Fresh Installation of Win 8.1 on Iconia W4-820

duhai · May 2015

Hey guys,

My intention is to make a fresh installation of Win 8.1 and for the purpose I did:

   1) Read my embedded product key from BIOS (RWEverything)
   2) Download Win 8.1 as .ISO Using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool
   3) Create Factory Default Backup of the current system using Acer Recovery Management
   4) Transfer .ISO file to USB flash drive and boot off the OS (DiskPart)
   5) Clean old partition layout and create 2 partitions (EFI / 260 MB / fat32 & the rest for OS / ntfs)
   6) On setup window I was asked for the product key

At the last 6th step I was surprised to see question about product key, because the OS installation procedure should check out for the embedded one and to continue with the final stage. The problem here is probably with the downloaded OS version which was Windows 8.1 and actually doesn’t accept my embedded or manually entered OEM product key.

I will be happy if someone knows and tell me which is the right .ISO version for Iconia W4?

duhai · May 2015

The answer of my question is:

Windows 8.1 with Bing, OEM (32-bit)

With the right version everything passes well and the result is flying & more responsible system without *****. In the installation process there are some important steps:

1) Download the latest BIOS version 1.16, which includes in the same package all required drivers

2) Update the system using the setup.exe file. Before that close all opened applications.

3) Charge fully the battery

4) Connect an external USB hub with its own external power adapter and attached:

- Keyboard

- Mouse

Note:

The reason is that on boot and Windows setup there is no available Bluetooth driver.

The same goes for the touch screen.

5) Enter the system setup and set the BIOS/UEFI parameters:

- Enable key F12

- Disable Secure Boot

6) Prepare the bootable USB flash with the OS (I used DISKPART)

7) Boot from USB using F12 to choose the boot drive on start

8) The disk layout should be GPT because we have the beloved UEFI *****

Note:

Here I can explain in details my disk layout scheme and how it was created using DISKPART

during the OS setup stage. BTW this was the most important part for me, because we have

a small system drive, soldered on the motherboard (not user replaceable) and filled with *****.

If I had the opportunity to use a MBR scheme with legacy BIOS then I would install Windows on

one partition without losing valuable disk space for UEFI.

9) After the OS installation follows Acer’s Catch 22. Ha-ha, it’s funny!

How to be installed Acer’s drivers requiring a tablet on AC power with not working touch screen and

without Bluetooth driver. In my case I used Remote Desktop, be aware that the one from XP is not supported.

If you don’t have a second system then you should use a scheduled administrative installation. Also you can

build a USB Charge/Sync Y-cable if you know how and have time.

10) After Drivers installation you will see the beauty of Iconia W4.

After the OS & Drivers installation follows OS optimization & Applications settings for gaining additional speed & lower use of RAM & CPU resources.

This final step(s) I will describe – the next time.

I will post also pictures of my workplace with a Slim Bluetooth Mouse & 11.1” Keyboard and Stand with Variable Angle. I’m using a perfectly attached Matte Screen Protector which makes W4 great for work at spots with bright or artificial light(s).

I forgot to mention that I have 256 GB SD card that works perfectly on W4.

Be prepared for a lot of pictures.

-------------------------

Edit: May 16, 2015

Here is the list with my Iconia W4-820 accessories staff and related links

Slim Bluetooth Mouse ~ $8
Small 11.1 inch Bluetooth Keyboard ~ $12
Data Sync/Charge Hub (not tested yet) ~ $12
Matte Screen Protectors ~ $7
Case with Hard Edges (frame) ~ $12
Leather Bag ~ $70
Stand (Prepara) ~ $25
Magnifier 10x ~ $4

… and for those who are interesting from UEFI here it is the link to a good description:

UEFI Secure Boot in Windows 8.1

----------------------------

Iconia W4 by my taste

Legacy BIOS Support
RAM 4 GB (Supported at the moment)
mSATA SSD interface for the internal storage
Two USB 3.0 interfaces – one on bottom, another on top and both with locations close to the corners
Only one Front Quality Camera
Bootable SD slot with the speed at USB 3.0 at least
Strong Metal Back Cover for Stable construction with micro holes for better passive cooling and performance
OEM OS installation media

Plastixx · May 2015

While your steps are well detailed, they make this process look more complicated than it really is.

