M.2 SSD Upgrade

[QuadTips]

@Big_Dave

The one I have installed right now is a retail version of the AData 256.  See the photos on page 3 for a picture of the box.

I have ordered the HP part, it has not arrived yet.

I have the Service person due this evening (it was tomorrow, but it moved). I'll let you know if he figures anything out.  My guess based on our phone conversation is that he has no "special-sauce"

jeff

[soundprizm]

@QuadTips

I'm extremely curious as to what the tech says! 

@Big_Dave

Do you by any chance know which SATA port your M.2 is assigned to?

[QuadTips]

The tech came out and was only able to confirm what well all know.  The M.2 slot does not show up in the BIOS.

After he said that a supervisor in HP would be contacting me within 48 hours.

After he left I opened the computer again and extracted the M.2 stick.  I installed it in a M.2 to USB adapter I bought.  As expected the drive mounted and I was able to clone the internal drive to the M.2 stick.  I then reinstalled the M.2 stick internal to the computer and it still did not show up.

I am waiting for a callback from HP.

jeff

[soundprizm]

---

@QuadTips wrote:

The tech came out and was only able to confirm what well all know.  The M.2 slot does not show up in the BIOS.

After he said that a supervisor in HP would be contacting me within 48 hours.

After he left I opened the computer again and extracted the M.2 stick.  I installed it in a M.2 to USB adapter I bought.  As expected the drive mounted and I was able to clone the internal drive to the M.2 stick.  I then reinstalled the M.2 stick internal to the computer and it still did not show up.

I am waiting for a callback from HP.

jeff

---

Bummer... but thank you for sharing!

So, I think I found the culprit. I was waiting to see what happened with your tech before I said anything, but it seems as though the issue is a BIOS setting; specifically with the SATA ports. All of the SATA ports are set to "Hard Disk Drive" and the topography is set to "unknown." For those two settings there is an option to select "Solid State Drive," and "M.2" for the typography--just need to figure out which SATA port the M.2 slot utilizes. 

I could be wrong on this, but if I'm not, HP needs to release a BIOS with the right setting, "unhide" the SATA port BIOS options, or provide a key sequence that enables an advanced menu.

[lexandorf]

I was really expecting you could get it to work... That's not what I was expecting when I bought this one either when I saw that it had a M2 slot.... didn't know it was going to be so complicated...

I wanted to change mine for another laptop, but the genius of me, broke the screws of the CD bay when I first opened

I had better decided to buy the 2nd SATA HDD port for my laptop... I hope it doesn't turn to a fiasco either...

[Huffer]

So the real issue to me is how do they configure the units delivered from the factory with a working M.2? Is a different BIOS loaded at the factory? And how do you see the "topography" settings in the BIOS? 

[Big_Dave]

@soundprizm

The IRST control panel program indicates port 2 for the Adata m.2 SATA SSD.

The SATA HD is port 0 and the CD/DVD drive is port 1.

Port number shouldn't make a difference.

Try the UEFI boot menu diagnostics. Go to the hard drive quick test.  How many devices are shown?  System Information under the UEFI diagnostic menu --> Hard drive should show you the discovered devices. 

NOTE: I am running BIOS level F.51 which is not even posted on the HP Support site. @Huffer Perhaps running HPSA would pick up a later BIOS version.

[soundprizm]

---

@Huffer wrote:

So the real issue to me is how do they configure the units delivered from the factory with a working M.2? Is a different BIOS loaded at the factory? And how do you see the "topography" settings in the BIOS? 

---

I couldn't tell ya... I haven't seen any m7 models shipping with M.2's. I can only assume that something is different with the BIOS's. From what I've gathered thus far, UEFI BIOS's have different sections (e.g., disk partitions), and the BIOS update instructions determine which sectors are updated and/or changed. I was able to see the topography settings by obtaining a copy of the current BIOS (F.25) in the EFI partition, and looking within it. However, I am now stuck--there is no way to change the current BIOS and update it (I'm pretty sure that has to be done by HP since everything is encrypted and what not).  Without being able to change/update the BIOS, it is impossible to verify that this is indeed the causation of the unrecognizable M.2.

[soundprizm]

---

@Big_Dave wrote:

@soundprizm

The IRST control panel program indicates port 2 for the Adata m.2 SATA SSD.

The SATA HD is port 0 and the CD/DVD drive is port 1.

Port number shouldn't make a difference.

Try the UEFI boot menu diagnostics. Go to the hard drive quick test.  How many devices are shown?  System Information under the UEFI diagnostic menu --> Hard drive should show you the discovered devices. 

NOTE: I am running BIOS level F.51 which is not even posted on the HP Support site. @Huffer Perhaps running HPSA would pick up a later BIOS version.

---

Thanks for the info! The HP UEFI system information has always only shown the SATA HDD; which is why I concluded that it was a BIOS issue and not an OS one. 

BIOS level F.51? Is there another place to obtain HP BIOS updates besides the HP Software and Drivers Downloads page? HPSA, on my end, grabs the same updates as the Downloads page.

[QuadTips]

I have found what I think is a shipping HP Envy 17t that contains a(n) SSD in the m.2 slot.

HP Laptop Link

I was able to configure this with "1TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive + 256 Flash Solid State Drive"

This could of course be a 2.5" laptop drive, only time will tell.

jeff