I need recovery media

[TzortzisG]

Finally found some time to take a closer look. Yes, it's the same (the one and only) manual......

To me it looks like a case of either/or. The SSD goes "under" the HDD or in place of the HDD, also the laptop muste be retrofitted with the correct (SSD) connector. To the left is the USB board. Am I missing sth?

[TzortzisG]

As I mentioned above I'd like (when I have more time) to find a youtube or review with pics of your model, cause HP has really done a half-baked uploading of the manuals on this series.

[TzortzisG]

Update/correction

I don't know WHAT they're talking about in the manual.... I just found a motherboard replacement guide for HP 15-da0012dx and it's like you said HP 15-da0012dx Motherboard Replacement .

Also one HP forum member actually uploaded his mobo pic: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Boot-and-Lockup/CMOS-battery-for-HP15t-da000/td-p/7939662 The manual is talking nonsense.

[Try_again]

Yes, the picture in the https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Boot-and-Lockup/CMOS-battery-for-HP15t-da000/td-p/7939662 post matches my 15-da3019cy with the battery and optical drive removed.

I see what you mean now, the SSD view in the manual page 48 & 49  is wrong.  The SSD bracket and connector board are shown where the HDD is and you can see the optical drive connector right next to it which is next to the HDD.  I thought maybe they had just rotated the view of SSD picture but no.   Page 41 and 42 correctly show the HDD to the left of the battery and the SSD or Optane  to the right.  The Optane is used as a cache to speed up systems with the slower HDD so wouldn't make sense that both could not be installed at the same time.

[TzortzisG]

- Page 41 and 42 correctly show the HDD to the left of the battery and the SSD or Optane to the right. The Optane is used as a cache to speed up systems with the slower HDD so wouldn't make sense that both could not be installed at the same time.

Wow (for carching that) and yes, the optane matter troubled me too. I don't know what they were thinking when they concocted this cockamamie sorry excuse for a manual. I pity anyone relying on this to upgrade his laptop.....

- So it would seem no Optane in this laptop. Which should make it that much easier to install an SSD if I decide to. Providing the SSD connector board is there.

Actually......it would have been nice had there been an optane installed on this system as well. Cause then we'd know for sure that the appropriate ssd hardware was mounted. If you bought one of these machines with a SSD, the chance that there would NOT be hardware to connect a HDD was (at least) 98%. In your reverse situation, I'd say a (maximum of) 25% there NOT being the necessary hardware to mount a SSD. They usually had the m.2 port installed as well, but there have been unluckies that posted on this forum with many different models and were given an empty gaping space for a m.2 port. What I'm getting at is that it would be wise for you to open the laptop and see with your own eyes that the bracket and connector are there BEFORE purchasing anything. This is what I'd do.......

[Try_again]

Yes,  I had the thought of opening the case to verify the M.2 parts are there as well.  Don't look forward to having to open it up twice.  I just had to restick one of the bumpers that had come off from being removed 3 years ago.  Put on fresh double stick tape.  Would be nice to be able to verify the original parts config by model and serial number.  Likely if there is no Optane they did not include the M.2 parts as a cost savings.   Every penny counts in these things.

[TzortzisG]

I like the way you think 🤣

But no, actually the m.2 hardware was usually there. I think the reasoning was: If someone got a laptop with a m.2, why would he want to go back to a slowpoke spinner hdd. But on the other hand, if someone got one with a hard drive, he'd probably want to upgrade sooner or later (obviously to the faster solid states). Of course they didn't allow for dual storage in the first scenario.... to save the pennies you mentioned. It's just that you can't rely on usually.