Which PCIe/M2 SSD 2260/42 will boot a ZBook i7 G2?

[ianmansfield]

Which PCIe/M2 SSD 2260/42 will UEFI boot a ZBook i7 G2?

I'm referring to the slot on the back of the laptop here:

Area for 2260 PCie/SSD card

I'm assuming it can do this because it's included as an option in the BIOS screen in the UEFI BIOS Boot Order panel.

UEFI boot order in BIOS

I've got the latest BIOS update.

System information

Please can someone guide me? Thank you. 

[Marc-Fr]

Hi,

I've the same question/problem.

Which actual PCIe/M2 SSD 2260/42 will UEFI boot a ZBook i7 G2?

Boot would be good but functional fits too. Ich think it has to be a 2242 (with a selfmade holder or something like that) because there are no 2260 on the market.

Did you find a SSD?

Thanks, and regards

Marc

[tk_srq]

@Ianmansfield,

The link below is your service manual.

HP ZBook 17 G2 Mobile Workstation Maintenance and Service Guide

The screenshot below is p.27 of the manual. It says 256GB M.2 PCIe gen 2x2 is supported. This doesn't mean 256 is max. size to be supported. It's just the size HP used on the model. You can use a bigger size.

M.2 PCIe Gen2x2 is phasing out and may be hard to find. You can use gen 3x4 because it is backward compatible but will run only at speed of gen 2x2.

Your question is about the form factor of M.2 SSD (2242 or 2260) and apparently, you are referring to the socket below the WLAN card on the photo. Illustrations below are of a WLAN card (p.48 of the manual) and a WWAN card (p.50). The WWAN card is slightly longer than the WLAN card and the slot you are referring to seems to be for a WAN card (see two unused black cables with their tips being tucked under the black protective sheet on the photo). It appears that the M.2 slot is the one to the right of the WLAN card and its form factor looks like 2280.

See this post below, in which the author had a boot issue on a Z book 15 G2 with a Crucial P3 1TB 2280 SSD installed. There's a link to the manual for Z book 15 G2 in the post and p.45 clearly shows an M.2 SSD 2280.

Re: HP ZBOOK 15 G2 m.2 SSD boot - HP Support Community - 8643919

So, all considered, your laptop will be fitted with an M.2 PCIe gen 3x4 SSD 2280.

[ianmansfield]

The other contributor in this thread has pointed me to this thread. I think I've already tried it; please read on.

I tried using this 2242 Nvme in my Zbook with an EFI OS installed on it cloned from the SATA/SSD, but the BIOS wouldn't recognise it. I wiped the 2242 card and tried installing Windows 10 Pro from a USB stick in boot mode, but the BIOS wouldn't see the Nvme card to do the installation.

If you install 2242 in slot ONE, you will need this extender M.2 NGFF NVMe M B Key SSD 2242 2260 to 2280 Length Extension Adapter Bracket (L)  (from eBay) to keep 2242 in place. Some YouTube videos show the installation of 2280 in a Zbook, but the piece of plastic is missing; it might be missing from your laptop. The RED arrows point at an area that prevents 2280 from being installed in my i7.

Pvme slot ONE 

Let me know how you get on installing a Nvme in that slot if you do it and if you manage to get the BIOS to recognise the card if your try to create a boot OS. I only got the card to be seen as another storage drive when I got through to the desktop.