What I did...

Used Windows 8 Product Key Viewer to get the key...

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/downloads/3329197/windows-8-product-key-viewer-147d/

Then I used Novicorp WinToFlash to make a bootable USB drive with Windows 8.1 MSDN (PID.txt set for standard edition). If the MSDN version scares you, you can just use the Windows Installation Media Creation Tool to make a bootable USB drive "legally".

I deleted all partitions and let windows installation recreate them on its own.

After Installation I just activated Windows with the key with no problem.

For the driver package, you simply have to run the setup.exe in the MI folder instead of the setup.exe in the main folder. This avoids the check for AC during installation.

duhai · May 2015

@Plastixx
Hey Plastixx,

Thanks for sharing with me your experience about the subject!

I have next questions to you and will be happy to see your answers:

Do you know from where Mark Wilson takes your Product Key?
Can you post the link on Microsoft site where you can download for free MSDN version of Win 8.1?
What makes you to think that using DISKPART for making a bootable USB flash drive instead of Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool is not legal?
Do you know what is the difference between a bootable USB and the ISO file of the same OS?

From your point of view probably my approach is complicated and I can understand that. It’s the way of the system administrator. Let me be more specific – using third party tools for tasks where we already have system ones is a bad practice. Of course there are some suite exceptions …

JFYI the Product Key we can extract with a simple script at command prompt. In my case I am using RWEverything (one of those exceptions Smiley Happy ) because you can check out if your PK is embedded in your BIOS or not. BTW this tool has unique features that are useful for watching and/or changing some systems behaviors like system fan(s) policy in e.g.
I can say it in another way – where is the location of the embedded PK in your system?

Regarding to MSDN version of Win 8.1 as far as I know it cannot be downloaded without a subscription. That’s why I said that I prefer to have the OEM version of my installed OS as a part of the tablet package.

As far as Novicorp WinToFlash it was piece of ***** two years ago when I spend time to test it by a request of a friend of mine. The application failed miserably at fairly simple task such as making a bootable 32GB USB flash drive while there were a lot of free tools in Linux and Windows that was doing the same without a problem.

I am little bit surprised that you didn’t mention the free good and open source tool Rufus. I know the author and its coding stile which is very decent and can be used as a manual about the topic how to make a bootable USB flash from OS ISO file. You can compile Rufus from source using MinGW or Visual C.

DISKPART is the OS tool for disk management in Win OSes. It’s good as interactive and script tool. If you take a look at your Acer’s System Factory Backup you will see the script file that Acer use to restore your OS and DISKPART is there. Here it is one rhetoric question: Why Acer makes only a bootable USB and not ISO file or bootable DVDs for OS Factory Default Backup?

You are taking unnecessary risk installing drivers in the way you described. First, the file with the drivers as I said in previous post contains the BIOS too. Installation works in this way:

Install Iconia W4 Drivers
Reboot System
Check device BIOS version and if it’s older that available in the driver package follow automatic BIOS update

Now let assume that you battery is close to 5% of its capacity and you start drivers update. If power failed in the time of BIOS update then you almost 100% will brick your system and then you should call Acer support. That why is the good Acer’s remind about the power and I agree with them. You should always to be on AC power before drivers/BIOS updates.

The purpose of my posts is to be useful for those who want to learn more about their system and how to perform some difficult task professionally.

---------------------------------------
Do I Need a Screen Protector?

Definitely, I need a screen protector in 3 reasons:

Reduced reflection
Better screen touch without sticking fingers
Protect screen from scratches

I bought the next two quality brands for me - iLLumiShield and SuperShieldz. I love the matte screens and that’s why the matte screen protectors are the choice. Click over the pictures for the hi-res version:

Front

Click here for Hi-Resolution Picture

Back

Click here for Hi-Resolution Picture

I’ve tried the both filters and I like more the one of SuperShieldz. It’s perfect with its matte surface and the feeling when I use my fingers (greasy skin) is awesome. No mirror effect, no finger traces on the display, clean vision, it’s a pleasure to touch the screen!

