[SOLVED] Change boot disk

goowoofa

Reputable
Dec 13, 2018
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I had Windows 10 installed on a 2.5 inch SSD and then I bought an nvme SSD, installed it and installed Windows 10 on it. I then edited the boot options to hide the old installation from the boot options and then I formatted the disk however the "Recovery" and "100 mb" partitions are still there.

Now I went to my BIOS and I changed the boot options to boot from the new one but it always gives me an error. It seems like I have to boot via the old one into the new one even though the old one technically doesn't have an OS anymore. I'm afraid that simply unplugging it could make things worse so I'm not sure how to proceed.

I can't insert images for some reason but here is what it looks like in my BIOS and the error.

View: https://imgur.com/a/H656RBj


Note that the ADATA is the new nvme SSD and the Crucial is the old SSD.

Thanks in advance!
 
Solution
Solutions:
1.
Boot into windows,download easybcd and follow a guide on how to make a drive bootable, you will have to write an mbr to the nvme, create a bcdstore on the nvme and maybe make a new entry in the boot menu to load up windows from the nvme.
That will fix it (if new drive has been partitioned in MBR), but it's going to place bootloader on OS partition. It's better to have bootloader separate from OS.
But this will not be a fix for GPT partitioned drive.
2.
Disconnect the old drive and run the windows installation media to repair boot problems, do this a few times since it needs to check certain things more than once.
This will do nothing. Automatic repair can not fix this particular issue.
3.
Best solution...
I had Windows 10 installed on a 2.5 inch SSD and then I bought an nvme SSD, installed it and installed Windows 10 on it. I then edited the boot options to hide the old installation from the boot options and then I formatted the disk however the "Recovery" and "100 mb" partitions are still there.
The windows installation will check your current system and determine which drive the boot drive is and use that to boot the new installation.
That's why every guide out there tells you to disconnect every other drive if you want a clean installation, that way the only possible boot drive will be the drive you want windows to be on.

Solutions:
1.
Boot into windows,download easybcd and follow a guide on how to make a drive bootable, you will have to write an mbr to the nvme, create a bcdstore on the nvme and maybe make a new entry in the boot menu to load up windows from the nvme.
2.
Disconnect the old drive and run the windows installation media to repair boot problems, do this a few times since it needs to check certain things more than once.
3.
Best solution since this is a new installation disconnect all old drives and run the windows installation from the beginning on the nvme drive to get a clean fresh system with everything working as they should.
 
Now I went to my BIOS and I changed the boot options to boot from the new one
You can't do that. Bootloader is on the old drive. Only drive containing bootloader is bootable. New drive is not bootable.
If you wanted it to be bootable, then during installation of windows old drives have to be disconnected.

I'm afraid that simply unplugging it could make things worse so I'm not sure how to proceed.
Your system will not boot anymore, if you disconnect drive containing bootloader.
 
Solutions:
1.
Boot into windows,download easybcd and follow a guide on how to make a drive bootable, you will have to write an mbr to the nvme, create a bcdstore on the nvme and maybe make a new entry in the boot menu to load up windows from the nvme.
That will fix it (if new drive has been partitioned in MBR), but it's going to place bootloader on OS partition. It's better to have bootloader separate from OS.
But this will not be a fix for GPT partitioned drive.
2.
Disconnect the old drive and run the windows installation media to repair boot problems, do this a few times since it needs to check certain things more than once.
This will do nothing. Automatic repair can not fix this particular issue.
3.
Best solution since this is a new installation disconnect all old drives and run the windows installation from the beginning on the nvme drive to get a clean fresh system with everything working as they should.
Yes, this will fix it too. Not the best solution though.

Best would be creating bootloader partition on new drive manually.
 
Solution