Windows 10 from USB recovery media reinstall fail

Newcad

It does sound a bit odd.

But as long as Windows is installed on the spinner and working then fair enough.

Many laptops work with just the one drive.

(I am wondering why the install seems to have bypassed the SSD though? I'm on my phone so will see what I can find later when back on big-screen).

[Deleted User]

You don't have an SSD on that model, you have:

16GB Intel® Optane™ Memory, 1TB SATA 5400RPM 2.5" HDD

The 16GB Intel Optane is not an SSD - it is simply a cache so you will never be able to install the OS - so you've done right to reinstall the OS on the 1TB HDD.

Make sure you install the Intel Optane drivers if you haven't already to use the speed boost from the Intel Optane cache fully.

Newcad

Thanks, that explains it.

All the info I'd seen suggests there should be at least a 256GB M2 SSD in there, but manufacturers do make different variants.

Presumably it has been fitted with one of these in the M2 slot:
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/intel-optane-memory-16gb-m.2-module-hard-drive-boost-cache-mempek1w016gaxt-hd-08h-in.html

Which should give almost SSD like performance using just the one HDD.
(Saving manufacturing cost).

roytom2

Thanks again.
I’ve never opened up this laptop but was told by a sales representative at the time (March 2019) that the Optane memory was on the mainboard of the laptop and could *not* be pulled out for replacement with something bigger - I was stuck with it. There’s a sticker on the laptop that clearly states 16gb Intel Optane memory installed. This  “drive”showed up during the Windows 10 installation routine as another drive labelled with letters and numbers. Then the physical spinning hard drive was shown as sda, sda1 etc
Ive checked Device Manager and installed all the missing Intel drives using the Windows Update etc
regards 

Newcad

Even if it is a stick like the one I linked above you may not be able to replace it with an SSD. (At least not easily).

It's one of those situations where you'd have to open it up and take a look to see what is actually in there.
Which isn't something most of us would do unless we were changing or upgrading something.

Then if it is a 'stick' the question is of whether you can, or even want to, replace it with a M2 SSD.
It can sometimes be done, but it needs changes to be made in the BIOS - settings which may be 'locked-out' so you can't change them. (Which may be what the sales person was meaning).
If you are thinking of going that route then you're probably best contacting ASUS support for advice.

All in all though if Windows is now installed and working OK on the HDD then I think I'd just stick with how it is.
After all that is the way ASUS built it to work.

roytom2

ASUS Vivobook X510UA Further to the much appreciated help I received before I've now decided that the 1TB hard drive may be causing the problems.

So for the first time I've opened up this notebook and I attach a photo showing the 16GB Intel Optane memory that as, described above, does indeed occupy an M.2 style slot. It has PCI Express written on it - is this significant? Also Newcad suggested this may be able to be occupied instead with an M.2 NVMe, although this might not work and changes would need to be made in the bios settings etc.

In the meantime I've resigned myself to obtaining a slim hard drive to replace the existing one as the usual ones don't fit.

The use of M.2 storage is more complex than I thought as I've read there's 2 Types of M.2 SSDs: SATA and NVMe
TIA

Bonhomie

roytom2 said:

ASUS Vivobook X510UA Further to the much appreciated help I received before I've now decided that the 1TB hard drive may be causing the problems.

So for the first time I've opened up this notebook and I attach a photo showing the 16GB Intel Optane memory that as, described above, does indeed occupy an M.2 style slot. It has PCI Express written on it - is this significant? Also Newcad suggested this may be able to be occupied instead with an M.2 NVMe, although this might not work and changes would need to be made in the bios settings etc.

In the meantime I've resigned myself to obtaining a slim hard drive to replace the existing one as the usual ones don't fit.

The use of M.2 storage is more complex than I thought as I've read there's 2 Types of M.2 SSDs: SATA and NVMe
TIA

Yes you can utilise an NVMe SSD and a 7mm 2.5" SATA SSD if you wish. But either will do if you don't wish to buy both.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MFBLN7K
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08PC43D78/

I'd go for the NVMe @ £36
The SATA SSD is a 7mm model that that will fit too if you feel the need to buy both. Of course you should remove the old HDD anyway. I wouldn't both to try to clone the old HDD but to run a clean install. You can pull any data off the old HDD at your leisure.

I didn't check for the cheapest prices, as I'm on holiday  

J_B

Bonhomie said:

I didn't check for the cheapest prices, as I'm on holiday  

Aren't you always 'on holiday'? 

Bonhomie

J_B said:

Bonhomie said:

I didn't check for the cheapest prices, as I'm on holiday  

Aren't you always 'on holiday'? 

 
 

roytom2

Well I got hold of a spare slim hard drive to replace the one in my Asus X510UA and after a bit of a struggle I got Win 10 (downloaded previously) to install on it - the problem was it didn't seem to know where to put its bootloader. I think this is because the Optane memory is confusing things. But it is working now.
The Disk Management app shows things as follows....

Disk 0 is the new hard drive and Disk 1 I assume is the Optane drive but its not used at all - what am I doing wrong?
I read about the Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management app - so I tried to install this but it won't run giving the following error ...

Any suggestions gratefully appreciated.
TIA