The iLLumiShield is very close/similar to the original glossy screen compared to SuperShieldz. Its matte surface is good. The protector is perfectly cut and fit to the screen frame like no other. Probably has better scratch resistance and clarity. It seems to me that it’s thicker than SuperShieldz’s one. No doubt – top quality protector! Tomorrow I’ll post a picture of my Iconia W4 with this protector. BTW my wife likes iLLumiShield more.

Soon I will test theirs scratch resistance using pens with a metal net instead a rubber end.

There is a secret how to put properly a protector over the display. I’m not following the manufacturer instructions. Here is the trick:

Requirements:

3 clean microfiber cloths – one for cleaning, one to take the excess water and the last to keep safe the screen protector from scratch when using credit card to pull out bubbles and water
Glass of distilled water
A drop of soap
Screen protector

Actions:

wash your hands with soap
grab a wet microfiber cloth with a little soap (one drop, no more) and clean the screen carefully until there are not dust or traces. You should have a perfectly clean mirror from any angles.
pour distilled water into a glass
put your fingers into the water. They should be always wet when you are touching the filter!
put some drop of water over the display only with wet fingers (flick your fingers) without touch it, keep safe the tablet’s windows key! Then again put your fingers in the water
With wet fingers remove both protectors/covers (top/bottom, for iLLumiShield only bottom) of the filter and put some water drops on it using your wet fingers without to touch it. The drops should be on the protector’s side which will be attached to the display.
Attach the wet protector with its proper side to the display. Don’t worry if it’s not perfectly fit. When your hands are free then with the second cloth carefully take the extra water from the protector edges. After that you can freely slide and properly adjust the protector and its holes over the display frame, camera and light sensor.
Wrap the one side of a credit card with the 3rd cloth and start from the middle of the display to pull out the bubbles with one hand. With other hand and the second cloth take the extra water from the edges where are power and volume buttons, microphone, SD card slot and connectors when you are going in that direction. Don’t be afraid if protector is misplaced then just use your hands to slide it in the right direction.
If you see some dust particle between the display and its protector then put fingers in the water and pull the protector side where the particle is. It will be visible and use a finger to pull it out. Then put back the protector and start again with the card to pull out the bubbles.
when you are ready and the protector is perfectly attached then left it for 12 hours. In this period of time the rest water will be evaporated.

That’s it!

--------------------------
Edit: May 19, 2015

Here you have 4 hi-resolution pictures of the tablet with iLLumiShield & SuperShieldz protectors. The condition in which I took the images wasn’t good for the camera and the difference between our two brands is not so clear.

iLLumiShield
As I said it is very close to the glossy than a matte screen and that’s why I don’t like it. You can see the traces of my fingers after touching the screen to close two windows. The laser cut edges are extremely clean and precise.

.

Click over the Picture for Hi-Resolution

SuperShieldz
This is the real ultimate matte protector with perfect fingerprints resistance. I forgot to mention that two of the protectors were with 0.2 mm bigger on its left (upper) to right (down) diagonal. I cut the left upper angle with scissors and protector fit perfectly. Without this trimming the left & right edges touch the display frame where should be a small gap ~ 0.1/0.2 mm.

Click over the Picture for Hi-Resolution

Note:
Every protector can be removed and used again after wash with water and soap. For its removal use a sticking tape or better a piece of old protector.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some words about peripherals on the pictures

The keyboard size is perfect for a mobile user. Not big and very convenient for typing with my not small fingers. The power comes from 2 pieces AAA batteries. In my case I’m using Sanyo (Panasonic) Eneloop Rechargeable Accumulators more than 10 years. This is the best accumulator in the world!

I’ve tried smaller 8” keyboards which look good but they are fragile, difficult to type and have embedded Lithium-ion battery.

The mouse is good too with its 2 pieces AAA battery and 3 buttons, wheel (act as button too). The small button over the top is for changing between the 3 DPI sensitivity modes (the highest is 1600 dpi).

The pen is a part of the stand. It’s heavy a little bit thick with solid rubber end.

Plastixx · May 2015

duhai, I must say you're instructions are very well presented to say the least. I am a much less organized person in general. I like to simplify the process as much as possible maybe at the expense of proper procedure.

Anyway, to try and answer at least some of your questions...

The key viewer program I posted decodes the key from "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId". The tool works on any version of Windows. You can view the creators thread here.

