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1343 Discussions

Issues swapping Optane SSD for NVME

Hazel123
Novice
8,166 Views

I recently bought a "nearly new" HP Pavilion 14-ce3514sa laptop (10 months old).  It has a 500gb ssd with optane.  Which all works perfectly fine but I needed to increase the storage to 1tb before transferring my files.

After much reading, I turned off optane in the control panel on the computer (and restarted), made a system image, then turned off the computer, took the back off, took out the battery, replaced the H10 module with a Samsung Evo 970 plus nvme ssd.  Re assembled everything.  Felt I had done everything by the book.

I then booted a Windows 10 media usb to achieve installing my system image, it found the image on my external hard drive, and all went well - image installed.

However the laptop then wouldn't boot.  First message was about cmos (no doubt affected by the battery being removed) - it said hit return which I did.

Next message was a blue screen with the error:  Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart.  We'll restart it for you.  Stop Code:  Inaccessible Boot Device.

 

It restarted and went to automatic repair or something - where it hung for ages and then went back to the blue screen error page.

 

Tried restarting a few times and the same.  So I tried booting from the Windows media usb again and the same thing - then from an external dvd drive and the same again.  So basically it wouldn't boot from anything at all.

 

Went into bios in case there was anything optane related in there I should have changed but there was really very little info in bios.

 

So I replaced the H10 drive and all working fine as before.

 

The Samsung nvme was brand new and is working fine.

 

Is this a firmware issue?  Will this laptop ONLY work with an H10 Optane SSD?

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20 Replies
n_scott_pearson
Super User
8,151 Views

I believe that the normal process is as follows:

  1. From the Optane app, disable Optane caching. This ensures all pending writes are completed.
  2. Reboot into BIOS Setup and reset the SATA Mode to AHCI.
  3. Save configuration and exit BIOS Setup. Once BIOS POST is complete (Splash Screen appears), power off and unplug.
  4. Replace H10 with Samsung NVMe SSD.
  5. Boot Windows in Safe Mode (use F8 at BIOS Splash Screen to initiate).
  6. Do shutdown/restart.
  7. Should boot normally.

Hope this helps,

...S

Hazel123
Novice
8,148 Views

Thanks!  I'll try that tomorrow.  I have to get an enclosure for the NVME drive so I can reformat it before I can try again.  Why doesn't the HP maintenance manual tell you that?!  There is absolutely nothing about it in there - only part numbers for replacement H10 drives.

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Hazel123
Novice
8,148 Views

Just a query though.  Installing the Samsung - it will be a blank drive.  When you say boot into windows, do you mean as if for a clean install with windows media?  I had hoped to install my system image on the new drive.

 

So if I use the windows 10 media on usb to boot into safe mode, do I then install Windows or image and then shutdown and restart? 

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n_scott_pearson
Super User
8,147 Views

No, I am presuming that you have cloned the drive at this point. If you need to clone, do so after step 1. Yes, you will need USB-to-NVMe adapter.

...S

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Hazel123
Novice
8,145 Views

Thanks.  I did the image because I didn't have an enclosure to achieve a clone!  Done it many times in the past, installed a system image on a new drive but this one is not the usual.  So clone the drive then.  I'm with you now - so when the Samsung is installed it already have Windows installed.  Not sure about point 5 "initiate"?  Also do I then leave sata mode in AHCI?

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n_scott_pearson
Super User
8,143 Views

If you clone your old image, it will be set up for Intel RST-based Optane booting. You will not be booting in this mode any longer. Booting into Windows Safe Mode fixes this issue.

If you do a new install of Windows, make sure you are using Windows 10 installation media set up properly for UEFI booting (many flash sticks from Microsoft are not properly set up) and make sure you use GPT partitioning. If you think you might have done legacy boot, delete all partitions during the Windows install.

...S

Hazel123
Novice
8,141 Views

No I checked in bios and legacy boot was disabled.  The windows usb was burned with media creator when making the iso from Microsoft ISO download - sound ok?

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n_scott_pearson
Super User
8,132 Views

Well, that part sounds ok, but remember that the change of SATA Mode in BIOS Setup (from Optane to AHCI) needed to occur before installing Windows.

...S

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Hazel123
Novice
8,120 Views

Thanks.  I am confused about changing the bios.  Can you tell from those photos whether it's AHCI?  It does say "Raid driver" at the top but then under that says non raid drive.  And I can't see how to change anything so it says AHCI.  I'm not great with bios - I usually leave them alone!  But if there's a need to change something I need to work out how.

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Hazel123
Novice
8,129 Views

In bios I just have UEFI HII Configuration.  Selecting that leads to "Intel Rapid Storage Technology".  Selecting that shows the two "drives" (the Optane 27GB and the 477GB SSD) - showing separately as optane disabled in the management app.

 

So no way of changing the sata set up to anything else as far as I can see.  Legacy boot is disabled as standard (greyed out).

 

 

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JosafathB_Intel
Moderator
8,106 Views

Hello, Hazel123.


Thank you for contacting Intel® Memory and Storage support.


