I'm trying to restore a 2013 laptop to working order. The previous owner was technology-challenged, and didn't understand the concept of updates.
The laptop is a Samsung np550p5c-A02UB, with an Intel Core i3-3110M processor, and 4Gb of DDR3 RAM. The current OS is 64-bit Windows 8, which is no longer supported by Microsoft, so I'm trying to upgrade it to Windows 8.1. I'm also considering paying for
an upgrade to Windows 10, but I fear that the same problem that is preventing a successful upgrade to Windows 8.1 would also stop me from installing Windows 10. Also, I'd prefer not to pay the $120.
I began with 6 rounds of executing the built-in Samsung Software Update app, which updates drivers and system settings, including some user settings. I then proceeded to use Windows Update to install 32 optional updates and 4 important updates. I also checked
for hidden updates, but there were none. The installed updates include kb2871389, which I understand is a prerequisite to the Windows 8.1 upgrade.
I've unsuccessfully tried to install kb2917499, which is also a prerequisite, but keep getting the message "The update is not applicable to your computer".
The Windows 8.1 upgrade is available in the Windows Store, but documentation tells me that it won't work without kb2917499 installed. When I try it, it very quickly says "Something happened and the install of Windows 8.1 can't be completed".
I also tried running the Windows 8.1 Update Troubleshooter. It told me that the computer failed to meet the minimum system requirements for the update, but didn't say which requirement was lacking. There are really only four system requirements:
-- a processor that supports PAE, NX, and SSE2
-- 2 Gb of RAM
-- 20 Gb of hard disk space
-- a DirectX 9 graphics device with a WDDM driver
The laptop has plenty of free disk space. The graphics card is an Intel HD Graphics 4000. The Intel documentation for the graphics card suggests, but doesn't explicity say, that the driver is WDDM 1.2 compliant. The Microsoft documentation says that all
computers shipped with Windows 8 (as this one was) must be WDDM 1.2 compliant.
That only leaves the processor. Since it's 64-bit and reasonably modern, I believe it supports the required protocols. Concerning NX in particular, the BIOS editor says that it is enabled.
My instinct tells me that the update troubleshooter was incorrect, that the system requirements are fulfilled, but there is some prerequisite to kb2917499, other than kb2871389, which hasn't been installed. But I don't know how to get the prerequisite list.
Can anybody suggest my next step?