HP Elitebook 840 G1 - SSd / Hard Drive Problems

[alphanumeric]

I have reset the bios back to factory settings now. Just tried to create a new recovery disk using my mac but it's a right ball ache so I will just do it tomorrow now - fingers crossed

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html?filter > Option one > Create installation media for Windows 8.1 - Windows Help
Then http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/15458-uefi-bootable-usb-flash-drive-create-windows.html and http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2328-uefi-unified-extensible-firmware-interface-install-windows-8-a.html or http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2299-clean-install-windows-8-a.html

 

[scott7saunders]

Just wiped it a day tried to see if there was a way of selecting the HDD and there isn't :-( see the attached photo.

 

[scott7saunders]

Think I am onto something, have installed Intel rapid storage software and it appears to be managing the store space and switching between the SSD and HDD which is good. Now just need to sort out activating this VL version of Windows 8.1 using the key I took off the machine using Jelly Bean.

 

[alphanumeric]

That's weird it only shows the MSATA drive? Must be a BIOS setting getting in the way. Why does it have a VL version of Windows on it? Where did you buy it from? I'm asking because I've seen a few threads about a PC coming with a VL edition of Windows and most didn't end very well. Activation fails at some point and your left with a non legal Windows install. It may never activate if it originally used a company KMS server that is not open to the Internet for access.

 

[scott7saunders]

the VL version is because its the only ISO file that I could fine - I already have the CD key from the version i purchased via Microsoft however the downlink they provided last year doesn't work so I needed to get a version.

it activated fine with my own key.

still cant get this bloody machine going - need to look at this raid stuff - apparently I need to load the raid drivers before installing the OS .. should be fun

 

[alphanumeric]

You can get Windows 8.1 install media here, Create installation media for Windows 8.1 - Windows Help. It's mentioned as an option in this tutorial, http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html

 

[scott7saunders]

Think I have sorted it ( well most of it anyway purely down to fluke)

What a load of rubbish this whole cache idea is.

 

[alphanumeric]

It was likely a good option when SSD's were expensive. Now that SSD prices have fallen though, it hardly seems worth the hassle setting it all up. IMHO anyway.

 

[scott7saunders]

your right - I have a 256GB SSD drive here however I am going to wait till HP send me the new manual before attempting to upgrade the drive to a pure SSD.

 

[alphanumeric]

If you swap the HD out for an SSD you may as well remove the MSATA SSD. It won't be needed and will just complicate things.

 

[scott7saunders]

I know - removing it is the only option as its plumbed into the motherboard.

 

[alphanumeric]

If it's MSATA it should be removable by unplugging it. There will be one or two screws holding it in but it should be doable. Getting at it could be the hard part. If you can't remove it and don't want to see it, just open diskpart and do a clean on it. Then don't partition it or format it. If it doesn't have a drive letter it won't show up in Windows.