Clean install Windows 8.1, lost recovery image, SSD Cache stopped working and I have no idea how to fix it.

[esxu]

Hey guys, a couple weeks ago I bought an Asus S551LB which comes with a 24 GB SanDisk SSD for cache. But when I got it it was way too slow, so I decided to clean install windows 8.1 instead of updating through the store. SO all was well until yesterday I realised,, to my horror, that the 24 GB disk is 100% Free and there are no read/write stats in the Task Manager. I tried installing Intel Rapid Storage Technology, but it turns out it only works with a RAID SATA.

I tried installing ExpressCache, but I found no official files on the Asus site, so I had to resort to looking for the files around forums, until I came across the Installer from Lenovo. But, as my luck should have it, it has not worked...

Anybody know how I can make the SSD start working as cache again?

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I wouldn't mind reinstalling Windows 8.1 as I have nothing valuable on it and I have the installation DVD with me, so suggest anything, as I saw that I need to have no OS installed to change the SATA options, as at this moment I only get AHCI as an option in the Bios.

 

[esxu]

For anybody with the same problema running an ASUS S551LB, I found the fix. You need to download and install the IRST driver from the ASUS page. It is installed by running PNPINST64: Driver

And then download and install ASUS' own version of ExpressCache: ExpressCache

Then follow the instructions in this link :

>1.) Open an elevated command prompt and type diskpart.

2.) type "list disk" (note the drive number of the SSD).

3.) type "select disk n" (n= the drive number found above)

4.) type "clean"

5.) type "exit"

6.) Now that you are back to the normal command prompt, lets navigate to the ExpressCache directory. Do this by typing "cd C:\Program Files\Condusiv Technologies\ExpressCache\"

7.) type "ECCmd -partition" (this tells ExpressCache to use the whole SSD drive)

8.) You're DONE! to confirm that it is working, you can type "ECCmd -info" and ensure that it starts showing you some caching statistics.

Just make sure you reboot between installing IRST, ExpressCache and between *ECCmd -partition* and *ECCmd -info*.