XPS 15 9530 P31F - 'inaccessible boot device' boot problem

Question

Brand new (1 wk old) XPS 15, equipped with 32gb SSD and 1tb HDD. Preparing to do two things:

a) swap 1tb HDD with 1tb SSD; continue to use this as boot drive

b) swap 32gb SSD with 500gb SSD - to use only for data storage

Windows 10 upgrade no problem. Programs installed to HDD (Photoshop, etc; Office; many others).

Cloned 1tb HDD to the 1tb SSD; no problems there; SSD standing by for install.

Then in reading up further in forums - regarding the 32gb SSD found copious forum notes that its function is for Intel Rapid Start, and that I need to disable that in BIOS.

Regarding swapping the HDD for the SSD, found forum notes that SATA mode must be changed to AHCI for the new 1tb SSD to work.

So, booted up to BIOS screen and changed 2 settings:

a) SATA changed to AHCI

b) Intel Rapid Start disabled

On reboot, got the "Inaccessible Boot Device" error and computer tried to reboot. Failed to reboot, so after manually shutting off and turning the laptop back on, managed to get to a repair screen and selected option to get back to my BIOS settings; changed both of the above back to their defaults. Computer now boots up normally.

However I am not certain how to proceed to swap out both drives now without perhaps getting this error again.

Can I change out the 1tb HDD for its 1tb SSD clone without changing SATA to AHCI?

Can I change out the 32gb SSD for a 500gb SSD without disabling Intel Rapid Start?

If "yes" to both of these questions, and assuming I can swap in and boot up the 1tb SSD, do I then need to go back into BIOS to make these changes once both drives are replaced, without getting "inaccessible boot device" error screen?

Are there any other BIOS changes are necessary to use the new SSD's in the manner first described? (that is with the swapped in 500gb msata as a data drive only (not as Intel Rapid Start) and the swapped in 1tb SSD as my OS drive)

Thanks in advance for any assist.

DELL-Ravi Ch · Answer

Hi,

mSATA drive uses the SSD technology to make the system faster. If you replace the normal mechanical hard drive with SSD hard drive the IRST technology feature would be nullified.

So if you plan to replace the existing 1TB mechanical HDD with a 1TB SSD the system would be faster but an option for extra storage will not be available.

The second option to replace the 32GB cache drive with 1TB mSATA drive is better option as you will get extra storage option. As IRST technology is nullified you will need to change the SATA operation to AHCI and perform OS reinstallation on the computer.

356_RDennis · Answer

I think I understand what you're saying - makes perfect sense that IRST would be nullified. And I understand need to change SATA to AHCI.

However I don't quite understand your note about replacing the 1tb mechanical HDD with a 1tb SSD would result in no option for additional storage. Can you explain this further?

Does this mean the mSATA drive without IRST installed would not work if the mechanical drive is replaced with the 1tb SSD?

DELL-Ravi Ch · Answer

Hi,

Once you change the SATA operation to AHCI the mSATA can no longer be used has a cache drive it can you used has a normal additional partition.

32GB + 1TB would be less storage than 1TB mSATA + 1TB normal mechanical drive.

Locked Topics – Laptops General

XPS 15 9530 P31F - "inaccessible boot device" boot problem

Was this post helpful?