Solved Issues replacing Optane ssd with nvme

Hazel123 · Feb 6, 2022

NavyLCDR said:
Do you have a USB flash drive created directly from Microsoft's own Media Creation Tool?

Yes. That wouldn’t boot either. It will now I have the old drive back in.

Hazel123 · Feb 6, 2022

I am thinking maybe a firmware thing. If the incorrect drive type is installed it won’t boot from anything at all. Although that doesn’t explain why it would boot from usb when the new drive was blank.

Hazel123 · Feb 6, 2022

Unless it’s firmware that decides nothing will boot if windows is installed on an incorrect drive.

Hazel123 · Feb 6, 2022

NavyLCDR said:
Nothing that anyone is talking about - drivers, secure boot on/off, AHCI v. Raid, Intel VMD enabled/disabled, IRST drivers, UEFI v. CSM - will affect whether the physical drive is shown as connected in the BIOS. Those would only affect if and how Windows would recognize/interface with the drive. The possibilities for the drive not showing up on the drives list in BIOS:

- Corrupt BIOS - not likely since it works with the Intel Optane (assuming H20) SSD installed
- Motherboard failure - again not likely
- Incorrect installation - was the NVMe inserted all the way into the slot? Was the hold down screw installed? Probably installed correctly - if the hold down screw was installed and not cocked.
- Incompatible SSD - Hewlett Packard used to have hotlists embedded in their BIOS (especially for network cards). Only those components allowed by HP would be recognized by the BIOS. There used to be BIOS hacks available to disable their hotlists. I think HP dropped this practice years ago. You can download the service manual for your specific computer from HP and see if it mentions something like that. You can also see the SSD options available from HP for that computer.
- Finally, defective SSD - I had two brand new SSDs (both ADATA brand) that behaved the same way in my Asus motherboard. Sometimes the computer would boot from them, sometimes not. I then discovered when they did not boot, they were not recognized and on the list of drives in BIOS. The third replacement I ordered was a Samsung and had zero problems with it.

The plan to get an NVMe to USB enclosure is a good one, it will allow you to use the removed SSD, and it will also allow you to test the new SSD, if you don't have another computer to install it in to test it.

Checked the maintenance manual and no mention of specific drive manufacturers. But it lists part numbers for replacement drives. Which might suggest it will only work with an Optane ssd. I am not sure if it’s H10 or H20. The model number is HBRPEKNX0202AH. That’s for the 477 Gb ssd part of the drive. The model number for the Optane part is the same but with an A on the end.

Seems to be H10 according to hard drive benchmark site.

Winuser · Feb 6, 2022

If I'm understanding @NavyLCDR correctly than I agree. There may be a problem with the NVME drive. When you get the USB enclosure You hopefully should be able to reformat the drive. What I would do is format the NVMe drive then install it in the laptop. If the drive is recognized I would do a clean Windows 11 install. If everything is working OK, I would then restore the image of the C partition and just the C partition from the old drive over the C partition on the new drive. If it works you will not lose anything. You may have to resize your drive C partition.

Winuser · Feb 6, 2022

I know you have a laptop, but I did almost the same thing with my now old desktop. I took the SSD from my old old desktop that didn't have Optane memory and replaced the HDD in the desktop that did have Optane memory. The desktop booted, installed all the correct drivers and activated. I don't see why it shouldn't be that easy for you.

NavyLCDR · Feb 6, 2022

@Winuser's plan is a good way to proceed!

Winuser · Feb 6, 2022

NavyLCDR said:
@Winuser's plan is a good way to proceed!

I do hope that it works that easy. I truthfully don't see why it shouldn't. On my now old desktop it worked that easy.

Winuser · Feb 6, 2022

@Hazel123, If there is nothing wrong with the new NVMe drive it should be as the say a piece of cake. If there is no problem with the new drive I don't think you should be having the problems you posted. If you can do a clean install and it works, A image restore of just the C partition should put you back to where you were. Nothing lost and a working Windows 11.

Hazel123 · Feb 6, 2022

Thanks. It will be interesting to see if I reformat the new drive, install it and clean install windows 10 - if the same thing happens or not. I did post on the Intel Forum just now as well (seeing as they make the blooming things). I thought they'd just refer me on to HP, but did get this response (which assumes I've cloned the new drive - which I could do when I get the enclosure). I did point 1 already. So the only thing different is booting into safe mode then shutdown and restart. That's if it will boot! I have installed images on new drives many many times and as you say - it should be easy and quick. It's something to do with the Optane and firmware I think - but see what tomorrow brings - when I get time. It was supposed to be a quick job today!

"I believe that the normal process is as follows:

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

Hope this helps,

NavyLCDR · Feb 6, 2022

@Hazel123,

As a precaution, I would recommend that you have the Intel IRST drivers on the USB flash drive before trying to clean install Windows 10. You can get them here:

Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Driver Installation Software with Intel® Optane™ Memory (10th and 11th Gen Platforms)

The Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) Driver (18.7.6.1010.3) supports the configuration and enabling of multiple features.

www.intel.com

I would download both .zip files, extract the contents to different folders on the USB flash drive. You can put them right on the Windows 10 installation flash drive, as long as there is space available.

