SSD Upgrade Inspiron 11 3000 (3162/3164)

There's no way to install a second drive in this model - the 32G drive is a soldered-on eMMC chip, and there will be no SATA port inside the system.  If you want to use it, you'll need to mount that drive in a 2.5" USB 3.0 case and run it externally.

Twas a bad buy.  However, I got it in a pinch to cover me until I decided on a "real" laptop replacement.  I tried to update the RAM, but the inside was totally different then the service manual so I said.. Nah !!!  I keep taking things off and windows 10 kept loading back with updates.  I've run out of things to remove. LOL.  I'm going to see if I can find a way to shut off windows update and delete some of the old ones, and just use the thing to watch Vids while I sit outside and drink beer.  "Maybe".

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@Phil817 wrote:

Twas a bad buy.  However, I got it in a pinch to cover me until I decided on a "real" laptop replacement.  I tried to update the RAM, but the inside was totally different then the service manual so I said.. Nah !!!  I keep taking things off and windows 10 kept loading back with updates.  I've run out of things to remove. LOL.  I'm going to see if I can find a way to shut off windows update and delete some of the old ones, and just use the thing to watch Vids while I sit outside and drink beer.  "Maybe".

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The simple fix with the laptops with 32 GB eMMC hard drives is to move all your personal files such as photos to a microSD card or a USB flash drive.

Do a clean installation of Windows 10.

Install drivers starting with the chipset.

Run Disk Cleanup after every Windows 10 update.

Simple.

did all that and still no room. this computer was a waste of money

That's the problem with these laptops. 32 GB is not enough to install your programs or store your files as Windows 10 takes up close to 20 GB of space, leaving you with less than 10 GB that will quickly get filled up with temporary files, internet cache and other miscellaneous stuff.

My neighbor has one (not sure which model) that I call a tablet made to look like a laptop, and I'm pretty sure that the internal storage in his can't be upgraded. It does have a spot for a hard drive, but I'm pretty sure that the SATA interface is absent from the motherboard as well as the caddy bracket.

Welcome to the Dell Community  @Jenmay20 

Sorry @nyc10036 it's not that simple.

There are a few options but it takes some time and experience???

I am an "Expert" on the HP forum and a member has worked out a few options.

Updating Windows 10 OS on an HP Stream with 32 GB eMMC memory

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebooks-Knowledge-Base/Updating-Windows-10-OS-on-an-HP-Stream-with-32-GB-eMMC/ta-p/6999369

It is for an HP but the process is the same.

Good luck,

U2

NOTE:

The post is a year old and I am not sure how the process would handle the most recent W10 updates???

@Jenmay20   Clean installation of Windows 10 which means elimination of the recovery partition has worked and does work.  Doing a factory restore of Windows 10 will not work.

There is a difference!

If you don't think it's "simple", so be it.  Who am I to argue with an "expert"? LOL.

The alternative option is to toss away the laptop. Not my laptop.

I have done as I have outlined multiple times. 

@Kflash08   32 GB makes the owner of the laptop have to work harder.  The better option is to buy the models with the 64 GB.

Once you do as I have outlined, then the laptop will be fine for the future. 

I have owned and updated Windows 10 on multiple laptops  Lenovo, Dell, Acer, HP with 32 GB eMMC drives.

@nyc10036 

If you would have taken the time to read the link you would see it is not that "simple"

A fresh W10 install can take up to 50+GB.

And to try and cram that all onto 32GB "29.8GB Formatted" is not simple.

And yes I do have an "Expert" rank with HP.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/456585

Best regards,

U2

AKA: REO51ST

Don't need to read the link.

I know what to do.

Never had the problems about fresh W10 install taking 50+ GB.  LOL. Shrug.

.

Yes it was a bad purchase, but there is a solution not mentioned at all: replace the motherboard for a Dell Inspiron 11 3164 which has a Pentium N3710 cpu and one SATA connector. It also has a connector for DDR3L SODIMM memory (the L after 3 stands for Low voltage). I reused a 4gb chip, but recently I read on another article that also works with a 8gb module! Mmmm...something to investigate in the future!.

I made the same mistake than everybody else by purchasing a 32gb emmc, and although I managed to allocate portions of Windows 10 (after a clean installation) on a micro SD card I was not happy with the 128gb capacity of the card reader and I did not want to expend more than $100.00 to make this toy useful. (Dell wanted $400.00 plus the value of my purchase error to exchange it!). I purchased a motherboard and reused the memory, and an old mSATA to SATA converter card. This was a 7 mm. enclosure, then I had to remove the cover (the thinnest ssd doesn't let you close the keyboard part) and I am using the mSATA to SATA card bare. Today I have a faster laptop with 500gb of SSD capacity, total cost? $85.00 CDN and nothing over heats. I hope it helps you!

I did the same as Hermelindo, I went to parts-people.com, looked for the correct motherboard upgrade by entering in the Dell service tag number; it showed P75YT for my wife’s 3162. It was out of stock, so after searching the internet I found one for $86 including shipping. This motherboard has a SATA connection to mount a SSD and also a DDR3L slot for memory. I went to the local micro center, bought a 240gb SSD and a 4gb ram, had issues trying to clone the old hard drive because there wasn’t enough storage to download the cloning software, so I booted up windows with a usb and started clean. Now my wife has a great laptop! The only issue as previously mentioned: you will need to grind down some plastic on the bottom laptop cover to close up the computer, I took a Dremel with a rotory file and ground down some plastic spacers to close up the unit. Even after that there is a ever so small hump under the keyboard, but it doesn’t bother my wife. So personally, we couldn’t just trash the laptop, I would rather swap some components out and have enough capacity for future upgrades. We put about $120 into this project and we are pleased with the results, we would of payed about $380 for a comparable new netbook device.  

@Hermelindo​ 

Hello! And thank you for the tip on switching out the motherboard to get more space by using a SSD. I recently switched to the same Motherboard you got with a 8gb RAM and a 500gb Samsung SSD. However I am having some issues (not surprising because I know next to nothing to building or rebuilding PC/Laptops lol). My laptop just beeps loudly when I attempt to turn it on. It is 3 beeps, silent then 3 beeps and continues this pattern. I've checked all the cords and plugins thrice but unsure why it would beep. Could it be that I am trying to use a Samsung SSD and for w/e reason it is rejecting it? Any feedback would be great!