SSD upgrade for HP Notebook 15-ac121dx

[diamante]

Hi everybody. I've been asked to rescue a family member's HP Notebook 15-ac121dx, whose hard drive has died. I've purchased a Samsung 860 EVO V-NAND SSD (SATA 6 Gb/s) to replace the original hard drive. Can anyone confirm that this SSD is compatible with the computer? Also, I need to do a clean install since the original hard drive is dead. I am planning to use Microsoft's media creation tool to create the OS installation disc. Are there any issues I need to consider when switching from an HDD to an SSD (BIOS settings I might need to change, installation media type, etc.)? I have done this type of upgrade twice before on older laptops, and I didn't run into any real problems. This time I think the biggest challenge will be opening the computer without damaging anything, as these consumer models always seem to get less consumer-friendly as far as DIY upgrades go. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[banhien · Accepted solution]

@diamante 

Yes, Samsung 860 EVO series is a good choice, you can also use Crucial MX500 series and from my experiences after replacing dozens of HDD's on laptops from 1 year old to 8 years old using Samsung, Crucial, SanDisk SSD's I don't have to change anything in BIOS.

Since your machine previously ran Windows 10, you can do a clean install W10 for free by using the media creation tool at the link below.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

The tool will allow you to make a bootable installation media (USB/DVD) and you can use installation media to install.

During the installation process if you are asked to enter a product key, check the 'Skip' box and W10 will install and then automatically activate once you are connected to the internet using the key embedded in BIOS of your machine.

Then you can install the drivers and available software you need from your PC's support page. Normally few Windows 10 updates can install nearly all drivers for you.

Regards.

[diamante]

Thank you, Banhien! That is exactly what I was hoping would be the case. I will come back and report on my upgrade experience as soon as I can.

[diamante]

I'm happy to report that this upgrade went well. The hardest part was prying the keyboard/top panel off after removing the battery and screws. On this particular computer there was a spot on the right-hand side next to the the display hinge where there was a little bit of room to get a pry tool under the top panel to begin prying it off. There are tiny tabs that unsnap as you work your way around the panel, and I only noticed one of them break off during the procedure. Once I had the SSD in the computer, all I had to do was turn on the power with a Windows 10 installation disc in the optical drive. There was then a prompt to press any key to boot from the optical drive, and the installation process started automatically. With the SSD, Windows 10 installation and setup didn't take long at all.

[STAMPER22]

I am new to this forum but I also have a 15-ac121dx laptop - prod #N5Y90UA#ABA.

I may need to start a new thread for this question ( please advise )

  My laptop had been dropped and the power plug that is inserted into the side is bent about 30 degrees. The power plug also wiggles when inserted into the socket on the side of the computer . It will not start but the f1 and f12 keys say system information on a very dim screen at the lower left corner. system will not boot indicating problems with the mother board power plug etc.

  My question  ---   Is it possible to remove the hard drive and install it in a power enclosure to turn it into an external hard drive with windows 10 64 bit files already installed from the factory setup on this laptop?

  There was no backup done on this drive and would like to retrieve photos and files if possible, for a college student.

HP description says it is a 5400 rpm 1 tb hard disk and no description of what type on hp support page

The warranty has expired so I am on my own with trying to recover the hard drive. assuming it still is in a working condition.

With the power plug socket loose and wiggling I am assuming that corner of the motherboard is probably broken.

Any advise on how to identify the hard drive prior to removing the hard drive from the laptop case?

Any recommendations on the chances of turning this hard drive into an external hard drive with a usb connection cable will be most helpful, assuming it will function out of the laptop.

I am in just a little over my head on this project.

Would anyone care to offer any solutions or possibilities?

Thanks

Stamper22

[diamante]

STAMPER22, you are right that you probably should have started a new thread with your question, but I know that the type of hard drive enclosures you ask about are indeed available (look for a 2.5-inch SATA to USB enclosure; I once bought one online for less than $10). However, if you are seeing anything on the screen, particularly a message to the effect that the system cannot boot, that would suggest that not the motherboard but the hard disk is not working. If the power were severed, you would see nothing at all. If the drive is not broken, you could recover your personal files from it, but you would not be able to transfer the Windows system for use on another machine. The HP support page for this model (link below) includes a link to the maintenance and service guide, which shows how to remove the hard drive. If you have data on the hard drive that you absolutely need to recover, you could take it to a data recovery specialist. It might be possible to recover some or all of your data by removing the magnetic disc from the enclosure, but I have heard that such services are expensive. Good luck! https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-15-ac100-notebook-pc-series-touch/8502685/model/8788090/manu...