Hazel123 · Feb 6, 2022

Thanks. Another response from Intel. This might be it?

"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."

In which case a clean install should work.

Hazel123 · Feb 6, 2022

One other thing though. You're supposed to have the latest bios before changing the drive. HP support assistant updated them when I got the computer and says it's up to date. But on the HP site for the model it's showing another more recent set of bios. So maybe bios isn't the latest one. Hmm. HP Support program says it is and nothing to download. And Intel said to change Sata to AHCI in bios - I have no idea how to do that in my bios! It does say Raid Driver on this photo - does that mean it needs changing to AHCI?

NavyLCDR · Feb 6, 2022

Hazel123 said:
One other thing though. You're supposed to have the latest bios before changing the drive. HP support assistant updated them when I got the computer and says it's up to date. But on the HP site for the model it's showing another more recent set of bios. So maybe bios isn't the latest one. Hmm. HP Support program says it is and nothing to download. And Intel said to change Sata to AHCI in bios - I have no idea how to do that in my bios! It does say Raid Driver on this photo - does that mean it needs changing to AHCI?

View attachment 21010

You don't have anything connected by SATA - only by NVMe. Look under Storage Controllers in Device Manager. You will see the type of driver listed there and it should be NVMe drivers.

Berton · Feb 6, 2022

Referring to your other thread this is what mine shows:

Hazel123 · Feb 6, 2022

NavyLCDR said:
You don't have anything connected by SATA - only by NVMe. Look under Storage Controllers in Device Manager. You will see the type of driver listed there and it should be NVMe drivers.

Thanks. Just have this in device manager. The two parts of the single drive - the optane part and ssd part. When going into properties can't see anything that says nvme. And do have the latest bios installed already so no issues there - just checked.

Hazel123 · Feb 6, 2022

For storage controllers I have this. It has confused me a bit that the guy from Intel said I need to change Sata to AHCI in bios. But if he says it's the optane drivers in the image/clone that are stopping the bios booting that would suggest that a clean install would work.

NavyLCDR · Feb 6, 2022

Hazel123 said:
For storage controllers I have this. It has confused me a bit that the guy from Intel said I need to change Sata to AHCI in bios. But if he says it's the optane drivers in the image/clone that are stopping the bios booting that would suggest that a clean install would work.

View attachment 21014

The way that I have handled that in the past is to right click on the top three Intel(R) entries one at a time and select uninstall. Do not check the box for removing drivers. Then go into msconfig and set Windows to boot into safe mode the next time. Then shut down - hold down the shift key when you click on shutdown from the power menu to make sure you get a complete shutdown (if you have Windows fast startup enabled). Then make your changes to the system such as replacing the Optane SSD with a standard NVMe SSD. The next Windows boot will be into safe mode, then you can cancel safe mode booting in msconfig and the new drive controller driver will install.

I experimented with Intel VMD driver vs. NVMe driver, and that's the way I was able to switch between the two without re-installing Windows.

bobkn · Feb 6, 2022

Hazel123 said:
For storage controllers I have this. It has confused me a bit that the guy from Intel said I need to change Sata to AHCI in bios. But if he says it's the optane drivers in the image/clone that are stopping the bios booting that would suggest that a clean install would work.

View attachment 21014

Interesting. The attached is what I have. (I haven't updated "My Computers" yet. System 1 is now Intel, Z690 chipset.)

Hazel123 · Feb 7, 2022

NavyLCDR said:
The way that I have handled that in the past is to right click on the top three Intel(R) entries one at a time and select uninstall. Do not check the box for removing drivers. Then go into msconfig and set Windows to boot into safe mode the next time. Then shut down - hold down the shift key when you click on shutdown from the power menu to make sure you get a complete shutdown (if you have Windows fast startup enabled). Then make your changes to the system such as replacing the Optane SSD with a standard NVMe SSD. The next Windows boot will be into safe mode, then you can cancel safe mode booting in msconfig and the new drive controller driver will install.

I experimented with Intel VMD driver vs. NVMe driver, and that's the way I was able to switch between the two without re-installing Windows.

Thank you. It’s starting to make sense now. Allowing a driver for the new nvme to install and preventing Optane blocking that. Suggests Intel is controlling the computer! And now you mention fast start up. I had forgotten about that. In some older computers I has to turn that off just to get into bios or boot from a usb. Could be an idea to turn that off. But I’m getting inclined towards doing a clean install now. The only difference is a few installed HP programmes that aren’t available to redownload on the driver download page. One is just an audio control to switch easily between mic and speakers. The other though is supposed to help with cooling. The rest of the pre installed software are apps which can be reinstalled (one is for the speakers and the sound is quite good for a laptop).

And having used it without Optane enabled for a day it’s fast enough and I am not going to miss the Optane.

Although it’s sounding like even with a clean install I’d need to remove Optane drives from the bios. I seem to remember right clicking didn’t do anything but I’ll look again.