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‎12-10-2016 11:18 PM

HP Recommended
Product: hp envy 4 1003tu
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)

Hi,

 

I have a hp envy 4 1003tu and I want to upgrade its storage to ssd but I don't want to discard my hdd.. And I googled that my unit has an msata port.. 

 

Now my question is, is it possible to install an OS to the mSata drive of my laptop? I still hasn't bought an msata though cause I want to make sure that it is possible to install OS to it.

 

I'm considering to buy a 120gb mSata ssd  for storage upgrade. And can anybody show me or point me to a step by step guide of installing the OS to the msata drive.. I have a windows 10 OS to install.

 

Thanks a bunch.

 

Leny

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

‎12-11-2016 05:14 AM

HP Recommended

Can't be done. The laptop is part of an earlier hardware era where the mSSD can only be used as acceleration cache to speed up a mechanical hard drive. If a 2.5 inch SATA drive is in the machine the mSSD cannot be the boot drive so your ultimate goal of an mSSD and a hard drive, with OS on the mSSD cannot be achieved. There are folks who have loaded a bootloader on the hard drive to start boot and hand over to the mSSD but that is highly technical and prone to breaking every time Windows updates so not recommended. 

 

This is why when you look in the manual it speaks of a 32 gig mSSD. Never intended to be for storage or to hold the OS. 

 

The only way for you to have SSD speed is just to install a 2.5 inch SATA SSD. 1 TB ones have come way down in price. The mSATA on these is not as fast as the current type mSSDs in any event and a 2.5 inch SATA SSD is just as fast or faster. 

 

If this is "the Answer" please click "Accept as Solution" to help others find it. 

View solution in original post

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2 REPLIES 2

‎12-11-2016 05:14 AM

HP Recommended

Can't be done. The laptop is part of an earlier hardware era where the mSSD can only be used as acceleration cache to speed up a mechanical hard drive. If a 2.5 inch SATA drive is in the machine the mSSD cannot be the boot drive so your ultimate goal of an mSSD and a hard drive, with OS on the mSSD cannot be achieved. There are folks who have loaded a bootloader on the hard drive to start boot and hand over to the mSSD but that is highly technical and prone to breaking every time Windows updates so not recommended. 

 

This is why when you look in the manual it speaks of a 32 gig mSSD. Never intended to be for storage or to hold the OS. 

 

The only way for you to have SSD speed is just to install a 2.5 inch SATA SSD. 1 TB ones have come way down in price. The mSATA on these is not as fast as the current type mSSDs in any event and a 2.5 inch SATA SSD is just as fast or faster. 

 

If this is "the Answer" please click "Accept as Solution" to help others find it. 

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‎12-11-2016 08:00 AM

HP Recommended

Thanks for the reply, I guess I'll have to buy a 2.5 inch ssd then.

 

Thanks again!

 

 

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