HP cloud recovery tool not seeing new drive

[attempt16]

Hello,

I have an HP Spectre X360 14inch (Model # 14-ef0013DX), that I am trying to replace the m.2 drive in. 

I have tried both the regular windows 11 installation media tool and the HP Cloud Recovery tool, nether work. The drive is recognized under F2-Diagnostics, and passes the drive diagnostics.

The regular windows 11 installation media does not list the drive when I try to install it, and in the command prompt running diskpart + list disk does not display the drive. I tried the following drivers: 

• Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) Driver 19.5.8.1059.2
• Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) Driver 20.2.6.1025.3

Windows 11 does not recognize any of the VMT drivers as compatible.

When trying to use the HP Cloud Recovery Tool installed on my USB stick, I get the following error screens:
"Failed to get disk size Error code = [0x000001B1]"

"Recovery not supported under current configuration, please enable acceleration option for Intel Smart Response Technology and try again"

I do not see any options in my BIOS for Intel RST or anything related to drives in Configuration tab.  My BIOS is Insyde version F.30. These are all of the options in my BIOS under the configuration tab.

• Language
• Virtualization Technology
• Hyper-Threading
• Fan Always On
• Action Keys Mode
• USB Charging
• Battery Remaining Time
• Adaptive Battery Optimizer
• Keyboard Backlight Timeout
• High resolution mode on USB-C DP alt mode dock
• In-bag detection
• Auto Resume
• Wake on Touch

The other tabs on my BIOS are Main, Security, Configuration, Boot Options, Exit.

Im not sure what to try next, any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Deep_World]

Hi  @attempt16 
 
Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thank you for reaching. I understand you're replacing the SSD in your HP Spectre x360 14-ef0013dx and that the new drive is detected in the BIOS diagnostics but is not recognized by either Windows Setup or the HP Cloud Recovery Tool. Let me check and help you with this . 

Could you kindly confirm the below details :  

• Does the original factory SSD still work correctly if reinstalled?
• Was the replacement SSD brand new, or was it previously used in another system?
• Are you using the HP Cloud Recovery USB created specifically for your product model?

In the meantime, kindly try the following steps:

1. Perform a BIOS Reset (Link for steps - click here )
   • Shut down the notebook.
   • Press and hold the Windows + B keys, then press and hold the Power button for 2-3 seconds.
   • Release the Power button while continuing to hold Windows + B until the BIOS recovery screen appears.
   • Follow the prompts and restart the system.
2. Verify SSD Detection in BIOS
   • Press F10 at startup to enter BIOS Setup.
   • Check whether the SSD is shown under storage information.
   • Since the drive passes F2 diagnostics, this helps confirm hardware communication.
3. Clear Existing Partitions (if applicable)
   • If the SSD was previously used, connect it to another computer and remove any existing partitions before retrying the recovery process.
4. Try an Alternative Recovery Method
   • If Windows Setup cannot detect the drive and HP Cloud Recovery reports Intel RST-related errors, testing with another compatible NVMe SSD (if available) can help determine whether the issue is related to SSD compatibility or recovery environment detection.

I hope this helps.