Notebook Review: Samsung Series 7 - NP700Z5C-S03CA: My Last Hope

Hi Fitztorious, welcome to NBR.

It sounds like the HDD was probably broken when the computer hit the floor. But in addition to that, you're suffering from a common UEFI issue where the NVRAM/CMOS data gets corrupted and prevents you from using the F-keys during boot (F2 for BIOS, F4 for Recovery, F10 to select boot device).

You need to fix that NVRAM/CMOS before you'll be able to install on a new HDD. Updating BIOS will usually do it, but since you're already on the latest BIOS, you have to FIRST roll back to an earlier BIOS, THEN update again to the latest. And in order to do that, you need a running Windows. Chicken and egg dilemma.

You want to study the following two threads very carefully before you even begin. The first contains a step-by-step guide that partially covers your situation. The second contains more elaborate diagnosis and discussion of the problem.

http://ift.tt/2aygcU0
http://ift.tt/29YPOUT

Here are some summary points specifically for your situation. Again, please read them all before you even begin:

1) Not having an HDD installed is how you are able to boot an external device, which is otherwise impossible when SecureBoot=enabled, OS Mode Selection=UEFI OS and Fast BIOS/Fast BIOS=enabled.

2) If you are able to boot Windows 8 Setup, either from a USB stick or from DVD, you can use its Repair option to enter the Firmware page and change your BIOS settings: SecureBoot=disabled, OS Mode Selection=UEFI & CSM OS and Fast BIOS/Fast BIOS=disabled. That will not solve anything permanently, but it WILL make it easier to boot external devices while you fix this.

3) If you create a Win8 Setup USB stick, make sure you create it as GPT/FAT32, otherwise you won't be able to boot it in UEFI mode. The good old Microsoft ISO/USB tool does NOT work for this. Use Rufus (Google it) or create it manually using this guide in our Windows section. Selecting OS Mode Selection=UEFI & CSM OS will allow you to boot even an improperly created Win8 USB stick (NTFS) but don't install Windows in this mode.

4) Create a WinPE USB stick (see the first of the threads linked above) which you'll be able to boot as long as no HDD is installed, and use that to re-flash your BIOS.

5) Use our BIOS roll back thread to roll back to an earlier BIOS. It's a tricky procedure which I have not tried myself. I recommend you read the entire thread carefully before you start. There is a utility on page 16 that can locate Samsung BIOS files for you. Once you (hopefully) have managed to roll back, you can update to the latest BIOS. Do NOT use SW Update for this, instead download the BIOS updater file and run it standalone. This should clear the NVRAM so you can enter BIOS again (F2) and select boot device (F10). Recovery (F4) was lost when you wiped the HDD.

6) Now (and ONLY now) install a new HDD or SSD. Make sure it is GPT style, which is necessary to install Windows in UEFI mode. You can either do this on another computer (use Minitool Partition Wizard) or use your WinPE or Windows Setup (DISKPART). It's covered in the second of the threads I linked above.

7) Set OS Mode Selection=UEFI OS to make sure Windows installs in UEFI mode.

8) If your Win8 DVD is an official Microsoft one, you should be able to boot it. But if you downloaded an ISO from Microsoft, booting it in UEFI mode may not always work -- unless you have an official TechNet/MSDN ISO.

Note: On this model, you really want to avoid installing Windows from a USB stick, since it will usually be confused by the small SSD used for ExpressCache (so-called iSSD) and place the boot manager there -- even though the iSSD isn't bootable. There is a workaround for legacy BIOS/MBR installations (here) but installing from DVD is much preferred.

9) Windows Setup should automatically pick up your Product Key from the BIOS. If it doesn't (due to the corruption and subsequent re-flashing) you may have to contact Samsung/Microsoft for help. You can also try using RWeverything (Google it) or a similar tool to extract it before you begin.

10) Once your new Windows installation is up and running on the new HDD, you can re-enable SecureBoot and Fast BIOS/Fast BIOS to improve security and boot speed. Or reset your BIOS settings to default, which is always good practice after a BIOS flash.

As I am sure you gather, this is NOT a trivial procedure. Your laptop is only one wrong step from being perma-bricked. Expect to spend significant time reading BEFORE you do anything with your laptop, making sure you understand the steps and their purpose.

And please don't be tough on your GF over this. It sounds like placing the laptop on the bed, AND neglecting her, was the real mistake