Archive
Installing Windows 8 CP on Asus B121 Part 2
In my previous post I installed Windows 8 Consumer Preview on the Asus B121. Now I am going to continue where we left off and install any missing drivers.
Open Device Manager to see what is 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.
Download all the Asus B121 Drivers from here.
Missing: Bluetooth Peripheral Device
Resolve: Download the Bluetooth Driver under Utilities. Extract and Install.
Missing: PCI Simple Communications Controller
Resolve: Connect to Windows Updates and install additional hardware. You should see two main hardware updates. This resolves your missing hardware.
Please note:
Screen Rotation is still not working.
The Keyboard Button (Hardware)
The Keyboard input
In Part 3 I will go over configuring the Volume button.
Other Tips and Tricks:
Be sure to disable Defrag here.
New Windows 8 Shortcut Keys here.
Who needs a Start Button here.
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 CP N-trig drivers are available for Dell Latitude ST
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.
UPDATE: (Windows 8 RTM)
The Samsung Easy Setting application is no longer working in Windows 8 RTM. To work around this.
Open Control Panel | Hardware and Sound | Power Options
Click on the Change Plan Settings link to the right of the Power Plan. Click on Change advanced power settings link.
Scroll down the list and look for Display and expand.
Under Enable adaptive brightness change to No.
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.
Install Windows 8 using USB Stick
Use USB Stick to install Windows 8.
What you need:
1. USB Stick, a minimum of 4GB for Windows 8 (x86 or x86).
2. Download and Install the Microsoft Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool here.
3. Download the latest version Microsoft Windows 8 beta (DP, CP, RP).
Steps:
1. Plug USB Stick into the Computer. Note the drive letter associated with the USB Stick.
2. Launch the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool
3. In Step 1 browse and select the ISO file you download above.
4. In Step 2 click on the USB device button in the lower right.
5. In Step 3 select the USB stick you plugged in and click “Begin copying” button in the lower right.
6. You will get prompted to erase USB stick, after confirming that it is the correct USB device click “Erase USB Device”.
7. You will get another confirmation. Click Yes to erase.
8. In Step 4 it will format the USB stick, make it bootable, and extract the ISO files to the USB stick.
9. Finally after about 8 minutes you will get successful message. Click the upper X in the right corner to close.
Note: Depending on the type of Tablet/Slate you have you will want to enter the BIOS and change the boot order. I did not have to do this with my Asus EP121, it automatically booted from the USB Stick. However my HP Slate 500 and Samsung Series 7 Slate you had to enter the BIOS to change the boot sequence.
Happy computing!
Who needs a Start button?
Not sure why all of the hub-bub about the lack of a Start button in Windows 8 Consumer Preview. I am not biggest fan of the Metro tiles, but I have created my most heavily used programs in an easy to get to shortcut.
First of all, all the program shortcuts are still in "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs” (it is a hidden folder).
First we need to unhide the Start Menu.
Unhide Start Menu Folder
1. Open Windows Explorer click the “Windows Key” + E.
2. Select the VIEW tab.
3. Click Options to open up the Folder Options.
4. Click on the VIEW tab.
5. In the Advanced Settings, under Hidden files and folders put a check for “Show hidden files, folder, and drives.
6. Click Apply. Click “Apply to Folders” above and then click OK.
7. Now open the path above and right click the “Programs” folder and drag it to your desktop to create a shortcut to that folder. You can then open the folder to access programs.
That is one alternative, but I want a cleaner way that I can open selective programs. I like the Toolbar. I am going to create a Toolbar on the Menu Bar that I can put in my most used programs.
Let’s create a frequently used Programs Toolbar.
1. Right click on the Menu Bar and select Toolbars.
2. Click “New toolbar…”
3. By default it will put it in your My Documents folder.
4. Click the “New folder” link in the upper window and name it PROGRAMS.
5. Click PROGRAMS and click the Select Folder button.
6. You will now see the new PROGRAMS folder on your Menu Bar in your lower right sys tray.
7. Now Right Click on PROGRAMS and select Open Folder. This will open up a folder view of the folder.
8. Now browse to the folder way above that contains the Start Menu.
9. From here I am going to open the programs that I want on the left and then drag to create a shortcut on the right.
10. I am going to create a few shortcuts to Microsoft OneNote, Word, Windows Live Writer, and a few others.
11. Now I can click on the two arrows “>>” and it will pop up a list of programs that I can quickly select.
This allows me to keep my Desktop Clean and also puts my most heavily used Apps at my finger tips.
I know that when you install applications and programs that it puts the shortcuts on the new Start Page/Tiles. I am still working on liking them. I spend most of my time on the desktop. Old school
Windows 8 Shortcut Keys
I was playing around with Windows 8 CP and found a couple of really cool features. Some of these are not new with the Windows 8, but still interesting and worth keeping in your back pocket. Check them out. They are a great way to quickly navigate through in Windows 8.
Windows Key + “?”
C = Side menu / similar to the right back slide feature in touch. Brings up the Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings.
E = Windows Explorer
F = Files (New Windows 8 Search Window)
H = Share (New Windows 8 Side Window)
I = Desktop (New Windows 8 Side Window)
K = Devices (New Windows 8 Side Window)
L = Lock PC
N = OneNote Side Note (Application Shortcut)
P = Second Screen (New Windows 8 Side Window)
Q = Apps (New Windows 8 Side Window)
R = Run Command bar
S = OneNote Screen Capture (Application Shortcut)
U = Ease of Access Center
W = Settings (New Windows 8 Side Window)
X = System Tools (New Windows 8 popup)
Unfortunately, these will be difficult with the default on screen keyboard (OSK) in Windows 8. You would have to change the keyboard to the other OSK to get the Windows Key.
Quick Shortcut to the other OSK.
Windows Key + R and type OSK and hit enter. You can then click on the Options button to change the OSK if you wish.
UPDATE:
2 = Opens Internet Explorer
Time for N-trig to step up and get some W8 drivers out!
I understand that it is a bit much to ask a vendor to get drivers out for a beta product, but I feel this is a bit different in the fact that Windows 8 is really being pushed as this Touch Friendly operating system.
I hope that software vendors such as Microsoft and computer vendors such as HP, Asus, Samsung, and other start pressuring part vendors such as N-trig to get some updated drivers out to the public. I think Microsoft has lots to lose and it is trickle down economics…
N-trig Press Release
According to N-trig in an earlier press release in January 2012 they state their commitment to Windows 8. Well in my opinion it is time for them to get some W8 beta drivers out to their consumers.
http://www.n-trig.com/Content.aspx?Page=PressReleases&PressReleaseId=793
Contact their Support
Help the cause. Shoot them a quick note requesting some W8 drivers and that we as consumers are wanting to actually use their product. I mean seriously, they have had plenty of time; the HP Slate hasn’t had updated N-trig drivers since November 2010. Ouch!
http://www.n-trig.com/Content.aspx?Page=ContactUs_support
UPDATE (03/13/2012):
This is the response I got back from N-trig today from my email on March 3rd. Nice canned response. 3 weeks development converted into real world time is approximately 2 months. 
As of 03/28/2012 N-trig has release Windows 8 drivers. They are still pretty weak, but it’s a start.
Cameron Mergel 