ssd instalion system death

[TheodoreVictor]

HP ENVY TS 15 Notebook PC

Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4700MQ CPU @ 2.40GHz 16GB Ram System board 1967 KBC Version 93.52 Bios F.71

bios from sp86702.exe

https://support.hp.com/za-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-envy-touchsmart-15-j100-notebook-pc-series/54011...

Windows 10 x64 pro version 1709 os build 16299.371

All updates installed.Up to date.

NVIDIA GeForce 840M latest driver version 397.31

Problem with ssd instalation with hdd installed.

Steps to reproduce operation system death is as follows.

Unpluged hdd.Installed 256g Liteon ssd.Installed Windows 10.Pc boots fine.

Removed SSD.Reinstalled Hdd.Windows boots fine.

Death is as follows

Installed ssd and hdd.Boots to hdd.Windows loops and boots to diagnose pc.Can not find problem.

Unplug ssd.Attempt to boot.Windows dead error 21a.Registry currupted every single time.System Restore or backup copy from regbackup required to fix.

Bios options.Secure boot or no secure boot does not matter.

bios boot options for hdd is - os boot manager.No other options.Can not select hdd or ssd to boot.

Hdd and ssd show up only under raid options in bios.

Question.

1.Laptop only supports 1 device inside hdd or ssd ???

2.Hp screwed up in code in bios???

3.Question 2 justified by bios fix in firmware.Previvios firmware before fix not found can not tests if this is the case.

3 efi boot can not tell which hdd is booting due to limited bios.

[Huffer]

Please provide the exact model number of the computer so I can be sure in what I am saying but what you likely have is an mSSD slot not an SSD slot. Those era 4th gen laptops with a small SSD slot were made for a 24 or 32 gig mSATA mSSD to act as an "acceleration cache" drive to speed up the operation of the mechanical drive. The mSSD is bootable and can run an OS but only if there is not also a 2.5 inch SATA hard drive. As soon as there is the BIOS is configured to only boot from the 2.5 inch drive. You cannot make it boot from the mSSD. 

Post back with any more questions. I had a similar model as my HP loaner about 4 years ago, maybe 5 and got really familiar with the workings of this technology. It was an evolutionary dead end right before SSDs became more available and less expensive. 

Your laptop actually has the ability to create a RAID array between the mSSD and the hard drive and that is how the acceleration works but it is kind of complicated and requires a detailed explanation I will not go into unless you ask specifically. 

Is this the drive you have?

https://harddiskdirect.com/lite-on-256gb-msata-pci-e-m-2-solid-state-drive.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwibDXBR...

Despite this descrition it is not an M.2 and is not really a PCIe storage device as that term is now used. 

[TheodoreVictor]

Correct ssd is

LMH-256V2M -11

TW-02HNG6-55085-668-H3MF-A03

LITEON ZETA SDD MSATA

http://www.liteonssd.com/en/PRODUCT/CONSUMER-SATA-SSD/MSATA-CONSUMER/item/CONSUMER-MSATA/zeta-msata....

Exact mode is in previous post.Seet link on hp websiteLaptop product nomber is K4F29EA#ACQ.

If i follow what you saying then laptop will ingnore m-sata with hdd in normal boot.

See problem with bootloader crashing windows because it can not sort hdd out.

See windows death.

Stay in South Africa.Laptop R20000+

Cheepy Hp laptop R6000 has no problen doing it.

Little bit screwup on High end laptop.

Incidently Laptop has no rom.Touch Screen.Plays all games.Boots up in less then minute on standard hdd.

Extra info browsing forum on hp people complained when formating m-sata bricked pc.MSATA NOT IN RAID MODE.

Hp released a fix(bios upgrade).Can not install msata with hdd = bricked system.People say HP never fixed problem.

Note can not rade seagate hdd because it has a ssd cache in hdd for better performance.

Original idea was boot msdd 256g and use hdd for steam store for playing games.

[Huffer]

Booting from the 256 gig mSATA and using the HDD for storage will not work. 

Not aware of any BIOS issue like you describe. I do think you might have a compatibility problem between the mSSD and an SSHD drive with a cache built in. Do you have a regular non-SSHD hard drive?

I have to be honest not really following your description of the problem very well. Format the mSSD and install Windows to the HDD. Make sure BIOS storage mode is set to RAID not AHCI and don't use the BIOS RAID setup to make an array. When you have Windows installed see if you can launch the Intel Rapid Storage app. That is where you can set the mSSD up to accelerate the hard drive. It will let you use about 32 gigs on the mSSD and the rest can be made available as storage. 

[TheodoreVictor]

Problem very simple

1.Insert Hdd

2.Boot

3. Windows Okay.Logon.All is good.

4 Shutdown

5 Insert MSata

6 Boot

7 Windows Fails to boot

8 Windows dead.sc

9 Cry.

10 Reinstall Windows kissing 1tb of data good bye

11 goto step 6

12 cry

Bios options are.

1 Nothing

2 Os boot option in bios

3 Because Admin users do not nead bios options like boot devices.

4 Hitting ESC key buring boot

5Selection boot d only option

7RAID/AHCI options never include by hp.

Personal guess

HP F**CKED UP.

HP DO NOT CARE.

HP NEVER FIXED IT

[Huffer]

You installed a piece of hardware never designed to be used on that computer. So there was never any plan to allow for it and hard to see how HP made any kind of error at all. Sorry for your troubles I have provided all the information I have to give. 

[TheodoreVictor]

Thanks for trying.As a ex technition i tried other options hopping someone with more know how will find a workaround.

I understand your point and came to the same conclusion.I just do not like paying 40% my salary for a option which hp could have said does not work.

Incedently.

Its like this.Example.Look usb ports on laptop.No you can not use them because manufaturer said you do not need them even if its there.

I am the type of person who puts/byes adapters and thing to put in slots and ports because i can.

Parting comment.

Msata or HDd but not both work as designed but not together is lack of software(bios) not hardware limitation.

They used oem bios from insyde2.0 as is whithout implementing any features since only base bios is there.

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Not exactly but you are close. It is a BIOS thing. They could have been designed differently  but we have to learn to work with what is there.