Posted 9 September 2023

Upgrading a SSD - Drive not recognized?

My elderly relative has an old HP ProBook 4530s. I am upgrading the SSD in it.

I purchased a Crucial MX500 1TB 3D NAND SATA 2.5 Inch Internal SSD to put in it.
I followed these videos exactly on how to install it:
youtube.com/wat…P4A
youtube.com/wat…xS0

However, it is not detected by the machine. I've put the old HDD back and that works, so I know I've not broken anything.

Any ideas about how I can troubleshoot it? When I try to install Windows it talks about drivers for the disk drive, but I've searched online and can't find anything.

I am installing the 32 bit version of Windows 10. (It has to be the 32 bit version, as my relative uses old software which won't work on 64 bit windows). I am doing it as a clean installation from a USB drive (i.e. I am not installing a cloned drive).
Thanks!

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9th Sep
I fitted a BX500 I think it was 3 months ago.
As a secondary drive and my pc did not like it.
Tried restarting several times, eventually I opened partition manager to format the drive.
You could put the old drive in and attach the new drive via an ssd caddy.
Format it, turn off the pc.
Swap drives, then it should work fine.
10th Sep
Personally I would clone the old drive to the new drive. Then you can do a straight physical swap and everything will just work...like magic....and it will have all the same software and files, but will have a whizz, bang, wallop faster hard drive.

To clone the old drive you can either do this in situ, using the software recommended by Crucial (I think you've mentioned it in your post or it will detailed in the instructions / leaflet that came with your SSD. To clone in situ you'll need a cable like this amazon.co.uk/Sta…h=1 which can be purchased on Amazon. Then just physically swap the old drive with the new one.

Here's the video from Crucial with all the instructions you'll need to clone via this method. It also details the free cloning software that is available from Crucial when installing a Crucial drive.

uk.crucial.com/sup…are

Alternatively if you're not confident doing it that way you can purchase an external drive caddy that has a cloning feature like this one.... amazon.co.uk/gp/…c=1 which is also sold by Amazon. With the second method you can simply insert both the old and the new drive, one in each slot, and hit clone and "Hey Presto" the drive caddy will do it all for you. Then all you need to do is fit the new drive.

If once you've fitted the new drive it doesn't recognise the full drive size you may need to fiddle with the drive partitions but we can deal with that, if and when you come to it.

Hopefully that helps. By drive cloning you'll by-pass the need for re-installing software, and ensure your unit has the correct drivers that it currently has etc. Good luck!

(p.s. you shouldn't need to make any changes in the BIOS this way...but hey, it's technology, so......) (edited)
15th Oct
Macrium is a great SSD copier - free version available
10th Sep
If the answer is yes to the question
is the SSD seen by BIOS?
then highly likely it's the Intel RST driver that is required during installation,
otherwise if the SSD is not seen by the BIOS...

So let's stay positive and assume the BIOS sees the SSD and the fix will be injecting the RST driver during W10 32bit installation.
Optionally be confident and don't even bother check if the SSD can be seen in the BIOS and just crack on with sorting the RST drivers.

The formal solution to acquiring the drivers is exceptionally dull and presented further below for reference.
Let's make it marginally less dull and definitely easier by acquiring an old RST W10 32bit-friendly package from Dell (as I can't immediately find similar on HP site):

On a functioning internet-connected Windows device, download Dell's RST A03 version from
dell.com/sup…mg5

Run the download and extract (repeat: extract) the contents to a new folder of your choice/naming on your W10 32bit installation stick.

When the extraction tool finishes its work, click the lefthand "View Folder" option to check the contents of the extraction in the folder on the USB stick that should include
Drivers -> Production -> Windows10-x86

With the SSD refitted to the antique 4530s,
re-attempt W10 32bit installation,
and when asked to "Load Driver" you know you will be able to find the 32bit RST drivers in the
Windows10-x86
folder.

Good luck.

==============================================
Formal Intel RST source & driver extraction ramble:
intel.com/con…tml
noting how to extract the driver files (suitable for use during W10 installation from USB)
refer to section 6.3 of the Readme file: Pre-Installation of Intel® RST driver using the Load Driver method.