I did't mean that it isn't legal to use DISKPART, I was hinting at the use of the MSDN .iso. Obviously you can't "legally" download it without a MSDN subscription (who cares?).

I misremembered the use of WinToFlash; I did actually use Rufus in this case. I've used WinToFlash dozens of times in the past before I discovered Rufus and I never had any problems using it with Win7 or Win8/8.1. Rufus is definitely the better tool though.

I do not care about acer recovery or any recovery in general. If my windows installation gets messed up for any reason I will just reinstall, it's not that complicated. I prefer to have every bit of the limited disk space available on this device.

Maybe I've been lucky, but I haven't even had system restore turned on or backup images of my systems made in over a decade.

As far as running the driver package on battery power, I would hope the user would be smart enough to have the tablet charged beforehand. I did it the way I described without any problems, but it's easy to make the process a little safer a couple of ways...

1) Update the BIOS before reinstalling windows.

2) Remove the BIOS folder (Cheetah3_v1.16) from the install package initially. It can be replaced later and the installer ran again when touch is working.

3) Install the touch drivers first, then unplug the hub/mouse/keyboard and run the whole driver package with the power plugged in. The touch drivers can be installed manually through device manager (drivers in I2C folder), or you can remove ALL other driver folders except I2C from the driver package and then run the installer to only install the touch drivers.

duhai · May 2015

@Plastixx

Hey Plastixx,

Thanks for the good words, your answers and clarification!

I’m glad that you are trying to help and posting here!

We are thinking in the same direction. The optimal performance and stability of my systems is goal number one. It’s a dream for me to turn on the new tablet/laptop and just to start using the beauty. I fully agree with you about the OS clean installation. This is the only way to have a clean system ready for optimization and drivers installation.

When the storage space is limited and every bit counts (I like this attitude) there are some things we can do:

If it’s possible use 32-bit OS and applications. Preferred without integrated IE & WMP!
Strip unused OS components from the original media (.iso file). There are free and commercial approaches as WinReducer, Microsoft’s Windows Embedded.
Compress the biggest application .EXE files from “Program Files” using UPX compressor where it’s possible
You can use NTFS compression but it’s complicated for SSDs and needs additional special care
Choose carefully your applications without duplicated functionality. This is a really difficult task! In e.g. I’m using PotPlayer to play all media and nothing else.

I’m using the original default OS configuration to check out if all hardware components work properly. It’s up to you to use or not Acer’s Backup Types. I don’t like Acer approach to do it with unclear descriptions and missing important details about the actions. I will be surprised if it works when you need it after entirely wiped drive or a specific case on the EFI systems where they can get corrupted and unbootable. Unfortunately I don’t have free time to test it or intention to use it. In my 25 years practice I did it only once - by user request.

Regarding to the battery power and BIOS update I will tell you what happened once with me. I had a laptop with battery charged at 100%, attached AC power too. I boot off the system from a DVD and new BIOS version inside. When I started the update procedure suddenly the electricity stopped. The system logic switched to the internal power and 5 seconds later the laptop was turned off on the middle of the BIOS update. When electricity came back the system was completely dead. I had the knowledge and the right equipment to reflash the BIOS. In the end the system was up and running again. The cause for this extremely rare incident was not properly working motherboard power logic.

Sometimes we crash, ha ha, Smiley Happy !

You are absolutely right that the simple and fastest problem solution is the best one!

--------------------------
Edit: May 19, 2015

I forgot to tell you that I have intention to install win 8.1 on preformatted system partition with exFAT file system. On UEFI boot model this will accelerate I/O disk operations, will decrease CPU load (no NTFS security) and in the end the system will be faster.

I will do that in the next week.

duhai · May 2015

Pens & Case with Hard Edges

Pens

Here it is a picture of the pens. The first one from right is ***** with its thin & soft “rubber” end.

These with the “metal” mesh (first 4 from left) are perfect for me. Good weight balance and excellent screen control.

Click over Picture to see it in Hi-Resolution.

Case with Hard Edges

The “leather” of the case is very strange thing that is difficult to be described. The unique feature of this strange looking case is the plastic frame that holds the tablet firmly. I like this kind design because it protects the all 3 exposed sides when it’s in a bag where we have objects with sharp edges as key chains. The cover stay closed thanks to the magnet lock.

