How Can I Increase My Laptops Storage Space
I use a Dell 15-5577 laptop with 8GB of memory for music production and graphic design. The problem is that its 256GB SSD is not enough to store all my projects. An external drive is not an option because I want everything in the same drawer and its a pain to carry it everywhere with me. I need help with how to swap out my existing SSD with a larger capacity one, say 512GB. While Im at it, should I also upgrade memory?
The Dell Inspiron 15-5577 was sold as an affordable 15.6in gaming laptop with an Intel Core i5 or i7 Kaby Lake processor and an Nvidia GTX 1050 graphics chip. It costs from £799 to £1,299 depending on the processor, graphics, storage and type of screen installed. It also has an Ethernet port, three USB 3.0 ports and a full-size SD card slot.
Reviews suggested the base-level screen was somewhat lacking and one said the 256GB SSD was slow. However, if your machines screen meets your needs then it is a good specification for your purposes.
Now you can get extra benefits from its ability to handle upgrades. You should certainly be able to do these yourself, with the help of the service manual and couple of YouTube videos.
Theres only one screw to hold the back on your laptop, so physically installing an M2 SSD and an 8GB memory module is a two-minute job. With some upgradeable laptops, it can take longer to get the back off.
Can I Add A Ssd To My Hp Laptop
The first step is to unscrew and remove the sides of your computer towers case so that you can see the internal hardware and wiring. If you want to access the motherboards hard disk and SATA ports, make sure you have unobstructed access. The second step is to insert the SSD into the mounting bracket or a removable bay.
Find Currently Installed Memory Specifications
specificationsmaintenance and service guideIn the Maintenance and Service GuideMemoryIn the notebook specifications documentMemory
- Amount of memory installed: Check the current amount of memory installed on your computer, and then go to the Verify how much memory you can add section in this document.
- Maximum memory supported: Subtract the amount of memory already installed from the maximum amount supported by the system to determine how much memory to purchase. You can also buy the maximum amount allowed and replace the currently installed memory. Then go to the Confirm the maximum memory supported by your Windows version section in this document. Use the lower of these two numbers as your maximum memory.
- Type of memory : HP recommends purchasing the same type of memory for each slot. For the best performance, purchase the fastest memory the motherboard supports.
caution:Some motherboards are not able to configure memory modules with different manufacturers, or different CAS or density values. To ensure your memory is compatible, make sure all SO-DIMMs have the same part number.
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Finding Memory Information For Your Computer Model
Product Information
Upgrading The Internal Drive
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This option isnt as easy or cheap, but we have to mention it anyway. If you can open up your laptop, you can replace its internal drive with a larger drive or insert a second internal drive, in the off chance that your laptop has a second drive bay. Upgrading your laptop is often possible, but its definitely more work than quickly plugging in an external storage device!
This is an especially good idea if your laptop has a slow mechanical drive not to get more space, but to upgrade it to a much faster solid-state drive. An internal solid-state drive will be much faster than a Micro SD card or USB flash drive. Its the ideal upgrade if you need additional storage space thats as fast as possible.
The next time you get a laptop or tablet with a small amount of storage space and need more, just pick up a Micro SD card or low-profile flash drive. If you know someone whos complaining about not having enough space on their current laptop, one of these devices could make a great and cheap gift.
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Installing Memory In Your Desktop Computer
note:If someone other than HP installs or upgrades the memory, any damage caused by the memory and/or by a person trying to install or upgrade the memory is excluded from coverage under the product warranty. The customer assumes all risk and liability for damages for any such installation or upgrade.
note:Important! You might find that your HP or Compaq computer is able to support a physical installation of 4 GB or more memory. However, this maximum memory might be further limited by the operating system not being able to address the full range of physical memory. 32-bit operating systems, such as 32-bit types of Windows 7, Vista, and XP, can address approximately 3.3 GB. This limitation is present on all 32-bit hardware and 32-bit operating systems and is not limited to HP and Compaq PC systems or Microsoft software operating systems. See Maximum memory supported by operating system for more information.
Opening The Access Panel To Install Memory In Your Desktop Computer
warning:The edges of metal panels can cut skin. Be careful not to slide skin along any interior metal edge of the computer.
caution:This product contains components that can be damaged by electrostatic discharge . To reduce the chance of ESD damage, work over a non-carpeted floor, use a static dissipative work surface , and wear an ESD wrist strap connected to a grounded surface.
note: If you need product model specific graphics and instructions for opening the PC, search for a support article that specifically pertains to your computer. In the Search field at the top of this page, type your computer model number, a space, and the words “opening the case.”
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How To Upgrade The Ram Ssd And Hdd In The Hp Omen 15
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Gaming laptops like the HP Omen 15 are killer mobile computers. Configurations can pack an Intel Core i7 processor, GTX 10 series GPU, 16GB of RAM, and solid storage performance thanks to M.2 technology. That said, even with the available horsepower, it’s possible to add even more power to the notebook.
Today, we’ll be taking a look at how you can add the RAM, replace the mechanical HDD, and even replace the M.2 stick that houses the Windows OS.
Formatting The New Drive
In order to use the new drive, you first need to initialize it and have Windows create a partition. Luckily, Microsoft has made this a fairly straightforward process and you’ll be installing games in no time at all.
Here’s how to get the new SSD working in Windows 10:
Select Disk Management.
Select one of the partition styles:
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Next.
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Way 2 Remove Unwanted Programs
The HP Stream 11 Widows 10 not enough space issue can occur when you installed many space-consuming programs. If you no longer need them, uninstall them to free up disk space. To do so, right-click the Start menu and select Programs and Features or Apps and Features. Then right-click the unwanted program and select Uninstall. Repeat these steps to remove other unnecessary programs.
