install Windows 8 on 7720 (Inspiron 17R (SE)) and BOOT FROM THE mSATA ??

Sounds promising, so I have ordered the 7720 - and also a 256Gig Crucial M4 msata.

I'll post my results in a few days, when everything arrives...

You will probably need a Dell Windows 8 Reinstallation DVD which Dell are NOT shipping with most systems. You will have to phone technical support when the system arrives to request one. You may or may not be charged for one, depending on the support agent you contact:

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/f/4677/t/19476992.aspx

I know this is an inefficient procedure... but seems to be Dells policy. 

My guide might also be some use to you:

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/f/3524/t/19480753.aspx

Can you do with with the Australian version of the Inspiron 17r SE 7720? I've installed a 256GB but I don't have the setting in the BIOS (A11) to change the SATA operation to IRST. It seams I have a mSATA drive that I can't use except as as third drive.

It appears that you can get IRST active in the BIOS by simply by resetting it to defaults and it shows up. The only way I was able to intall Windows 8 onto my mSATA was by clean installing Win7 using the disc I have from my other Dell laptop (XPS 15). This allowed me to format  the drive and then install Win7 on the mSATA. I then purchased the Win8 upgrade after the Win7 install was complete and used it to update the OS on the mSATA. I now Win8 Pro on my mSATA. The only issue I still have, and I think it's unrelated, is that I can't access BIOS using F2 or the F12 menu (corrupt CMOS is my guess). No major issue. I was able to get drive caching to work but it was horrible and limited to 64GB despite having a 256GB mSATA. Personally I wouldn't recommend drive caching. Installing direct to the mSATA is much better.

How did it go? We managed to run mSATA 256Gig Crucial M4? I managed to install the OS on a mSATA drive? DELL support tells me that mSATA disk can be used only as a CACHE

@ACEMajky: um.... that particular example of DELL support is pretty messed up!

It went brilliantly, and  an mSATA 256G Crucial M4 is my WIN8 BOOT DRIVE, here on my 7720.

I'm very happy with this hardware, and thanks to a clean (dell-bloatware-less) install of Win8, the machine boots from SSD in SEVEN SECONDS :emotion-21::emotion-21::emotion-21:

see this link for details...

Thank you. I order too  mSATA 256G Crucial M4

How do you boot from the mSATA drive. The notebook I installed mSATA drive as you - 256Gig Crucial M4. The notebook I took both SATA drives (I have a Inspiron 7720 with 2x750HDD) and installed on the system here mSATA drive. But the PC will not boot from the disk. The only way to get into windows is to let the Windows 8 DVD in the drive and when the notebook is booted from the DVD, and I do not run the installation windows 8, so I boot Windows8 (without DVD drive in the notebook tries to boot from the network). Does not help to set the boot from the first disk or second disk or removable media.

I have BIOS version A12 (tested on A11)

How to set BIOS, or what to do to boot notebook without Windows installation DVD in the drive?

Everything's okay. After installing 750GB HDD notebook booting from the mSATA drive OK.

 Speed test under Windows 8 Pro

Toshiba 640GB 5400rpm

link

Seagate 750GB 7200rpm (original HDD)

link

mSATA - Crucial M4 - 256GB

link

Hi,

I purchased Inspiron 7720 SE 17R with 2 x 750 gb hdd and 32gb msata for caching .  It comes preinstalled with windows 8.  Is it possible to replace one hdd by 120 gb ssd for installing os.  Is it possible to install win8 from the recovery cd. Thanx in advance.

Shashi

Hi, installed windows 7 onto a 128gb msata on the dell 17r se 7720, works great but does not boot from the msata disk. I have sata option set to AHCI as specified. I can only get into windows with the windows 7 install disk in the drive, then when I added a 2nd 750 gb hdd into a drive bay I get a 'os not found' message.

How do you set the bios to boot from the msata? I can't see an option for msata boot in the bios. My msata is a plextor px-128m5m, it shows up in the bios main page. Bios currently set to defaults with ahci set.

Could you please give advice about setting the bios to boot from msata?

I have the exact same problem. Installed windows 7 onto the msata and have 2 750gb drives in the inspiron 7720.

What are the bios settings to boot from the msata drive? 

Currently windows will only boot with the disk in the drive.

Please help :)