Good case at all and would be perfect if it was build from real quality genuine leather.

.

Click over Picture to see it in Hi-Resolution.

Next …

my impressions from the tablet
performance tests …
additional pictures and accessories

Plastixx · May 2015

duhai wrote:

I forgot to tell you that I have intention to install win 8.1 on preformatted system partition with exFAT file system. On UEFI boot model this will accelerate I/O disk operations, will decrease CPU load (no NTFS security) and in the end the system will be faster.

That's not even possible AFAIK.

duhai · May 2015

Yeah, you are right.

I can confirm that the Win 8.1 Setup in UEFI environment cannot install the OS on exFAT file system.

--------------------------
Edit: May 22, 2015

I’ve made a short video (95 sec.) that shows the tablet secured into the above case with hard edges. Also you can see the SuperShieldz’s Matte screen protector on daylight. Click over the picture for the video.

The case surprised me with how good it behaves as a stand – stay steady on the desk and I like it. Here you have some pictures with tablet too:

.

View from all sides:

.

One of the weaknesses of folding covers design:

The next picture shows the power of a Matte Screen Protector perfectly attached to display. With it the tablet looks entirely different and attractive:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Write Speed Test of SD Card UHS-I Speed Class 3 (U3)

Kingston 32 GB Model SDCA3/32GB

File System / FAT32

== In Tablet’s SD Slot ====== External Card Writer Plugable USB3-FLASH3 ==

I I I
I ~ 20 MB/s I ~ 35 MB/s I

I-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I

duhai · May 2015

Is the Acer’s Created Factory Default Backup Works?

One of the first and most important steps on every my new preinstalled systems is the creations and testing of the Factory Default Image (Backup). It is important because gives you the opportunity to restore OS installation in a state “Out of the Box”.

Of course I’ve made the Factory Default Backup of my Iconia W4-820 using Acer Recovery Management. As a backup media I used an ADATA 16 GB USB Flash Memory Stick. The Acer’s Backup Application formatted the flash drive with FAT32 file system and makes it bootable with the System Recovery Image on it. The size of system data is almost 6 GB.

After the Backup creation I wiped the entire drive with all partitions and data on it including All Secure Boot Setting into BIOS settings. Then using the key F12 I booted from the USB flash drive. It’s about 12 min. later I had the original OS in a “Out of the Box” state.

Here I can say only one – “Thank you Acer!”

---------------------------------------------------

What about if you want to transfer the backup on another flash/disk drive, or just to make an archive of the backup? How to keep backup bootable?

First it’s safe to delete the folder “System Volume Information” on backup USB flash drive. Then you can copy all files where you want or create an archive with them. Now you have the required data for the OS restoration where you want.

When you want to restore the OS in “Out of the Box” state then we will need a bootable media with the OS backup data on it. Here are the steps to achieve our goal:

1) Format and Make a bootable drive

2) Copy backup OS data to the formatted drive

Step #1:

This is the same procedure as a preparation of bootable drive for Win 8.1 OS installation. Used tool is the system one DISKPART and I assume that the new drive will be second for the system. In this case disk #1 (in e.g. 8 GB USB flash stick) and disk #0 is the system internal drive. Now run as Administrator the Command Prompt and enter the commands:

Note: All previous data on the drive will be destroyed!

diskpart
list disk
select disk 1
list disk
list partition
clean
create partition primary
list partition
select partition 1
active
format fs=fat32 label="Iconia_W4" quick
assign letter=f
exit

Step #2:

Copy/Extract all OS backup data into root folder on the formatted drive. You should see it as Drive F: in the Windows Explorer.

Now you have a bootable drive that will be able to restore your OS in state “Out of the Box”.

---------------------------------------------------

Next I will explain in details how to set up a disk layout that uses effectively the internal SSD drive and OS configuration for Optimal Performance.

Cory-Acer · May 2015

Hi duhai,

Thanks for taking the time to put this together. While it does fall outside of what Acer officially support, we recognize that some number of users have the desire to min-max their systems and we want users to be able to share information like that here.

Hopefully other users who find this helpful will give you a kudo's or two and share their experience.

