Can you remove m.2 ssd and replace it with a sata ssd to boot from in a HP ProBook 445 G8

[CommodoreBlitz]

Can you remove m.2 ssd and replace it with a sata ssd to boot from in a HP ProBook 445 G8  

I want to know before I buy this laptop...I Recently bought a different one that had windows 11 on it and it refused to let me in the bios and even after removing the m.2 drive that laptop would  not boot from my 2.5 ssd..

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Below is the link to the service manual for the Probook 445 G8.

Maintenance and Service Guide (hp.com)

According to chapter 1 there is no SATA drive support for either M.2 or 2.5" drives.

[CommodoreBlitz]

Hmm, well it has a m.2 drive in it so it must support some sata, but what I want to know  is there a place to install a 2.5 ssd drive as I already  have windows 10 on one and don't want 11 (and all my stuff is on the ssd, I want to get back to work...)

The drive I want to install (and boot from ) is a 2gb wd blue ssd

 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

All HP 445 G8's come with NVMe M.2 SSD's, not SATA M.2 SSD's.

I've already explained to you that there is no support for 2.5" drives.

Read the service manual...chapters 1, 3 & 5.

There are no parts listed in chapter 3 of the service manual to add a 2.5" drive, no procedure to remove or replace a 2.5" drive, so I have no idea how you would go about doing something that the manual indicates cannot be done.

[TzortzisG]

The G8s can fully support SATA on their m.2 slots, and they could also theoretically run a 2.5 SATA drive, if HP had wired the laptop that way. Unfortunately, they only made space for a 2.5 drive for the 470 (G8).

But CommodoreBlitz, downgrading from W11 to W10 is possible even when using the factory fitted (original) drive in your laptop.