How to boot from an M.2 SSD in a Zbook 15 G2

[KingDubDub]

Heller folks, I got a badly beat up old Zbook from the local recycling center that I've cleaned up and installed windows on. I'd like to exchange the slow SATA SSD for a Kioxia 256 Gb drive I have as a boot device, but I can't get it to work. I've installed windows on the drive and can see it in a normal installation, but I can't see it as a boot option in legacy or UEFI. The EFI path selection mode doesn't work either as it can't see the M.2, and neither can the BIOS hard drive utilities. I'm baffled as to why a functioning drive won't work in the HP BIOS but can still function within the OS. My current BIOS version is 1.26 and the machine is running well, albeit a little hot under extreme load.

If anyone is wondering, yes I plan on fixing the external damage and no the internal components aren't damaged; all damage is purely surface-level.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

According to the service manual chapter 1 page 2, your notebook's M.2 slot only supports mSATA SSD,s and you installed a NVME SSD in there.

HP ZBook 15 G2 Mobile Workstation Maintenance and Service Guide

I would imagine that is why the drive you installed doesn't show up anyplace.

[KingDubDub]

It doesn't say specifically whether it can boot from them or not though, and page 45 is all about replacing your M.2 if it's failed. It doesn't mention if it's bootable either though, and M.2's are never discussed in Ch. 1 (except for a vague "SSD" in the Serviceability list that could be the mSATA, upgrade slot, or M.2). The BIOS itself even has options to allow booting from an M.2 (which I've checked for both UEFI and Legacy) yet they don't seem to have an effect. There's hints to it working somehow in the manual and BIOS, yet it doesn't function.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Since the service manual makes no mention of a NVMe SSD being supported, it isn't going to work in any capacity.

It won't boot, you can't use it for storage.  Nothing.

You would have to try it with a SATA SSD.

[KingDubDub]

Ah well, I'll admit defeat then. I guess I'll at least have some really fast storage, and if I wanted I could always try setting my user profile path to the M.2 for some extra speed and a failsafe if the main SSD dies. Thanks for the help!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.