Further very dull reading / sources at
intel.com/con…tml
and
downloadmirror.intel.com/773…txt
10th Sep
If the bios/uefi doesn't show the SSD you won't be able to detect, partition or format it in windows or from a bootable device.

Check the connection and check if the BIOS set to sata or achi? Should be on ACHI ideally on a modern system.

Have you downloaded the latest windows install iso and created a bootable USB stick?

If you're windows installer is too old, it might not be able to detect everything correctly.

Do you have an external usb caddy you can try it in, on this or another system?

You could then try cloning the current drive to the SSD in the caddy.

I've never encountered a DOA SSD that's supposed to be brand new and blank. But I suppose it's possible.
9th Sep
I'm not familiar with these machines - is there anything in the BIOS that needs changing.
Do you need to upgrade BIOS first whilst the old drive is in situ?

could any of this be relevant
uk.crucial.com/sup…ort

(edited)
9th Sep
So it's not detected in the BIOS settings?

If that's the case then it'd typically be a physical issue with it not being connected correctly so I'd double check it's properly seated.
9th Sep
Try loading up partition manager and formatting it.

I forgot the exact way to do it I just press windows button and type partition

This happens a lot with new drives. (edited)
9th Sep
I used this, needed one as wanted to use the old drive for encrypted files.
amazon.co.uk/dp/…h=1
Author
10th Sep
So it's not detected in the BIOS setting
@EndlessWaves

the HP ProBook 4530s has a hardware test built into the bios. When I run the test for the hard drive, it says "fail". Does this mean it can't see the drive at all, or is it just a formatting issue?

Unfortunately, I don’t have another system to check the drive on. I don’t have a caddy either, but it sounds like I will need one to clone and format the drive, so I will pick one up.

Thanks to everyone that replied to this thread, and all the suggestions of caddyies and other tips as well.
10th Sep
No need for caddy / clone if the SSD is seen in BIOS and the issue is simply the wonderful MS W10 32bit installation media not containing the RST drivers.

Using the prev indicated procedure it will take less than two minutes to download + extract the RST drivers to your W10 32bit installation USB.
That's two minutes well-spent, even if there is some other issue preventing successful installation.

HP even shouts about the
no drives can be found during Windows 11 or Windows 10 installation
RST driver issue on multiple pages at its website,
although HP hilariously points the frustrated user to the HP 4530s driver page that doesn't contain the (W10) RST drivers
support.hp.com/gb-…-16
hence the suggested alternative source for RST drivers in prev post.
Author
14th Sep
@tardytortoise, @jameshothothot, @bigwheels, @Diogenes007, @C0mm0d0re_K1d, @AndyRoyd

I've found the problem!

The old HDD comes in this Cradle:

The installation videos say you are supposed to put the new SSD into the cradle.

However, I find when I use the cradle, the computer can't see the drive. If I plug the drive directly into the laptop without the cradle, then all works fine.

The cradle is screwed down, which I guess is to keep the drive in place when the laptop is moving.

1) Is therefore safe to use the SSD without the cradle? (the installation videos all use the cradle).

2) Should I tape the SSD down to keep it in place if I am installing it without using the cradle?

Also, I notice the connectors on the SSD are a bit squished:

3) Is this normal for the connectors to be like this? Is this why it doesn't fit with the cradle?

Thanks for any help! (edited)
14th Sep
My guess is that when you screw the drive into the cradle, you are shorting the drive out to the ground in the chassis and so it works.

That could be a poor design of the SSD (where the screw can touch the electronics), or it could be a fault in the SSD where there is an internal short between something and the SSD

It would probably work fine if you left it loose in the case, but personally, I would not trust it and return it for a refund/replacement.
Author
14th Sep
My guess is that when you screw the drive into the cradle, you are shorting the drive out to the ground in the chassis and so it works.
Thanks for taking the time to reply! Just to clarify, it's the other way around: When the new SSD is screwed into the cradle, it does not work. It only works when the cradle is not used (and no screws are used to hold it into place).
15th Oct
slot drive into the aperture in the machine.

get a strip of firm foam, 3/8 to 1/4 square and pack it at the back of the ssd ( instead of original HD case)

screw down lid

the foam will absorb any shocks ( dense foam from |PC / electronics packing is best)

post a picture of disk receptacle for further advice.

ps the ssd connectors look OK