Thanks,

Cory

duhai · May 2015

Hey Cory,

Thanks for the warm words!

I realize that my actions are outside of Acer’s Support and you are right about that. I will show how my Iconia was configured for optimal performance and longer span life beyond Acer’s warranty.

Thanks for the kudos!

Best Regards,

Duhai

------------------------------------------------------

Some Details about Capacitive Pens

The pens types are behave differently on a capacitive screen and their flawless control depends on the tip’s structure, shape and size including the display surface. I will use as an example the pens from the picture with my Iconia W4-820-2435 for a test.

… and a closer look to the tips:

When I’m using a pen I prefer the gentle way where I can slide it over the screen with a small pressure and almost without resistance from the display surface. The same goes for touching the screen. The good tip for me is the one when it is over an icon touching display there is no OS response. If I press firmly a little bit then action is happened.

I was very surprised by the results of my test conducted with the original unprotected screen and when it was protected.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pen Original Screen iLLumiShield SuperShieldz

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#1 good acceptable poorly

#5 perfectly good poorly

#9 poorly acceptable perfectly

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The “Bargains Depot” pens have the best quality except the rubber 4.5 mm tip which wasn’t good for me and my screen protector.

The “mesh” pens are impressive on the original screen but the tip is bulky.

So at the end the best pen for me is the pen #9. It was one of 10 pens in different colors from a package at price of $1 for 10 pcs. In this case the cheapest pen wins in the functionality class.

----------------------------

AC Adapter 5V/3A

I bought two spare AC adapters for my Iconia respectively 5V/2A and 5V/3A with not detachable cable and Micro USB connector. There was an unpleasant surprise to find out that the one at 3A can’t charge the tablet. Here is the picture:

The Delta adapter is the original one in the middle.

When I have free time I will measure the voltage of the patient.

duhai · June 2015

How to Make my Iconia W4 Indestructible

One of the weakest spot of all systems is their storage. In our case we have an Embedded Multimedia Card (eMMC) used as a storage device. This is not good in four reasons:

1) it’s embedded, means soldered on the motherboard and not user replaceable

2) it’s a SD card with a controller

3) it’s slow with Write speed ~ 48 MB/s

4) life span probably shorter than a TLC SSD drive

The manufacturers are using eMMC as storage because it is the cheapest solution. I prefer to have a storage device without death warrant which I can replace it when I want but in Iconia W4-820 this is not an option. I will be happy if write/erase cycles for the tablet’s eMMC are more than 1000 cycles and the controller is smart and gentle to the card. That is why I should bring extreme care to my embedded slow SD card disguised as a SSD drive.

What can I do to extend eMMC life span?

You can do nothing about that. The memory chip has limited write/erase cycles that cannot be extended. The only thing what can be done is to write smartly and when you really need it.

To be reduced wearing of eMMC/NAND means to minimize the write operations or better don’t write . Another important thing is to keep as much as you can free space on the drive. Why? It’s because of the NAND nature.

How to configure the OS for optimal performance on eMMC?

The best approach is to have only one partition covering all available storage space (Why?). In the context of Windows 8.1 and UEFI at that moment this is not possible. Unfortunately the current Microsoft OS is hungry for partitions and seems that people from Redmond doesn’t respect mobile users. To be made things worse the OS doesn’t issue TRIM properly and instead of that performs real file defragmentation which additionally wears NAND based storages.

In this hostile environment the secret to salve my poor eMMC follows ..

1) new partition disk layout

2) configure OS for optimal performance on eMMC

3) redirect some files (logs, user data) to SD card

4) make the system volume write protected

New Partition Disk Layout (UEFI/GPT) or a Fight for Every Byte

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

According to Microsoft the EFI partition size should be 260 MB because:

“For Advanced Format 4K Native drives (4-KB-per-sector) drives, the minimum size is 260 MB, due to a limitation of the FAT32 file format. The minimum partition size of FAT32 drives is calculated as sector size (4KB) x 65527 = 256 MB.”