As we understand, you are requesting support related to how to replace your Intel® Optane™ Memory H10 with Solid State Storage in your HP* Pavilion 14-ce3514sa laptop. If we inferred correctly, please, review the following information:


• We advise you to contact HP* since the storage device change may require you to perform some BIOS changes to use your new SSD. Please consider that HP* is the only one that can provide you with assistance related to compatibility and configuration.


• The recommendations provided by the superuser n_scott_pearson are a great way to avoid data loss and further problems before removing your Intel® Optane™ Memory.


We will not close this thread, and you can still post and share your findings with the community. If you need assistance related to an Intel® product, please do not hesitate to contact us by opening a new thread, and please submit a new question. We will no longer monitor this thread.


We hope fellow community members have the knowledge to jump in and help.


Thank you for your patience and understanding.


Best regards,


Jos B.

Intel® Customer Support Technician.


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Hazel123
Novice
8,100 Views

Thank you!  I have established that there is no way of changing my bios settings regarding the Optane drive and that the bios seem to be locked.  So it seems I cannot clone or restore a system image to my new nvme.  I am going to try a clean install though and see if that works and the drive is recognised.

As you say - if HP has locked the bios so they can't be changed, then I need to contact them but I doubt they will unlock them!  If a clean install won't work it does seem I am stuck with only using H10 drives.

I can't try a clean install straight away as now need to reformat my new nvme drive with the image on (that won't boot) so am awaiting an external enclosure for the drive so I can reformat it.

When I first changed the drives over initially, it did allow me to boot from Windows media and install the system image - it was only after that it wouldn't boot. So by that reckoning I am wondering if a clean install will boot (as it won't have optane drivers on the image).  And perhaps booting into safe mode will allow drivers to be installed on the new drive.

 

Any other suggestions most welcome.  I am totally dumbfounded by this experience, having restored images to new drives many many times before.

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n_scott_pearson
Super User
8,096 Views

I am not sure you are in the right place in BIOS Setup. The parameter to be looking for is typically called SATA Mode and I would think that it would be higher in the hierarchy than these scenes. Unfortunately, I do not know this BIOS so can't really tell you anything else.

...S

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Hazel123
Novice
8,093 Views

Thanks.  Nothing that says SATA Mode.  There is just uefi - and the above (see images).  It's an NVME drive I'm wanting to install.  The Bios are very minimal and no way of changing anything in uefi.

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n_scott_pearson
Super User
8,088 Views

I am not sure what to suggest; this BIOS looks like a steaming pile. You are going to have to take it up with HP...

...S

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Hazel123
Novice
8,076 Views
Solved. Clean install onto the new nvme (non Optane). Image or clone won’t work because computer is searching for the Optane drive which isn’t there (due to the Optane software and drivers on the image or clone). Clean install worked fine. It still installs the Optane app (via windows updates) but that is inactive and can just be uninstalled as not needed.

Bios still doesn’t show the new drive. Just shows IRST still! In the firmware I think.

But all working fine on the clean install.
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LeonWaksman
Super User
8,067 Views

Hi @Hazel123 

Please read the HP document HP PCs - Installing and Using Intel Optane

In the section How do I enable or disable the Intel Optane memory in system BIOS? you may find the information for the relevant BIOS settings (i.e. Select Advanced, select System Options, and click Configure Storage Controller for Intel Optane to remove the check).

 

Leon

 

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Hazel123
Novice
8,055 Views

Thank you.  The issue was though - there was no "Advanced" option in the bios!  The bios were unchangeable and seemingly locked down by HP.  The only solution for changing to a non optane drive was to clean install Windows - as without being able to change the bios, an image or clone of the optane drive, wouldn't install on a standard nvme drive.

 

I am sorted now thank you, with my clean install - but it was a total pain.  Had to reinstall all the programs from scratch. But Windows installed most of the drivers and I then downloaded HP Support Assistant which updated a few drivers.

 

I have nothing against the Optane drive.  It was nice and speedy. But it was 500gb and I needed 1tb storage.  While it is possible to buy a 1tb Optane H10 - not many places sell them - not widely available in the market - and they cost quite a bit more than the 1tb nvme I bought.

 

I did seriously think about a straight swap with a 1tb H10 - if I could find one from a reputable seller.  But the idea of not being able to install an image to a different drive, if you have drive failure, has put me off.

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LeonWaksman
Super User
8,062 Views

Hi @Hazel123 

Could be that the HP PCs - Installing Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage will be more applicable.

 

Leon

 

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Hazel123
Novice
8,038 Views

Thank you. Yes I've seen that article before thanks.  It doesn't really address the install issues I had.

 

As an update the HP laptop is all set up and running on a standard nvme.  It is, however, running quite warm and it's been a pain updating some drivers.  So I have now purchases a 1tb H10 Optane SSD and will restore my image onto that.  Which means I've now had to buy two nvme drives.  It seems to me that the drive, software and hardware all worked together to keep the laptop cool and the laptop runs better with the H10 drive.  All I wanted to do was upgrade the storage - from 500gb to 1tb.  At least I know my original image will restore on another optane drive.  It's just a shame the H10 drives aren't more widely available to buy (and cost about £60 more than the Samsung 970 evo plus I bought).

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