Hp 15-da0014dx Drive Replacement

[acstumpf]

I am planning to upgrade the storage on my laptop. I don't know why I purchased a computer with 128Gb, but here we are. I ordered the Samsung 970 Evo. Are there enoough slots in the laptop to have 2 drives? Or will I need to clone the new drive and replace the old one? If so, which cloning cable/device is the best for this?

Thanks!

[Huffer]

Here is the Service Manual:

Manual 

Start on p. 37 to remove the rear cover. Inside you see this:

M.2 slot circled in red

There is only a single M.2 slot so you have to remove your 128 gig SATA M.2 and replace it with the 970 Evo (good choice). 

An external USB adapter for an NVME M.2 is expensive. Much cheaper to use an external usb adapter for the original M.2 SSD. 

https://www.amazon.com/SSK-Aluminum-Enclosure-External-Based/dp/B07MKCG5ZG/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywo...

So you would clone from outside in. Use a bootable cloning app media (usb stick) which you can make from Macrium Reflect Free. In other words remove the existing M.2, put the new 970 Evo in the laptop, and then put the original M.2 in this external enclosure and boot the laptop from the bootable cloning app thumb drive. When you can see the available disks to clone set the 128 gig as the source and the new presumably larger drive as the target. 

Done this many times so feel free to ask for additional clarification if needed. 

Post back with any more questions and please accept as solution if this is the info you needed. 

[acstumpf]

Would this work? The SSD came today and Amazon has been taking a while for deliveries.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/startech-com-usb-3-1-drive-enclosure-for-m-2-ngff-solid-state-drives-bl...

[acstumpf]

So I would remove the old, install the new, and then boot from USB and then clone? Am I understanding correctly?

[Huffer]

That enclosure is a bit more expensive than the one I suggested but it would work. Put the old 128 gig in the enclosure and the new 970 inside the laptop and put the cover back on. Plug in the usb from the enclosure with the old drive inside. You need to have previously made a bootable cloning usb disk from a cloning application like Macrium Reflect Free. Just download it and make the usb from your existing setup and set the usb aside. I believe the option is "create rescue media" which puts the cloning app on the bootable usb disk. Boot from the cloning usb not the drive in the enclosure. You get a DOS/Linux looking environment with the cloning app. Choose to clone and select the external usb 128 gig as the source and the new Samsung 970 Evo Plus inside the laptop as the target. Let the clone finish, remove the usb (both of them) and you should be able to boot up to your old installation just transferred into more space. 

Please accept as solution if this is the info you needed.