You Can Upgrade Your Drive Use External Storage Or Use The Cloud
When you buy a laptop, you probably chose it based on its specifications. One of those was likely the size of its storage system. Over time, the drive may fill up before you’re ready to replace the laptop.
Thankfully there are lots of ways you can get more storage on a laptop. Some are more expensive or require more technical skills than others. So choose the solution that best suits your needs.
The MacBook line of computers has not allowed the internal expansion of storage since 2015.
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Buy A Compatible Internal Hard Drive
You need to make sure that you buy the right type of hard drive that will work with your version of HP Pavilion desktop. To start off with, you need to get a SATA type hard drive for it. SATA hard drives are newer and better performing drives as compared to IDE ones, that were used in computers almost 2 decades ago. Try to buy a HP hard drive but if you cant, then make sure that whichever brand you opt for is compatible with your desktop.
How To Install An M2 Ssd
1. Before you begin your installation, you should back up everything to an external drive.
2. Next, access your laptops innards. On the Aspire E 15, there is an obvious access door on the underside thats held in place with just a few screws. If you are uncertain how to access your laptops parts , refer to the manufacturer website or manual or Youtube.
3. Now, get a small magnetic Philips-head screwdriver and carefully remove the screw in the stand-off. This stand-off is needed to hold the drive in place. Exercise caution because if you drop that screw and it rolls into your laptops innards, youre in big, big trouble.
Tools of the trade
Our laptop came with the mount and screw in place, and most should, but we have heard of a laptop missing the mount and screw. If your unit doesnt have one, you can get one on . The mounts are usually universal. Thats a crazy amount of money for one screw, but unless youre willing to A-Team it with Duct tape and a more generic machine screw, this might be the easiest way.
Gordon Mah Ung
5. As with RAM, insert the M.2 card into the slot and then tilt it flat. Now with a magnetic screwdriver install the screw back into the mount while holding the drive flat.
Gordon Mah Ung
Use your magnetic screwdriver to return the screw to its stand-off to hold the M.2 drive in place.
7. With the image restored, boot into Windows and prepare to be amazed at the responsiveness of your laptop.
Read on to see just how much that SSD helped.
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How To Choose An M2 Ssd: Sata Vs Pcie
Before you get all excited and run out to buy an M.2 drive, you should know that not all M.2 SSDs are the same. In fact, they vary so much so that its possible the drive you buy might not work at all without making changes to the BIOS.
Even though they use the same connector, M.2 drives can support either the older SATA interface or newer PCIe interface. PCIe can be far faster and is preferred, while SATA is more compatible with older machines.
For our Aspire E 15, we intentionally picked the WD Blue 1TB SATA SSD for its compatibility. The M.2 slot in the Aspire E 15 does support PCIe drives as well as SATA drives but it will not boot to a PCIe device without changing from UEFI to legacy BIOS support.
Mentioned in this article
The difference is that UEFI is modern and features Secure Boot, which theoretically guards against malicious attacks by requiring signed drivers and a signed OS.
Another reason you may choose a SATA M.2 over a PCIe drive is price. SATA M.2 drives tend to be far more affordable than PCIe drives.The 500GB version of the WD Blue drive we used was going for $110 when we wrote this. A 512GB WD Black M.2 PCIe SSD was going for $173.
Finally, while PCIe drives can offer 1.5x to 3x the performance of a SATA drive, a lot of people would be hard pressed to tell the difference in most applications.
Gordon Mah Ung
The slot for the M.2 drive is right next to the RAM. Youll need to remove the screw before you mount the drive.
How To Increase Capacity
Let’s face it, files are getting larger with each passing day. Movies can quickly take up a massive amount of space on a PC and the HP Envy x2 is no exception. Luckily, although the manufacturer offers 128GB and 256GB versions of the device, depending on requirements, there’s also a microSD slot that can lend a hand.
All you need to do is buy a microSD card and throw it inside the tablet. Can’t figure out how to insert a microSD card into your HP Envy x2? It’s easy, just follow these steps:
And you’re done! Just make sure Windows 10 is okay with the expanded storage by formatting the card ahead of use.
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Best For Seekers Of Max Capacity In An M2 Pci Express Drive
Pros
- Rocket Q line includes rare 8TB option
- Fast 4K read and write scores in Crystal DiskMark
- Five-year warranty
- 8TB and 4TB models have high costs per gigabyte
- Low write-durability ratings at each capacity versus Samsung’s QLC-based QVO SATA SSDs
Looking to upgrade your aging laptop? You can do only so much without a fabrication plant or a tech-savvy witch doctor at your service. In most cases, your options are limited to three: Wipe the machine clean, and reinstall the operating system and your programs add more RAM or install a new hard drive or a solid-state drive .
Many laptop users may be surprised to find that option No. 3, using an SSD, is the single most effective update they can perform to an older machine. An SSD upgrade is especially dramatic if the laptop relies on a platter-mechanism hard drive.
Some upgrades speed up a system only under certain circumstances, or with certain programs. An SSD, though, can make an older machine feel snappy and fresh across the board. If you’re using a platter drive, replacing it with almost any recent-vintage SSD should show a clear benefit when you’re booting up, launching programs, opening large files, loading game levels, and performing many other everyday computing tasks.
Turn Your Computer On And Configure
Turn the power on and your CPU should boot up normally. Once it does and youre on your home screen, head on to Settings and open the disk management window. After that, just click on the Initialize Disk option for your hard drive to be read by the computer. Follow the on-screen steps to finish the configuration process, and youre done!
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How To Add Second Hard Drive To Hp Pavilion Desktop
You might think that you can just get an external hard drive instead of opening up your PC. Secondary drives have their own benefits, but thats for a different discussion. We have compiled a step-by-step guide for you to follow so that you can install a secondary drive in your HP desktop with ease.