SSD 512 byte sector

[Secondjay2022]

hello!

I'm replacing my old 128 G SSD in my HP Envy Phoenix desktop with a new SSD.

Would you recommend one for me? I find Crucial MX500 SSD wouldn't work because the sector size is 4k. I tried Acronis and system image to clone/copy, but both didn't work.

Thanks in advance. 

Jay

[BeemerBiker]

Something seems strange.  The MX500 has industry standard 512 byte sectors according to their spec

http://brochure.stebis.nl/MX500.pdf

How did the SSD end up with 4k?   Intel does recommend 4k sector as shown here

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000006392/memory-and-storage.html

Anyway, back to your problem.  Yes, Acronis will have a problem as describe here

Source and target disks must have equal logical sector size. Cloning to a disk with different logical sector size is not supported. E.g., you can clone a 512 bytes/sector disk to 512 bytes/sector disk; you can clone a 4096 bytes/sector disk to 4096 bytes/sector disk; but you cannot clone a disk with logical sector size 512 bytes to disk with logical sector size 4096 bytes.

 I have been using Acronis for years but have not upgraded, other than patches, since 2018. 

I assume you have Acronis True Image (???) 

Since you cannot clone the drive then make a backup and restore from the backup,  The backup must be a full backup of drive and not an image (sector by sector) backup.  Not as convenient and slower but it works and also give you a backup file.  

Alternately change the sector size with that isdct.exe tool

[Secondjay2022]

Thanks for your quick response!!

As you said, the spec says Crucial MX500 (mine is CT2000MX500SSD1) supports 512-byte sector and I purchased it at the link below.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B003J5JB12/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Unfortunately it didn't work.The error message shows "cannot be cloned" due to the different sector sizes, 512 and 4096.

Yes, I made a full backup, not a sector-by-sector image. I will try again with the sector-by-sector image this time.

I will get back to you soon.

Thank you

Jay

[BeemerBiker · Accepted solution]

If you want to stick with the 4k sector size then just install fresh copy of windows 10 on it  and copy what files you need from the old drive using a USB to M.2 adapter.

If your system is newer than 2015 then you can use the HP cloud backup to install original win 10 

According to this matrix
https://ftp.ext.hp.com/pub/caps-softpaq/CloudRecovery/crsupportedplatform.html#:~:text=HP%20Cloud%20...

I am surprised the backup did not work  Possibly the boot has the wrong info. when loading the boot sector.

A fresh install of 10 will work.

I actually ordered a  Crucial 1TB m.2 for my areas51 but got a refund from NewEgg when it never arrived.  

[Secondjay2022]

Oh This option sounds better.

Would you please take a look at the link "Back to Cloud Recovery User Guide"?

It shows 404 error.

Thanks

Jay

[BeemerBiker]

 it's unreal for that guide is missing possibly the following can work

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_4511095-4511141-16

i will PM the  moderator to see if that link can be fixed

[Secondjay2022]

Thanks for sending the link. I just find that my desktop HP ENVY Phoenix Desktop - 860-019 (ENERGY STAR) won't be supported by HP Cloud Recovery Tool. I purchased it in 2016, but the MFR date must be before 2016. So, now I will need to follow the link HP Customer Support - Software and Driver Downloads

Would you please let me know if I'm following the right direction? I want to save time installing Windows 10 on a new ssd.

1. Detect and download software and drivers at the link above.

2. Go to HP Cloud Recovery in Windows menu

3. Create a media tool to install in a USB stick

4. Disconnect the old ssd from HDD and connect the new ssd

5. Boot from the USB

6. Follow the direction to install.

Jay

[BeemerBiker]

That link simply went to the HP repository of drivers for your system.  Actually, when I clicked on it I was presented with a page asking for my system information.  That is not any type of cloud recovery.

As your system was pre 2016 there are two options.  One is to buy a copy of the original win10 (win8?) disk.  If you system came pre-installed with win10 then you can buy a copy here.  Check to see what you are getting

http://www.computersurgeons.com/default.aspx

The disk probably has, in addition to win 10, a lot of free stuff that came with your system.  Some of it may have expired such as McAfee, office and other freebies.  You may not need any of that.

If you do not want to buy that 3rd party DVD then just download win10 from Microsoft and create a DVD or a USB as explained here

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

you should select the "Create Windows 10 media" tool

expand the "using the tool to create installation ..."

Assuming your burned a DVD ---  Remove your old 128gb drive and put in the new one.  Select the primary boot to be DVD.  You may have to disable secure boot.  After installing remove the dvd and reboot.

Should work OK for USB also.  

Good Luck!

[Secondjay2022]

Hi again

Both HP recovery media and windows 10 media tool don't work. The media file in USB stuck in infinite loop. I cannot proceed to the next step in the installation. It continuously boots up and shows the same screen with the menus like Troubleshoot, Turn off Pc, Use a device, etc.

Am I missing anything here ?

[BeemerBiker]

The following should have worked.  Please try each step and report exactly where it fails.  You can do this from any system.  You will need a USB flash drive minimum of 8gb.

Download the ISO of windows 10 from here

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

you will end up with MediaCreationTool21h2.exe in the download folder

Run the tool and accept the license and specify win10 and 64bit

(If DVD selected it needs to be a two layer.)

put the flash in and proceed.

After completing, remove the flash and remove the existing 128gb from your system and replace it with the new drive.

Power on and press esc (f10 ?) several times to get into the bios. In the "storage" option select "Boot Order" and USB Floppy/CD .If that option is not available then go to "Advanced" and disable secure boot.

The system should boot the USB win10 install and you will need to follow Microsoft's instructions.

If you have another system you can test the USB flash on it, just don't actually do an install.   Just verify that it can boot up.

Is the above what you did?