Installing Windows 8 CP on Asus B121 Part 1

 

I had previously installed Windows 8 Consumer Preview on Asus EP121 here.  Now putting it on the B121.  I recently got my hands on the B121 model.  It is very similar to the EP121 with the main difference the TPM Chip, Windows 7 Pro/Ult, along with some other paid features like LoJack, and a Asus cloud storage.  Basically Asus is targeting this as a built for business.  Pretty much identical to the EP121 so it will look the same.

Pre-Steps:

1. Download the Windows 8 Consumer Preview 64-bit here (3.3GB)

*Note: Be sure to grab the Product Key from the download page. Key is required for installation.

2. Create a bootable USB Stick. Download Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool here. This allows you to create a bootable USB stick with the downloaded iso file. This makes the process so easy. Click, click, walk away and boom, you have a bootable Windows 8 USB drive. I used a 8 GB USB stick that you can get for $10 at Walmart. Note: A 4 GB will work for both 32-bit and 64-bit.

Backup

1. Run Windows Image Backup and take a backup of your Windows 7 system so you can restore back if you want.

Install Process

1. Plug USB into Slate and start. The Slate will automatically recognize the USB stick and boot from it. No need to get into BIOS. I am also using a USB hub so I can run USB Mouse, Keyboard, and USB Stick.

2. Go through the usual installation options. I selected fresh Install (not an upgrade).

3. Once complete this is the lock screen. Love the blue…

This is the new start screen.

In my next post (Part 2) will go through and get drivers installed and configured.

Windows 8 Release Preview in June

The next release candidate update of Windows 8 was recently announced at the Technology Conference in Tokyo in April. Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky announced Release Preview would be available the first week of June.

Current Release Dates
Windows 8 Developers Preview (September 2011)
Windows 8 Consumer Preview (February 2012)
Windows 8 Release Preview (June 2012)
Windows 8 RTM (October 2012?) Maybe…

Windows 8 CP N-trig drivers are available for Dell Latitude ST

http://www.n-trig.com/Content.aspx?Page=support_home

Windows 8 CP N-trig drivers are available for HP Slate 500

http://www.n-trig.com/Content.aspx?Page=support_home

Excited to try them out.

How to disable the auto brightness in the Samsung Series 7 Slate

One of the things that I noticed right away with the Samsung Series 7 Slate was the auto brightness constantly changing the brightness on the Slate.  This is a real problem when I am holding it because I am left handed so my right hand holds the slate near the brightness sensor (1/3 of the way down the right side of the slate in the black/bezel area).  My right hand would always cover it or just go over the sensor causing the screen brightness to adjust.  It really got annoying, so I wanted to disable it, but I could not figure it out.  I finally found that there is a Samsung utility called Easy Settings that allows you control a bunch of settings including this auto brightness.

Well I am in Windows 8 Consumer Preview, so this is the following way to turn off.

1. Download the Samsung Easy Setting software to help you better control Touch, Power Management, Wireless, Display, Background, and Screen Saver.  Get it here.

2. Go to Manuals & Downloads, then to Software.

3. Find Easy Settings (software) (ver.1.2.0.23) and download.

4. Comes in a zip file so unzip it into a folder

5. Find the Setup.EXE and run it in Windows 7 Compatibility mode.

Note: When I say to run in Windows 7 Compatibility mode = To install these drivers you will need to right click on the file, select Properties, click on the Compatibility tab. Put a check in the Compatibility Mode (Select Windows 7), Click ok and then double click on the file to install.

You may get a pop up about it not installing correctly.  Don’t worry it installs.  This should create a shortcut on your desktop.  Go ahead and launch it.

6. Click on the Display setting.

7. Uncheck “Use the auto brightness control depending on the ambient illumination” and then you can close the window.

Now you won’t be annoyed with the constant screen brightness changing.

Installing Windows 8 CP on Samsung Series 7 Slate Part 2

In my previous post we installed Windows 8 Consumer Preview on the Samsung Series 7 Slate.  Now we are going to continue where we left off and install any missing drivers.

Now let’s look at is the Device Manager to see what drivers we are missing.

1. From the new Windows 8 Start Screen, click on the Desktop icon.
2. Right click on the desktop and select Personalize.
3. Click the link in the upper left named “Change desktop icons”
4. Put a check under Control Panel and click Apply and then OK.
5. Double click Control Panel
6. Click on the the Hardware and Sound link.
7. Under Devices and Printers click on Device Manager.

This is a list of the drivers that Windows is unable to find.

I am assuming that you configured wireless to your home network.  Run Windows Updates and get the latest Windows 8 CP updates. As of 03/17/2012 these are the the specific Windows 8 CP Updates (8).

OTHER (MISSING) DEVICES:
1. Windows Update will resolve PCI Simple Communications Controller.

2. Download and Install the following Chipset driver from Samsung site here.

Click on “Manuals & Downloads” (Located 1/4 the way down the page)
Click on Driver link
Select Chipset (Driver) (ver.9.2.0.1019)
Download, unzip, and install.

NOTE: Please note that the “Unknown device” is the rotation driver which there currently is not a driver that works on the device.

UPDATE: (3/28)

On Monday (3/26) Samsung released W8 drivers for their Series 7 Slate for the Touch Screen Sensor and the Rotation Sensor drivers on their site.  Check out their great Windows 8 Customer Preview page here.

Installing Windows 8 CP on Samsung Series 7 Slate Part 1

In a continuation of installing Windows 8 Consumer Preview on the different Tablet/Slates this is a step by step install process of installing Windows 8 Consumer Preview on Samsung Series 7 Slate.

PRE-STEPS:

1. Download the Windows 8 Consumer Preview 64-bit here (3.3GB)

*Note: Be sure to grab the Product Key from the download page. Key is required for installation.

2. Create a bootable USB Stick. Download Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool here. This allows you to create a bootable USB stick with the downloaded iso file. This makes the process so easy. Click, click, walk away and boom, you have a bootable Windows 8 USB drive. I used a 8 GB USB stick that you can get for $10 at Walmart. Note: A 4 GB will work for both 32-bit and 64-bit.  See full post here.

BACKUP:

Run Windows Image Backup and take a backup of your Windows 7 system so you can restore back if you want.

INSTALL:

1. Plug USB stick into Slate and start. Click the Front Windows button and the Power Button at the same time.

Note: I am also using a USB hub so I can run USB Mouse, Keyboard, and USB Stick.

2. Go through the usual installation options. I selected fresh Install (not an upgrade).  I also left the 21 GB Recovery Partition in tact as well as the 100 MB System partition.  Is it necessary, I don’t believe so since I took a full Windows Image Backup before starting.

3. Once complete this is the lock screen. Love the blue…

This is the main screen.

In my next post I will go through getting drivers installed and configured.