Trying to install Windows 7 on Samsung 530u3c. Laptop won't boot

Question

I just bought a Samsung 530u3c with Windows 8 installed,so it's a week old. From day one, I have wanted to revert back to Windows 7.

So I have created a USB bootable drive with Windows 7 on, and tried installing it both on the SSD 24GB drive and the 465GB SATA HDD. The laptop will not boot from either drive.

After trying to boot once, the laptop reboots and then presents me with a boot menu that only shows the SATA HDD. Selecting it does nothing.

So I'm losing my mind here. I have absolutely no clue on how to solve this. I'm starting to think i just threw away 700 Euros... :(

Any thoughts on what my next steps should be in troubleshooting the issue?

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Installation goes through without problems. All files are copied. By the time the laptop needs to restart, it goes into a boot loop.

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I've read somewhere that this behavior has something to do with the reserved Windows partition being created in the SSD. No matter what drive i choose to install on (SSD or HDD), this reserved partition is always created in disk 0 (SSD). Still, i tried installing Windows on both disks and the problem stands.

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Exact same thing happens when i try to install Windows 8... :(

Answer 1

I had the same problem. I bought a new Samsung NP530U3C-A08TR last weekend, I didn't like Win8 and try to install Win7. Removed all partitions from SSD and Sata HDD. After first restart system wouldn't boot. I used lot of BIOS options, tried Win8 USB Disk to.

I talked with Samsung Offical US Support about this problem. Maybe this guide can help you. I fixed this problem, so follow my guide:

BIOS Options:

• Fast BIOS Disabled
• Secure BOOT Disabled
• CMS BIOS Seleceted

You need Hirens Boot CD (It must have Norton Ghost and Mini WinXP. Check versions 11.X or 15.1 Rebuild edition) on a USB Disk.

1. Start Windows 7 install from USB Windows 7 Disk.
2. Remove all partitions from iSSD and Sata HDD.
3. Install Windows 7 to 24GB iSSD.
4. On first restart Windows 7 setup (system is stuck normaly on this section), remove Windows 7 USB and use Hirens Boot USB. Start Mini Windows XP.
5. If you can successfully boot Mini Windows XP, Start Norton Ghost 32 from Hirens Tool
6. On Norton Ghost, select Copy Disk to Disk and copy iSSD to Sata HDD. After copying, don't restart the system. Only quit Norton from the menu.
7. Use Partition Wizard from Hirens Tools. Check your new copy SATA HDD status. You must have 100MB System Partiton Active and Primary position, and a second partition for Windows Setup with Primary status.
8. If all is OK, restart your PC and remove Hirens Boot disk, Windows 7 setup should resume.

Answer 2

Have you tried to unplug the usb stick when it reboots to see if it will just boot straight from the hdd? You could also go into the bios and switch it so that the hdd has boot priority instead of the usb stick. Also make sure you're selecting the right hdd to boot from. It could be stuck in the loop because it's trying to boot off your second drive which has no bootable files on it. Also I'm not sure any of this is what your real problem is. If you did a complete reinstall windows and no just some downgrade or upgrade package then what I mentioned makes sense, but if this is some sort of failed upgrade or downgrade then it sounds like you may need different install files.

If it's actually showing you a boot menu and letting you pick which drive you want it to boot off of, then none of what I said about the usb stick/boot priorities is going to matter.

Can I ask what made you want to revert back to windows 7? Was the system slow/freezing? Was it simply the UI? I'm only asking to make sure this couldn't maybe be hardware related.