HP EX920 NVME not recognized by Windows install as primary drive

[Logan2274]

Installed HP EX920 1tb SSD no issues, bios sees but can’t install Windows 10 from USB install because it doesn’t see it as a drive.  Laptop HP Envy 17M-CH0013DX only has this 1 new drive. Diskpart only sees the USB thumb drive.  Not many options in boot menu to enable or disable but tried turning off secure boot and made no difference.  I downloaded WinDrv226x_1043206_20180109 drivers only ones I could find because nothing works for me on Hp support site.  Wont allow me too add SN on my account and just hangs up asking for support and with it confirming the SSD on support site.  

[praveenbv]

Hi@Logan2274, Welcome to the HP Support Community!

I reviewed your post and I understand it's not booting to Windows or the OS is corrupted 

If you removed a hard drive before using these steps, replace the drive. If the error occurs again, make sure the additional hard drive is not set as an active drive. Only the main bootable drive should be set as active. 

Opening the notebook and upgrading it will not violate the warranty unless you damage something.    You need to be able to return the notebook to its original hardware configuration in the case of any required warranty repair

If you recently installed an additional hard drive, turn off the computer and remove the drive before using the following steps: (Click here for details) 

• Open HP System Recovery: 

CAUTION: 

Please backup your data before proceeding further: 

• Press the F11 key repeatedly while the computer is starting. 

• If you have a recovery disc, turn on the PC and insert the first recovery disc into the drive. Use the disc to enter the system recovery. 

1. Select Microsoft Startup Repair tool and wait for the repair to find and fix errors. When finished, restart the computer; even if the startup repair tool finds errors but cannot fix them. 

2. If the error message persists, open the recovery manager screen as was done in step 1. 

3. At the recovery manager screen, press ALT + D. 

4. Enter the following text at the command prompt: bootrec /rebuildbcd 

5. If bootrec displays "Add installation to boot list?", press y. 

After bootrec completes successfully, the computer displays "The operation completed successfully". 

1. To close the command prompt, enter the following text: exit 

2. At the Recovery Manager screen, select the Microsoft Startup Repair tool (again) and wait for startup repair to find and fix errors. When finished, restart the computer. 

3. The error should no longer open. If it does, perform a system recovery, making sure to back up important files. 

If still there an issue download Using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool (Windows 10) Link 

Hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.

Click the “Kudos, Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Have a great day! 

[Logan2274]

Sorry, it did not help.  The drive is still not being seen by Windows Install USB 

[robmar0se]

I assume thats a typo you mean NVMe............

Yr system is only 12 months or so old, didn't it come with a 512GB NVMe drive?

A couple of suggestions...

1. Try booting into legacy mode, and adjusting the boot sequence.

2. Try cloning the two nvme drives, ie put the old one back, and clone it as is to the new drive, you could always extend the partitions later.

[Logan2274]

Yes, NVMe drive, autocorrect worthless 😂 yes 512gb came with system and want to upgrade to 1tb.  Bios is very limited and legacy is not in any option I saw.  May be my last HP due to restrictions but thought the basics wouldn’t be excluded or hidden.  I bought an enclosure and made an external drive out of it and should have cloned the original drive but I tried booting to it as an external drive and Windows repair effed it up to even boot to it when I replaced it back as the primary drive inside. 

i thought since the manual for the laptop gave the HP EX920 as a replacement part for a 1tb drive  HP would have drivers for Windows to see the drive.  These have been out for a few years now and don’t understand why HP or Microsoft hasn’t made this process simple by now.  I’m definitely not an early adopter.  So right now my 1 month+ old laptop is useless and can’t use and Official Hp support has been useless.  I thought their NVMe team would easily have a solution but they never got back with me and everything has been a hassle for phone support.  I guess I’ll continue to work on saving the original drive and if I can get that to work clone it or use the 1tb as an external drive.  Sure can’t believe how horrible the support is for official HP hardware.  

[robmar0se]

I'm totally with you in regard to HP BIOS - awful.

From what you say, I gather you have overwritten the recovery partition on the original drive.

i have a couple of recent HP laptops, the BIOS on both is the same, so hopefully yrs might be too.

When you get into BIOS, scroll  across to system configuration, then scroll down to boot options.

You should see UEFI boot order, as well as Legacy boot order, for the latter you would need to change "Legacy Support" to enabled.

However I would try changing the boot order in UEFI mode first to USB diskette on key/USB hard disk.  I that doesn't work try legacy.

Note Legacy only works if secure boot id disabled.

This procedure should work on either NVMe drive

[Logan2274]

I think my Bios is even more restricted than yours 🤣.  Insyde F.03 and no Legacy options at all.  Only has UEFI Boot order with options USB Flash Drive/USB, OS Boot Manager, USB CD/DVD Rom, and Network Adapter.  Under Network Boot Protocol only UEFI options.  Tried disabling Secure Boot and had USB Flash first in Boot sequence and nothing.  Thanks for responding

[robmar0se]

You may have to prep the drive with Diskpart and create a GPT volume before it is recognized.

If you have the usb adapter for the nvme drive maybe you could prep it on another system?