Internal SSD Showing as an Ejectable HDD on HP Envy (2024 model)

[MJ59762]

Hello,

I recently purchased an HP Envy x360 laptop and installed windows 10 on it, but the internal NVME SSD (WD PC SN740) shows as a hard drive and disc drive in task manager, device manager, and on the task bar. It is strange because it showed as an SSD in windows 11 before and I have also had this same issue when I installed windows 10 on my Steam Deck. I do not know for sure if it is affecting performance, but I am afraid accidentally ejecting it will break windows. I have also seen many others who have the same issue but never found a working solution so I hope others seeing this will also find a solution. I also asked on the microsoft community but never got an answer.

I do not have RAID enabled

I ran CHKDSK, SFC/Scannow, and winsat formal on the command line (No errors found)

I installed all required and optional updates inside windows, installed the AMD drivers from their software, and all others through driver hub

I have heard it could be a BIOS issue but there are no storage options in the BIOS

Specs:

AMD Ryzen 5 8640HS

8GB Ram LPDDR5 6400MHz

512GB SSD

Radeon 760M Graphics

[Sneha_01]

Hi @MJ59762,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

The issue you're experiencing, where the NVMe SSD is showing as an ejectable device, is typically due to a configuration or driver issue rather than a hardware problem. Here are several steps you can take to try and resolve this:

Update NVMe Driver

1. Download the Latest NVMe Driver: Visit the Western Digital website and download the latest NVMe driver for the WD PC SN740 SSD.
2. Install the Driver: Follow the instructions to install the driver. This may help Windows recognize the SSD correctly.

Update BIOS

1. Check for BIOS Updates: Visit the HP support website and check if there is a BIOS update available for your HP Envy x360 model.
2. Update BIOS: Follow the instructions on the HP website to update your BIOS. Updating the BIOS can sometimes resolve issues related to hardware recognition.

Configure Device Properties

1. Open Device Manager: Press Win + X and select "Device Manager".
2. Locate the SSD: Expand the "Disk drives" section and locate your WD PC SN740 SSD.
3. Open Properties: Right-click on the SSD and select "Properties".
4. Change Policies: Go to the "Policies" tab and ensure that "Enable write caching on the device" is checked. Uncheck "Turn off Windows write-cache buffer flushing on the device" if it’s checked.
5. Apply and Restart: Click "OK" and restart your computer.

Disable Hot-Plugging in BIOS

Even though you mentioned there are no storage options in your BIOS, it's worth double-checking for any setting related to hot-plugging or SATA configuration:

1. Enter BIOS/UEFI: Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing F2, F10, Esc, or Del during startup).
2. Check Advanced Settings: Look for settings under Advanced or Storage Configuration.
3. Disable Hot-Plugging: If you find any option related to hot-plugging, disable it.
4. Save and Exit: Save your changes and exit the BIOS.

Registry Edit

1. Open Registry Editor: Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to NVMe Settings: Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\storahci\Parameters\Device.
3. Create New DWORD: Right-click on the right pane, select "New" > "DWORD (32-bit) Value", and name it TreatAsInternalPort.
4. Set Value: Double-click on the new entry and set the value to 0.
5. Restart: Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Ensure Proper Driver Installation

1. Reinstall Chipset Drivers: Sometimes reinstalling the chipset drivers can help. Download and install the latest chipset drivers from the AMD website.
2. Run Driver Verification: Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run verifier to start the Driver Verifier Manager. Follow the prompts to verify installed drivers.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

Rachel571

HP Support

[MJ59762]

I tried to install drivers from the WD software and it said it was up to date and when trying to manually install drivers I git this error.

I also did some registry editing to set it as an internal device and it still shows as an external HDD or Disc drive.

The BIOS on my laptop is very limited with there only being options for security and other misc CPU options (Nothing about storage or NVME controller).

[Sneha_01]

Hi @MJ59762 

I'm sending out a private message to assist you with the next course of action. In order to access your private messages, click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile Name.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

Rachel571 

HP Support