NVMe Internal SSD Upgrade for HP Spectre x360 Convertible 15-bl0XX

[Arivacan]

I bought a  Western Digital 1TB WD Blue SN550 NVMe Internal SSD - Gen3 x4 PCIe 8Gb/s, M.2 2280, 3D NAND, Up to 2,400 MB/s - WDS100T2B0C and it is not recognized by my Spectre x360 Convertible 15 either internally installed or externally.

Nothing shows up at all.  I may have purchased the wrong drive.  How can I find out?

[Huffer]

An NVME M.2 SSD should be compatible. 

Manual 

In fact, it appears that this is the ONLY type of storage that can be used. So you must have removed the original drive. Can you say what brand and model the original equipment drive was? Also can we have the Product Number or at least identify the processor. The model number you give is generic, covering all models in that series. 

[Arivacan]

A talk with Western Digital indicates a faulty drive. I am replacing the original drive, because it won't boot from time-to-time.  I have:

• HP Spectre x360 Convertible 15-bl0XX
  System Type x64-based PC
  System SKU Z4Z35UAR#ABA
  Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7500U CPU @ 2.70GHz, 2904 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical
  Serial number: 5CD73699BZ
  Product number:Z4Z35UAR
• I am trying to upgrade from a Samsung MZVLW512HMJP-000H1 to a Western Digital 1TB WD Blue SN550 NVMe Internal SSD - Gen3 x4 PCIe 8Gb/s, M.2 2280, 3D NAND, Up to 2,400 MB/s - WDS100T2B0C

Running Windows 10 Home  Version 20H2

Thanks for your help on this.

[Huffer]

The Samsung is a stock OEM NMVE M.2 SSD. I know of no reason the WD Blue would not work except its a newer design and chipset. Try seating it again and if the system will just not recognize it there is generally no tweak or update you can apply that will make a difference. ...but I gather WD thinks they sent you a bad one? Rare, but it can happen. 

[Arivacan]

I got the new one last night so to make sure I'm getting it right, is there a step-by-step procedure I can look at? 

I'm assuming that:

• Make a usb boot disc
• make a full ssd image
• change boot order to usb first
• remove old drive
• replace
• boot
• restore

[Huffer]

Yes that is how to do it.

[Arivacan]

OK, I'll try to get after it today.  Thanks again for your help.

[Arivacan]

I put the drive in a M.2 NVME SSD enclosure (Type C) The drive is not recognized in Windows, but shows up in the Device Manager>

[Huffer]

It is blank. You need to initiate and format and mount it before it shows up as a lettered drive. Use disk management. Do you plan to use it externally or are you going to put it in the laptop?

[Arivacan]

It is now recognized and seems to be working as a USB drive.  My plan was to clone the laptop drive to the USB drive and swap the SSD drives, doubling the internal drive memory.  Does that make sense?  After the swap I'm hoping the laptop will boot up and ....