With all my respect to Microsoft I think that 260 MB are too much for just to hold Windows boot loader. The above poorly reasoned requirement I will don’t follow. The size of my EFI partition is 64 MB and it's so big because I have additional boot loaders there. Without them the size of EFI should be 32 MB. After a clean installation the Microsoft data is about 24 MB where are putted all supported languages, fonts and another boot related files. I’ve removed all languages except the default one for the system and got 6 MB more free space. At the end Microsoft data into my EFI partition is 18 MB.

Note #1:

On my Win 8.1 with Bing (32-bit) without any updates Microsoft is doing something not smart:

On every system Boot the BCD file (size 32 KB) is changed without a need.

Note #2:

You can check your EFI partition in the next way:

1) Mount the partition from the command prompt as administrator and use the commands:

mountvol s: /s

taskkill /im explorer.exe /f

explorer

2) Run the explorer as usually to see already mounted EFI partition as Drive S:

The next and the last partition will be the OS system partition. It took all the remaining free storage space.

So I already have two partitions:

1) EFI - 64 MB

2) OSP - 58.1 GB, the entire free space

How to create the above disk layout during the Windows Setup?

Steps to install Win 8.1 on two partitions (GPT Layout):

Run command prompt with [Shift]+[F10]
diskpart
list disk
select disk 0 ; the first internal disk
list partition
clean ; remove all partitions
list partition
list disk
convert gpt ; create GPT layout
list disk
create partition efi size=64
list partition
format fs=fat32 quick label=ESP
create partition primary
list partition
format fs=ntfs quick label=Win81
exit
exit
Refresh DiskManager’s Window to see the new disk layout
Continue with the installation

Configure OS for Optimal Performance on eMMC

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is the place to say to Microsoft to think about the definition of OS setup’s profiles in e.g. as tablets, desktops, …, because the tablet is not like a desktop system. Basically we have small resources and default Windows Configuration has strong negative impact over the device performance.

After the OS installation follows the fight for every byte in the RAM. This is a HUGE area with a lot of options depending on system’s role and user requirements. I will give you my vision and base steps for Iconia W4-820-2435 (2 GB RAM, 64 GB eMMC/Hynix HCG8e (58.2 GiB).

Steps:

01) Disable UAC

[Control Panel\User Accounts and Family Safety\User Accounts]

Change UAC Settings -> Never notify

02) Enable view of hidden files and file extensions

[Windows Explorer->View->Options]

View

[+] Show hidden files, folders and drives

[-] Hide extentions for known file types

[-] Hide protected operating system files

03) Configure Defrag to use only RETRIM (-L option). Thanks to Vadim Sterkin (Вадим Стеркин)

I am aware for the SSD defrag problem, its description and how to fix it in Win 8.x.

04) Disable Paging file & System Protection

[Control Panel\System and Security\System]

Advanced

Advanced -> Virtual Memory -> Paging File -> none

System Protection -> Off

05) Turn Off the hibernation from command line as administrator with the command:

powercfg /h off

06) Delete file “C:\hiberfil.sys”

07) Stop Defender

[Control Panel\Windows Defender]

Settings->Real-time protection

[-] Turn real-time protection (recommended)

Administrator

[-] Turn on this app

08) Stop & Disable Services:

IPHelper

Superfetch

Windows Search

09) Remove\Disable File Indexes

Right Mouse Click over Drive C: -> Properties and uncheck the option:

[-] Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties

10) Install Acer's Drivers

After these steps your Windows will be more responsive and with additional free space. Of course there are a lot of things that should be done before to have a well balanced system. In e.g. changing default system security polices, removing some crappie applications, stopping inappropriate services, registry modifications, properly adjusted administrative rights and user’s profiles are the essence for optimal performance.

Redirect Some Files (logs, user data) to SD Card

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Redirecting of the user’s data, system’s log files, and temporary folder to SD card will prevent writing to the internal system storage for related operations. The understanding of every installed application and its requirements is the key to the proper configuration in this specific case.

Make the System Volume Write Protected

---------------------------------------------------------------

To do that you need to use a write filter as EWF/UWF. This is a difficult task that requires some registry keys and settings including the filter yourself. The big advantage is that Drive C: will be write protected which was my goal #1. This is the last step after the precise OS & applications configuration where you can use the hibernation if you need it.

