Hello,

I am receiving my new W520 today and want to install a Intel 310 mSATA SSD. Yesterday, I started reading posts at Lenovo that some people have problems with SSDs and Master and hard drive passwords. After setting those passwords, the SSD is unusable. What makes me most upset, is the answer of Lenovo that SSDs other than the the offered ones are not supported!

Link to the forum entry

Does anybody have experience with that type of problem? What is your configuration

UEFI/legacy BIOS
BIOS version
SSD type
Master and/or hard drive password
SSD working?

Thanks a lot for your help!

MCheiron

It's the 'not supported' that you will be fighting. Heck, Lenovo just released a BIOS this week that even supported the 310. Keep your data on the original mechanical drive...lots more room anyway. What can you fit on an 80GB SSD after the OS goes on? Not much ...

hi there
my sig. - has things you concerned about and THATS WHY I didnt add "hardware" passwords or our coperate 'encryption' (had to get official exemptions to do that) on my laptop(s). I also have a t420s with SSD (no raid) and that also has had major issues from DAY ONE with 'password' ,,,,,
so unless you really need that feature I would add that to SSD untill lenovo /IBM sort out their mess. if you do need it I would go with normal HDD.

as I compromise I have tested with a hybrid drive (non raid) and it works nicely and boots times are like any SSD with added bebefits. pity cannt use this drive in RAID ( well havnt tried so cannt say for sure what it will do)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822148591
(No I dont work for this supplier nor work for Lenovo....)

Since most of the issues HAS BEEN documented in the above link.... and I am not sure if any of them been resolved by lenovo ,,,,
Hope this helps throw some light on this 'password issue' and is off some help to someone else

Cheers

Thanks for your answers. I am planning on using the 310 as boot drive and an HDD as data drive.

Ausmike, I was also looking into the hybrid hard drive, but have for now decided on the SSD/HDD configuration. I guess, I will skip the hardware password for now, even though, I always liked the idea that my Thinkpad is hardware locked.

Harryc, where is that BIOS update you mentioned? The latest one I can find is from 5/19, version 1.25. For me, it would be great if the 310 would be supported now, but I think they really need to get their stuff together and figure out that mess. It is pretty disappointing.

Thanks, MCheiron

I was referring to an X220 BIOS...don't know what's available for a W520.

I'm running two of these hybrid drives in raid with no issues, even using the bios passwords. Boot time is good but the two disk, 10K WD raptor raid array, I run on my desktop is noticeably faster (just opinion, never did any tests). One thing I did notice is that the laptop seemed to run noticeably faster after I went from 8 to 16 gig of ram.

Thanks for all your answers. I skipped the power on password for now and will see how things are developing. The hybrid drive might be a solution. Good to hear that they work.

Thanks again, MCheiron

@Ao*...
can you please advise which model TP, and if you using the exect drive that i had the link from?

my Wseries (sig) has 2 i.8 drives in RAID , so am willing to try the full size via 'ultrabay'....<< fingures crosed' !!

...... however am having GREAT ISSUES with USB3.0 ( it jsut so slow ) doing "FILE MOVE" from one dir to a Seagate GoFlex 1.5TB plugged to usb 3.0 seems to crawl ,,,, often it jsut saying "........calculating" .....and I have so far exchanged 4 of these 3.0Usb had drives. I have 1^GB also and not wanting to mess with this setup too much (constant use work laptop)...



Thanks in advance