Samsung won't boot install USB in UEFI mode. WinPE alt?

So I've searched, and I've tested, and now I'm about to turn my laptop into a frisbee and never buy a Samsung PC again. In short, I bought an ATIV 7 whose previous owner had downgraded to Win7. I wanted to put Win 8 on and I have a volume license as well as the OEM key so I burned the ISO (actually 2 different ones) using every method I could find (ImgBurn, Rufus, Iso2Disc, Win7 Download tool, etc.) It became clear that the USB needed to be formatted FAT32 with GPT filesystem, however in UEFI mode it shows the USB but won't allow me to select it - it just flashes. If I set it back to CSM and UEFI I can make a USB boot, but even if I use diskpart to clean the drive and convert to GPT it will fail to install because it detects I didn't boot in UEFI mode.

Here's the deal. When I'd installed it earlier this week in CSM and MBR mode, and then converted to UEFI it worked fine. So....I tested several recovery programs we use at work to make sure they'd restore it okay via bootable media. Paragon, Aomei, Macrium, Lazesoft - all boot media failed. ONLY True Image 2014 DOES ACTUALLY BOOT in UEFI mode on my laptop. The only thing I can figure is that the way WinPE 5 or 5.1 (whatever it uses) is set up on it agrees with my laptop. So what I was wondering is if one of the geniuses here has any idea how I can modify the Acronis recovery media or create similar WinPE media that might actually boot on my laptop.

THanks for any help!!!

Do you have Windows 8/8.1 64-bit installation media?

To Create a Bootable UEFI USB Flash Drive using Free Program "Rufus".
- Connect your USB flash drive.
- Click/tap on the browse icon and select your Windows 8/8.1 64-bit ISO image file.
- Under Partition scheme and target system type, select GPT partition scheme for UEFI Computer
- Under File system, select FAT32
- The default Cluster size setting is automatically detected, so do not change the setting.
- Click on Start button.



edit:

Here is info about UEFI Boot Mode (installing using the GPT partition style) and Legacy BIOS Boot Mode (installing using the MBR partition style): link

Welcome to EightForums

Have you made the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks?

I would recommend you making the OEM manufacturer's Recovery DVD's or USB drive.
or
You can order the Microsoft official OEM Recovery disks from the OEM manufacturer's website.

I tested several recovery programs we use at work to make sure they'd restore it okay via bootable media. Paragon, Aomei, Macrium, Lazesoft - all boot media failed.

Click to expand...

Try a new USB drive.

Thanks for the help, folks. I've tried both of the above things FWIW. About 5 different USB drives. Exact Rufus (as well as other programs) settings advised above. I've tried 8.1 RTM x64 iso, 8.1 Volume x64 ISO, and 8 x64 Core iso. MD5's check fine, and they came from our office so I know they're legit. No recovery partition because he/she'd wiped it, but recovery media on the way. That said I don't expect it to do boot unless it is going to work in MBR mode. Also, I tried the original MS media in a DVD drive and it fails to boot as well, UNLESS I put it in CSM and UEFI mode.

UPDATE - it appears I MAY have a workable solution, though I still consider this to be a firmware bug of some sort. In my attempt to try everything until the stars lined up right or I destroyed the laptop in frustration I burned the 8.1 x64 Enterprise ISO in Rufus but in MBR UEFI mode, and I left the laptop in UEFI only mode - and it booted. I'd already manually created the EFI, msr, and system partitions so all I had to do was delete the other blank partition I'd created for the install and let Windows recreate it. Seems okay so far, but after this much frustration not ready to claim victory.

Again, it clearly appears to be a bug to me. EVERYONE said use ISO2DISC or Rufus in GPT mode. Doing that with legit MS media doesn't work - at least not on my Samsung ATIV 7. However Acronis True Image Media Builder, and Easy Recovery Essentials, burns its bootable media, and Rufus in MBR mode, DO work. Just wanted to get the info out here for theorists and to help others. Hopefully I'm past this, and I'm really frightened to think that I may need to restore a backup and run into drive weirdness that forces me to do any sort of bootable recovery any more.