.. Next a working Charge/Data Sync HUB with 4 USB 2.0 ports …

--------------------------
Edit: June 3rd, 2015

Charge/Data Sync HUB with 4 USB 2.0 ports

This HUB can charge the tablet while keeps data exchange with up to 4 USB devices in the same time. The charge is slow and probably is not more than 1.5 A. I am using the Power Adapter LD-0333A (5V/3A) connected to the HUB with three USB devices – USB stick, Flash Reader and 2 TB external HDD drive. Everything works without problems in the next order:

How to attach the HUB
   1) Plug the AC adapter into the Wall Socket
   2) Set HUB’s 3 positions switch at #1
   3) Attach AC power adapter to the HUB. There will be a blue light
       Note: The USB peripherals can be attached before, now or after without problems
   4) Plug the HUB’s Micro USB connector directly to the tablet’s USB
   5) Enjoy your tablet
       Note: The animation with battery’s charging icon into system tray will freeze 10 sec. after HUB

connection to the tablet. Don’t be worry the charging process continues normally.

How to disconnect the HUB
Just unplug the HUB from tablet’s USB while the AC adapter provides power.

I’ve tested the HUB with a Blu-Ray portable burner Pioneer BDR-XD05B which wrote 100 GB Rewritable Disc Panasonic without any problem while I used the tablet with connected external portable 2 TB HDD Samsung.

---------------

Final Words

One thing that I don’t like in my Iconia W4-820 is the bleeding screen.
I would like Acer to have a tablet like this one with Linux OS installed.

I love the tablet and it’s flying right now like an eagle in the blue sky!

Thank You Acer for the good device!

despe1990 · December 2016

Hi!

I hope this thread is not dead.

I have an issue with my W4-820 and I need to make a fresh install. I have disabled boot secure and I have a keyboard, a mouse and bootable usb flash of w10 plugged using a usb hub. During the starting screen, I press F12 and select the usb flash. Then nothing happens! The display screen seems freezed on "Acer explore beyond limits". I have waited 20 minutes but nothing happens. Is ir normal? Should I wait more?

Thanks.

despe1990 · December 2016

Hi!

I hope this thread is not dead.

I have an issue with my W4-820 and I need to make a fresh install. I have disabled boot secure and I have a keyboard, a mouse and bootable usb flash of w10 plugged using a usb hub. During the starting screen, I press F12 and select the usb flash. Then nothing happens! The display screen seems freezed on "Acer explore beyond limits". I have waited 20 minutes but nothing happens. Is ir normal? Should I wait more?

Thanks.

billsey · December 2016

Sounds like the flash hasn't been setup right. Are you using a 64bit or 32bit image of Windows? Are you trying to use UEFI or BIOS boot? If you have a mismatch it'll act as you're seeing.

despe1990 · January 2017

Thank you for you reply. I am trying with a 32 bit version. I think this is an UEFI boot but how I can be sure?

despe1990 · January 2017

In addition to my previous message I would like to mention that something really happened. I did not change anything, the USB key is still the same, but I tried once more. Surprise it worked, I could run the w10 installation. Problem, my USB hub was not plugged so I could not perform the installation... So I tried again witht the hub, but now I faced the same issue: Acer screen and nothing happens... I tried again without the hub, install can start! So I have a problem with this USB hub...

billsey · January 2017

Well, that helps a lot when pinning it down. Smiley Happy

Some external hubs have troubles when they don't have a power supply plugged in. I'd guess though that you just have a bad hub... Luckily they are cheap.

despe1990 · January 2017

The funny thing is the first hub I tried has a power supply. The second one does not but it worked perfectly.

So my system is reinstalled and hopefully I can still use my W4-820 for several years!

Thank for the help your thread provides.

narenram · May 2017

I have ordered that from ebay.com Charging & DataSync USB HUB

Here is the link http://www.ebay.com/itm/131702630224?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I hope it will help to make fresh install from a USB

Fresh Installation of Win 8.1 on Iconia W4-820

Answers

Categories

Assistance by Acer

Swift Series Intel^® Evo™

Game Pass

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Gaming on Chromebook

Fresh Installation of Win 8.1 on Iconia W4-820

Answers

Categories

Assistance by Acer

Swift Series Intel® Evo™

Game Pass

Acer Corner

Gaming on Chromebook

Swift Series Intel^® Evo™