Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T 8.1 Update

First ,the answer :

1. To upgrade to 8.1 you have to update ALL drivers with Samsung SW Updateprogram on your tablet . **Make sure that you have installed Realtek I2S sound driver update through Samsung SW Update !!!**You will have to run Samsung SW Update couple of times and restart your windows a couple of times .Most important

• DO NOT UPDATE ANY OPTIONAL Drivers With Windows update ( before or after the update to Win 8.1 ) because it tries to install touchscreen digitizer driver and you will be in the same loop of reverting to Win 8.

Disabling the I2S Realtek sound will not help you in many cases so just do what I have already explained .

If I have time , I will try to help whoever is interested .

Second  ,  the conclusion :

2. I love how Microsoft support helps with their product - In this case Windows 8 , 8.1 !

If the whole point is " Go to settings .......and reinstall windows to factory defaults". Or suggestion " please disconnect all external devices ...." Or Question " Is there some program you installed recently  that could cause this problem ? " Hahahahahahahahaha . 90% of Microsoft answers regarding any troubleshooting should be marked as a spam ! Im starting to thing that all these answers from Microsoft are Computer generated answers - not real people. (Probably that is the way it is ).

I was able to perform the Windows 8.1 update by first removing all of the Realtek Software using the Add/Delete Software feature of the Control Panel. I did not reinstall the software audio drivers after the successful update. I then proceeded to update to Windows 10, again with out installing the audio drivers. This update was successful without any audio. I then decided to live dangerously by installing the audio driver from the Samsung support site. I downloaded the SW Update zip file and installed same. ( The program only shows Windows 8 and 8.1 when it shows the available operating systems - I used 8.1 ) I then ran the program unchecking all the updates with the exception of the sound/audio file which I was able to install successfully. I am now on day 2 of using Windows 10 with sound . I'll keep you posted.

Okay, but ... the problem happens when you install sound drivers and reboot.

So... are you also able to reboot successfully, without getting into a loop of spinning dots?

(PS: I hope you had created a restore point before you installed the sound drivers).

I was able to perform the Windows 8.1 update by first removing all of the Realtek Software using the Add/Delete Software feature of the Control Panel. I did not reinstall the software audio drivers after the successful update. I then proceeded to update to Windows 10, again with out installing the audio drivers. This update was successful without any audio. I then decided to live dangerously by installing the audio driver from the Samsung support site. I downloaded the SW Update zip file and installed same. ( The program only shows Windows 8 and 8.1 when it shows the available operating systems - I used 8.1 ) I then ran the program unchecking all the updates with the exception of the sound/audio file which I was able to install successfully. I am now on day 2 of using Windows 10 with sound . I'll keep you posted.

PS I have rebooted numerous times. The system does not hang and the audio is intact !

Currently, after the 8.1 update, Internet Explorer doesn't work, office is slow, the desktop is slow, and I have a whole host of other problems. Samsung says I need to pay $40 to reimage, but the only reason I updated was because it said this device is compatible at this web address: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en\_US/pdp/Samsung-ATIV-Smart-PC-500T-Tablet-White/productID.265664500.

Both Microsoft and Samsung refuse to refund the $40 charge that is necessary to make my computer work again, and I cannot access the recovery partition on my Samsung device. It is there, just not accessible. Anyone who has information on how to solve this issue, if you could give me an answer it would be greatly appreciated.

I have run into this very problem twice now. My 500T has the smallest internal memory and so there is no recovery partition, period. I call Samsung and requested a recovery CD. It was on back order, then they said it was sent out in July. I never got it. I have been trying to get the recovery CD since April. As of this week they are going to attempt to send another one (based on availability) and they can give no idea of when I might possibly expect it to arrive.

That being said 2 weeks ago I spent the $40 and had my tablet re-imaged back to Win 8. It worked great again. My problem was that I forgot to turn off windows update, and automatically updated my to Win 8.1. I spent the $40 and I was right back to square 1. Now I had to try to disable or uninstall the Realtek driver without the ability to boot the computer. I could how go through the recovery menu (Holding the Vol + switch and Power button at the same time),

 and get to the option for a command prompt. Thanks to an article on "Ed's  System Admin Blog" he provided a step by step way to force the tablet to boot into safe mode on the initial boot-up. The article can be found here: http://edhammond.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-fix-windows-81-upgrade-that-ends.html . I could use Device Manager to Disable the Realtek IS2 Audio driver. Now I use a command prompt again to restore back to a normal boot sequence and voila, IT BOOTS NORMALLY!

Here's the step by step process:

With the Tablet OFF:

    1. Hold both the Volume + switch and the Power Switch down until "Please wait" appears in the lower screen.

    2. Select the keyboard language/layout, if the language/layout pop up window appears.

    3. Press Troubleshoot>Advanced options>Command Prompt

(This is where I used Ed Hammond's instructions from above. I am giving you what I did here the complete set of instructions can be found at the link above.)

    4. At the command prompt, (mine was X:\Windows\system32>) prompt, type:

bcdedit /set {default} safeboot minimal

Tip: Be sure to type the command exactly as shown and then execute it using the Enter key. Spaces are very important!

    A properly executed command should return a "the operation completed successfully" message.

    If you get an error message, check step 4 to make sure that you typed the command exactly as shown.

    5. Close the command prompt window.

    6. Press on Continue.

    7. Wait while the computer boots into Safe Mode.

    8. Enter your password to log in.

    9. Swipe in from the left side to get the menu open and touch Settings>Control Panel.

   10. In the new window touch Hardware and Sound>Device Manager.

   11. In the Device Manger touch the carrot next to Sound, video and game controllers to expand it.

   12. Double touch the Realtek I2S Audio Codec. This will open the driver's properties window.

   13. Touch the Driver Tab. Then touch the Disable box. A confirmation window will open, touch Yes.

   14. Touch OK on the driver properties window, then close any open windows to return to the Desk top.

   15. Swipe in from the left side again an touch Search.

   16. Verify that under the word search "Everywhere" is showing and then type in the search box cmd.

   17. Under the search box a Command Prompt icon window will appear. Touch Command Prompt.

   18. The prompt will be different this time, no matter. Type bcdedit /deletevalue safeboot and touch Enter.

   If you miss step 18, your computer will always boot into safe mode.

   19. Close the Command prompt window, swipe in from the left side touch Settings>Power>Restart 

Your tablet should now boot normally into Windows 8.1. You may leave the sound disabled (Bluetooth sound will work) or you can re-enable the Realtek driver in Device Manager. IMPORTANT: If re-enable the Realtek driver, you MUST dis-able it again before you shutdown the tablet! If you forget, you will have to re-run this procedure in order to get you tablet to boot again.

Thanks to everyone whose time, effort, and research lead to returning my tablet to functionality without have to pay another $40 bucks.