[Q] How to install additional SSD and Windows 7 on HP Envy 17-3270nr

[q_hung]

Hi All,

I intend to buy the HP Envy 17-3270nr with an additional SSD on Amazon and would like you to advise/ instruct me the followings.

- Do I need to buy the cable and a caddy/ frame (I do not know how to call it!) for the SSD? Can you recommend the types, models that fix with the SSD?

- What are steps to re-install Windows 7 on the SSD?

Thanks in advance.

[coreshooter]

First the cable for the second hdd compartment is already installed. All you need is the caddy AND SCREWS (which you won't get if you order the hdd kit from HPs store). I've seen people recommend a caddy kit from newmodeus which seems to work.

Steps to reinstall windows is first make your backup, then shut down, undo the battery connector (not sure if it's necessary but I did it as a precaution since I always take out the battery before I change any parts and in the envy you can't physically remove the battery), take out the hdd, replace it with the ssd, plug the battery pins back in, then put your recovery discs/usb stick in and it'll ask if you want a full reinstall (with all the factory preinstalled bloatware) or a minimal one. Choose whichever and you're done. Your machine will boot up and shutdown in the blink of an eye.

[shrike4242]

First the cable for the second hdd compartment is already installed. All you need is the caddy AND SCREWS (which you won't get if you order the hdd kit from HPs store). I've seen people recommend a caddy kit from newmodeus which seems to work.

Steps to reinstall windows is first make your backup, then shut down, undo the battery connector (not sure if it's necessary but I did it as a precaution since I always take out the battery before I change any parts and in the envy you can't physically remove the battery), take out the hdd, replace it with the ssd, plug the battery pins back in, then put your recovery discs/usb stick in and it'll ask if you want a full reinstall (with all the factory preinstalled bloatware) or a minimal one. Choose whichever and you're done. Your machine will boot up and shutdown in the blink of an eye.

I went through this exact process and can add some additional info to it.

1) Do the restore to a USB drive if you can because it'll go a lot quicker. You'd need a 32GB drive to do it, as the restore data takes up 19GB. No disc swapping and will be faster on the USB drive.
2) Minimal install will restore OS + HP apps, though it won't restore NIS 2012 or Photoshop Elements + Premiere Elements. If you plan to use those apps after the reinstall, set up a Norton Account for the NIS serial number and a Adobe account for the PSE 10 & PRE 10 serial numbers. You'd just reinstall it from the demo versions of those programs and use the serial numbers saved away.
3) I'm assuming full install will put everything back, though I had seen people recommend minimal install for a cleaner install.
4) The NewModeUS install kit works great, though you don't need the included SATA cable. The 2nd HDD cable is already present and you'd use that one.
5) I installed a Crucial m4 256GB mSATA drive in the mSATA slot (and if you do this, it has to be the boot drive) and a 256GB Samsung PM830 2.5" SSD into bay one. My Seagate 750GB hybrid HDD went into bay 2.
6) Bay #1 (left-most bay) is SATA3 and Bay #2 (right-most bay) is SATA2. The HDD is installed from the factory in Bay #1. The mSATA port is SATA3.
7) You can also do a complete clean install of Windows from a Windows 7 SP1 DVD and use your serial number from inside of the laptop. You'd need to download the ISO image from the Internet (completely legal for the ISO download, Google search it to find it) though you'd need to reinstall the drivers and apps from the SWSetup folder. I'd recommend copying that to a flash drive or DVD before you do the reinstall.

[q_hung]

Thanks all for your detailed instructions. Once I order and get the machine in hand, I may continue asking you if I have problems (hope that it would be fine!)

[shrike4242]

Sure. Happy to help.

[JSHidaka]

Hi All,

I intend to buy the HP Envy 17-3270nr with an additional SSD on Amazon and would like you to advise/ instruct me the followings.

- Do I need to buy the cable and a caddy/ frame (I do not know how to call it!) for the SSD? Can you recommend the types, models that fix with the SSD?

- What are steps to re-install Windows 7 on the SSD?

Thanks in advance.

like eveyone said.

I dId order mine from Amazon too and bought a M4 128gb ssd, both arived the same say.

Like ppl recommend, use a 32 gb USB to make the restore disk, since if you use DVDs t takes like 3 hrs, since it prepare the data, write it, then verify it, 5 times so can get an idea.

After making the backup, I did moved the HDD to the second bay, and did put the ssd in the first bay, used double side tape.

Boot from the recovery, I did choose "factory recovery" it did format both drives, installed windows on the SSD, and made the recovery partition in the second HDD. All the process takes near 2hr( probably faster if you have the recovery in the USB)

Eveything is fine and really fast, it boot up in 18~ secs, ready to use. I didn't find it had unnecessary programs, but I guess it depends on everyone's taste,

[q_hung]

After making the backup, I did moved the HDD to the second bay, and did put the ssd in the first bay, used double side tape.

Very creative! One way for cost saving!

Can I use an external HDD to make a restore disk instead of a 32 GB USB?

[EchoWars]

Just an FYI, I've a lot of experience with the double-sided foam stuff, and it tends to let go after a while (year or so) with even mild temperatures. Gets kinda toasty in a laptop, so I'd not be trusting it to hold an SSD in place for the long haul.

[shrike4242]

Very creative! One way for cost saving!

Can I use an external HDD to make a restore disk instead of a 32 GB USB?

I'd recommend the USB stick over the USB hard drive, as I think the installer program probably expects a USB drive. Amazon has a Transcend 32GB drive on sale today only for $13.99: Amazon.com: Transcend 32 GB JetFlash 500 Retractable USB Flash Drive - TS32GJF500E (Black): Electronics (4 out of 5 stars with 372 reviews). NewEgg has 32GB drives for $18 and up as well, plus Amazon likely has a number of them besides this Transcend one for comparable prices.

Just an FYI, I've a lot of experience with the double-sided foam stuff, and it tends to let go after a while (year or so) with even mild temperatures. Gets kinda toasty in a laptop, so I'd not be trusting it to hold an SSD in place for the long haul.

Same here. When I was RAM testing my Envy, it was getting up around 73-74 C, so that's pretty toasty. I'd always want to go with a caddy over tape, and it's not that much in comparison to the entire laptop's price.

NewModeUS was very easy to deal with and it looks like a good piece of equipment. No reason to skimp on it to save a few dollars.

[JSHidaka]

I'd recommend the USB stick over the USB hard drive, as I think the installer program probably expects a USB drive. Amazon has a Transcend 32GB drive on sale today only for $13.99: Amazon.com: Transcend 32 GB JetFlash 500 Retractable USB Flash Drive - TS32GJF500E (Black): Electronics (4 out of 5 stars with 372 reviews). NewEgg has 32GB drives for $18 and up as well, plus Amazon likely has a number of them besides this Transcend one for comparable prices.

Same here. When I was RAM testing my Envy, it was getting up around 73-74 C, so that's pretty toasty. I'd always want to go with a caddy over tape, and it's not that much in comparison to the entire laptop's price.

NewModeUS was very easy to deal with and it looks like a good piece of equipment. No reason to skimp on it to save a few dollars.

Could be true about the doubleside tape, But when I was moving the HDD to the second bay, noticed that it was so tight that dont really need the screws to keep the HDD there(I did put them) but after seen that, did the same thing with the SSD, put tape in both sides of the disk, didnt remove the "plastic" from the outside side of the tape, did put like 1 inch in the top of the disk and did insert it with a little pressure in the first bay(less than the pressure I had to use to insert the HDD).

But if you can wait for the Caddy, sure its nice and easy.