Replacing HDD with SSD but laptop has 24GB SSD already

[AdamDDoo]

I am having a hard time upgrading my Hard disk in my laptop to a SSD (Samsung 840 EVO 500gb). My laptop is the Lenovo Y510P. Here are the specs:

i7 processor, 16 GB of memmory, Nvidia GT755 video card with 2GB of memmory, DVD R/W drive in the ultra bay.
It also has a 1TB hard disk with a 24 GB SSD.
I did not order it with the SSD. But they added it anyway. I won't complain too much.

I suspect it's the little caching drive that is getting in the way of successfully cloning or reinstalling the OS onto the SSD. I am able to get the bios to see the SSD, but have been unable to get it useable. I have also been able to get Windows 8 to see the drive when it's connected via USB3 cable. In other words it is useable as an expensive external hard drive, but not why I bought it.

I am concerned that I will need to remove the SSD. It's a memory stick similar to a SDIMM. But it also looks like it's screwed down but I'm not sure. Any suggestions?

Thank you!
-Adam
(FYI, I use this to produce 100 mega pixel images in Photoshop.)

 

[qwertyDS]

its mSATA ssd you can just remove your hard drive and place the ssd into the place where the hdd was, you can keep that msata ssd anyways it will work.

 

[AdamDDoo]

its mSATA ssd you can just remove your hard drive and place the ssd into the place where the hdd was, you can keep that msata ssd anyways it will work.

Thanks for your reply. However, if that is true, then the problem is something else! Let me try to add more detail about my previous attempts.

I tried to use Samsung's cloning tool to clone the HDD to the SSD but it would give up saying that it was not able to copy all the data from the HDD.

I also tried to just swap the drives and do a system restore with a USB3 flash drive with a recovery data. When windows 8 tried to reformat the SSD, it would get to about 50% done and stop, saying that it could not complete it.

(I wish I could be more detailed at this moment, but I'm trying to do this from memmory while I'm at work. )

-Adam

 

[qwertyDS]

I suggest to install fresh OS into the ssd and just copy the most important data from hdd to ssd also before installing windows enable AHCI in bios since it has to be enabled to fully use ssd potential.

 

[AdamDDoo]

I suggest to install fresh OS into the ssd and just copy the most important data from hdd to ssd also before installing windows enable AHCI in bios since it has to be enabled to fully use ssd potential.

Thanks. I will reply with more data after my next attempt. Either tonight or tomorrow night.

 

[popatim]

The problem is that the system is in raid mode to enable intel's caching solution.
In the bios chage the sata type to AHCI and you will be able to install windows.

You can't clone as most usb3 ports are not available (no drivers) from the clone boot disks and usually raid isn't either so it (cloning) is pretty much a lost cause on your laptop.