Best replacement drive for Lenovo 11e yoga 5th gen

[Holly77]

Any recommendations for a replacement drive for a Lenovo 11e Yoga 5th generation?  Pentium with 8gb ram.  It's a small size nvme.  I can only see used/refurbished ones for sale.  The original is a hynix.  HFM128GDHTNG-8510B

[r0cketbev]

Hi Holly,

 

Scan Computers M.2 SSD

 

You need a 2242 sized m.2.

 

RB

[Holly77]

Thanks

[Holly77]

Well this laptop is giving me a headache.  The existing drive can't be erased by the usual means.  Seems to be encrypted by Lenovo and secure nvme erase fails (and there's no PSID number).  There is no Lenovo Thinkshield erasing option in bios anywhere (AI tells me some enterprises removed it from bios with firmware).  And the downloadable Lenovo erasure software doesn't work.  Because this model is supposed to have thinkshield in the bios.

 

Hence thought I'd just replace the drive.  The ones at scan are 2tb and expensive.  Also they only have the M slot.  The current drive is B+M.  I found one on ebay - same model of drive (hynix).  Exactly the same issue!  (It probably came from a Lenovo as well).  I've been reading around this a bit and either the laptop is encrypting the drives as soon as they are put in the machine, or the drives have the encryption built in - which only Lenovo erasure software will work on apparently.

 

Does anyone know much about this?  I could just use the existing drive, but then would have to remove the drive if selling it at some point, if it can't be erased.

Edited August 21, 2025 by Holly77

[Rob_D]

You can get compatible 250 or 500Gb drives on amazon for £25-30.

Have you tried using OS install media format the drive down?

[Holly77]

I think that's the only solution really, just do a "clean" option when resetting windows.  I think any other drive would become encrypted once installed, by the firmware.