14 R1, hard drives configuration

Your best course of action:  boot the Windows 10 flash drive (you can make a current one from the link below) and wipe the drive clean.  Then do a default GPT setup and install Windows 10.  

After installing Windows to the hard drive, you can set up the IRST cache again (second link below).

However:

You're really going to be better off removing the cache SSD and the hard drive, and replacing both with a 2.5" SATA solid state drive.  This will be far faster than a cached spinning hard drive.  Then proceed with the install.

WIndows 10 media creation tool:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Enabling caching of the hard drive:

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000144559/how-to-enable-caching-on-msata-ssd-for-alienware-laptops

Hi @M4rtina  welcome to this user to user discussion forum.  This is not Dell Support. 

Dell Support for Alienware 14 Specifications provides information about system storage options. Your opening post says your system has one 1TB / 5400 RPM SATA HDD + 80GB mSATA SSD. This Alienware 14 has a slow HDD and to get improved performance uses fast SSD caching of the slow HDD. Your system does not have RAID 0 which requires two drives. You say: want to go back to this original configuration. There is no mention of upgrading the HDD to a SSD, but you say that a fast system is wanted. 

The performance of your Alienware 14 system can be improved with installation of a SDD in the 2.5" bay, and Corsair provides your Alienware 14 compatible upgrade options. If the HDD is replaced with SDD, the fast mSATA caching is redundant, but Windows 10 has the option to use the mSATA as virtual RAM. 

Do you want to use the existing slow HDD or install the fast SSD upgrade ? 

When installing Windows 10 as the OS(C:) drive, use the modern GPT partition table to format the drive so that the BIOS UEFI mode option can be used to speed up boot and shutdown times, and provide additional security advantages. During POST, press and hold down F2 key to enter and check that the Alienware 14 BIOS has the UEFI mode option. 

Please click on Kudos to say thank you for response from another user. Please share an update on progress, so that other users derive benefit from your experience. Thank you. 

Thank you very much! Everything's clear! I'm trying to do everything, but the installing of the system BIOS driver doesn't want to work (the message told that my battery or adapter are not plugged in) so I was wondering if I can avoid to install it and continue with others instructions, or if it would be better find a solution. thanks again

Hi @M4rtina  your system seems to be having power supply problems and is unstable. Trying to install anything will be a problem and may end up unintentionally bricking your system. Making sure that battery charge is more than 10% and having ac adapter plugged in, is a safety feature that stops you bricking laptop when trying to change BIOS version.  

Hi @crimsom and thanks for your reply! My battery doesn't charge from a lot of time, so I use only my adapter. Do you think that my broken battery could be the problem? Do you know if there is a way to disconnect my battery with some settings, without open the computer? I'm a bit afraid to open it, but if it will be necessary, I will do that. 

Hi @M4rtina  unfortunately battery disconnection requires removal of the rear panel to release the battery connector.  As the battery is old, check that it has not swollen and become a safety hazard. When the laptop battery is disconnected or removed, the 14 R1 functions as a desktop. Have a look at the video, to determine if this process is within your capabilities. 

@ejn63​ hi! 

I know im years late but I have the exact same config as op and im also looking to set it back up like it was on default factory setup. (Not looking to make it faster, just back to how it was, its just my backup laptop to do basicthingss. I first tried to install win10 on the 80gb and was faster than on the hdd. I tought I could just install the os on the 80gb and then somehow link the 1tb to it so I could use the 1tb as the c: , which obviously didnt work as the c was allocated to the 80gb). So im looking to set it up properly and im kind of stuck after multiple install attempts and messing up with partitions .. 

I need to use a usb flash drive to reinstall win 10. I have the drive, I can access it and install it.

To use the 80gb as cache, I should first install win10 on my 1tb drive, is that right? 

From there, Im kind of lost. I installed the os on the 1tb hdd, went through the initial setup but not quite sure what to do next to use the 80gb as cache. 

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks