cursor type in bcdedit, touch Enter or return.
• You should see something like this:

Use your snipping tool to crop, save, and post in your next reply, I save mine in a 640x480 .jpeg size. You can also go up to the tiny CMD prompt in the upper left corner; right click >edit >copy >into notepad, then post that into a code box, its the # in the menu bar of this Reply Editor.

   Note

I see there has been further instruction from Greg with a re-install. Try that, but I would still like to see a screenshot of the bcdedit, whether the re-install was successful or not.

If it isn't I would suspect:

• Something wrong with the USB Stick.
• Something wrong with the installation/procedures process.
• You may have to go into your BIOS and turn the UEFI feature on and then try a re-install.

About the UEFI or MBR BIOS, I don't know what you mean sorry. Can you please explain?

Advantages:
The interface defined by the EFI specification includes data tables that contain platform information, and boot and runtime services that are available to the OS loader and OS. UEFI firmware provides several technical advantages over a traditional BIOS system:[11]

• Ability to boot from large disks (over 2 TiB) with a GUID Partition Table, GPT.[12][13]
• CPU-independent architecture[12]
• CPU-independent drivers[12]
• Flexible pre-OS environment, including network capability
• Modular design

Source: wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface

Pedro, but also for the other responders of this thread.

I came across this interesting thread while researching Samsung's HDD/iSSD configurations: GUIDE: How to install Windows 7 or 8 via USB on NP700Z*, although, the title may be a little misleading it may work for your Series5 NP530U3C

This guide may work with other Samsung Series 3, 5, 7, and 9 laptops with iSSD/ExpressCache as well. Give it a try and report back. I will add to this list:

- NP700Z5C-S01US
- NP530U3C

Source from the Guide Link above.

There are also three alternative methods.


David suggested earlier that the usual method when installing a new OS, is the user (Pedro) should disconnect any drives that do not have the original boot or operating systems, and it should be the one you want the new OS installed to.

Pedro's reply was:

pedrotairum said:

Yes I had the two connected just because I can't take them off because computer is still covered by warranty and I can't unplug the drivers, the HDD or the SSD.

After reading up on Samsung's iSSD configuration I understand why. It is designed to be an integrated and hidden adjunct to the HDD and it ends up getting in the way of any "clean" re-install because of the System Reserve.
There are no problems if the user needs to use Samsung's Recovery/Restore Functions because it is designed to do that seamlessly.

So Pedro, I would suggest you go over the methods in the Guide for installing Win8. You will see after reading though it that you are experiencing some of the symptoms described in the Guide i.e. Endless loops, and perceived problems with the USB Drive.

There is so much there I felt it would be better if I sent you there rather than to try and explain it here and have a step lost in the translation.
Take your time and absorb what is in the Guide and the responses from the users in that Forum, from what I see the suggestions of the other users are incorporated into the three alternative methods and it would help if you printed out the methods when you are ready to try one of them.

GUIDE: How to install Windows 7 or 8 via USB on NP700Z*

Please keep us apprised of your progress. If this works I'd still be interested in a bcdedit report.


Greg,
It is a moot point now, but thank you for adding those UEFI Tutorials after I suggested turning it on to try the install in my last post.
I realized after the fact that if I'm going to suggest something, I should have added guidance.

Hey guys, sorry for the delay, it's been a long weekend.
As for installing it through Windows, it only gives me the option of wiping the whole local drive and install Windows 8. It doesn't let me choose the partition

Anak,

As for your #35 post, here is the print screen:



As for your #36 post, I'm going to read the guide right now and I'll give some news after I read it.

EDIT: Well I read it and there's just one thing - The guide is for windows 8 install if you want windows 8 as your only installation. This is a problem because they tell me to format my iSSD and if I do that, it might cause trouble with my Windows 7 installation so I can't do that

EDIT2: Tried installing with UEFI Bios on and no good. Just a FYI :)

Greg,

I was hoping we could do as you suggested, and there should be a way to disconnect the iSSD from the HDD, but Pedro mentioned earlier that he was informed by the Samsung rep that he couldn't physically do that, and I also got the impression that it would void Pedro's warranty. Post #7

The recovery partition is on the HHD as an unmarked partition. Post #4


Pedro,

I apologize, that this isn't working out for you. When I first read the GUIDE I thought maybe we could put win8 in your D:\drive, but after reading more, I can understand your hesitation.

I believe Samsung's mindset about the drives was to give the Ultra better response time in returning to the desktop, and agree they were a little narrow minded in this configuration, but that doesn't help you and all the other users that desire a multi-boot system.
It'd be a little tight, and you might have to change some partition sizes, but the room is there.

Thank you for the BCEDIT screenshot. Oops! I mean bcdedit.

Please let us know the verdict after the Samsung call.