Cloning Hard Drive to SSD Error - Boot & System Partition are on different disks?

[wirey856]

Hi, I'm running out of space on my current 120gb 850 EVO and I purchased a 500gb 850 EVO to replace it. I also have a 1TB HDD that was the original hard drive installed as well. I have all 3 plugged in, and I have tried cloning my hard drive with several different programs unsuccessfully.

Samsung Data Migration - Starts and fails right away

Macrium Reflect - Successfully copies everything over, but when I unplug my 120gb and try to boot to the new 500gb, I get a windows blue screen with error, nothing bootable

EaseUS Todo Backup - when I try to do the system clone, I get a message that says i have to pay to upgrade because my Boot Partition and system Partition are not on the same disk.

Please help, I really don't want to have to do a fresh install.

 

[ArtPog]

Can we assume your current boot drive is the 120 GB Samsung and that's the drive you want to clone? So the destination drive is the 500 GB Samsung, right?

No problems with the current boot drive; it boots and functions problem-free?

And you've properly connected the 500 GB SSD, right?

When you've undertaken the disk-cloning operation did you disconnect the 1 TB HDD? That's usually a good idea since it once contained an OS.

 

[wirey856]

Can we assume your current boot drive is the 120 GB Samsung and that's the drive you want to clone? So the destination drive is the 500 GB Samsung, right?

No problems with the current boot drive; it boots and functions problem-free?

And you've properly connected the 500 GB SSD, right?

When you've undertaken the disk-cloning operation did you disconnect the 1 TB HDD? That's usually a good idea since it once contained an OS.

Correct, boot drive is 120gb and destination is 500gb. Now that you ask it, every once in awhile when I turn on my computer, I get a black screen that says no bootable disk, I then turn it off and back on, and it boots up normally.

I did unplug my 1TB HDD that was the original boot drive before, and my computer now shows the same black screen that says no bootable disk. When I plug it back in, its boots up normal. What have I done? Here is a picture of my disk management screen. http://i64.tinypic.com/vzvq10.png

 

[ArtPog]

I'll respond in some detail, but before doing so...is the current 120 GB SSD boot drive MBR or GPT partitioned?

 

[wirey856]

I'll respond in some detail, but before doing so...is the current 120 GB SSD boot drive MBR or GPT partitioned?

All my drives are GPT.

 

[ArtPog]

1. The problem is that the 1 TB HDD contains the 500 MB System partition that's needed for a viable boot to the OS (which I assume to be Win 10, yes?). (Whenever you pose a query along similar lines always indicate the OS you're working with.)

2. So when you currently boot to your 120 GB drive the 1 TB HDD should be connected. Generally if it's not, the system will not boot. Win 10 is a bit more forgiving; at times it will boot to the OS under these circumstances, generally after a reboot. But don't count on it.

3. It's likely this problem arose because you originally cloned the contents of the then-1 TB-boot drive to the 120 GB SSD but you did NOT disconnect the 1 TB HDD immediately following the disk-cloning operation and initially boot to the newly-cloned SSD as the ONLY DRIVE CONNECTED at the time. Are you following me?

As a general proposition it's good practice that IMMEDIATELY following a successful disk-cloning operation the source drive be disconnected from the system and the initial boot to the OS be undertaken with ONLY the newly-cloned drive present in the system. Capiche?

4. Frankly, given your present configuration, probably the most practical course of action would be to fresh-install the Win 10 OS onto the 500 GB SSD in order that drive would become your new boot drive. Now of course that would mean you would have to manually install any programs currently on your 120 GB boot drive and copy/move your personal data, audio/visual files, etc. over to the 500 GB drive. So that would be something of a chore.

Is that a viable option for you? If so, you may want to pursue that option.

5. On the other hand there's another possible option...actually a more simplified process, but there's a chance that it will not be successful. I'll go into some detail after explaining the potential process.
A. After disconnecting the 500 GB SSD from the system, boot with only the 120 GB SSD and the 1 TB HDD connected.
B. Presumably the system boots to the C partition on the 120 GB SSD. At a Command Prompt (Admin) type: bcdboot c:\windows /s c: <Enter>
C. System returns "Boot files successfully created."
D. Shut down system and disconnect the 1 TB HDD drive from the system.
E. Boot the system with only the 120 GB SSD connected and determine if you get a viable boot to the OS and the SSD functions problem-free.
F. If so, it worked.

Now for the caveat...Understand there will be a chance that the preceding process might not work and you'll be left with an unbootable SSD. The likelihood is it will work but the possibility exists that it might not. I want you to be aware of that.

It's the reason that when we work on other users' PCs involving this or similar types of reconfigurations, we FIRST clone the contents of the drive we're about to manipulate to another drive so that in the event of a failed operation we have the wherewithal (the clone) to return the system to its previous state. Are you with me?

6. Anyway...in the event of success, you can reinstall the 500 GB SSD and clone the contents of 120 GB drive to the larger drive. I assume you have a favorite disk-cloning program in mind. And don't forget to DISCONNECT the source drive (120 GB SSD) IMMEDIATELY following a successful disk-cloning operation and boot ONLY TO THE NEWLY-CLONED 500 GB drive that's connected in the system. After you determine it boots & functions problem-free only then should you reconnect the now secondary drives. Capiche?

Let us know how it all works out, OK?

 

[wirey856]

1. The problem is that the 1 TB HDD contains the 500 MB System partition that's needed for a viable boot to the OS (which I assume to be Win 10, yes?). (Whenever you pose a query along similar lines always indicate the OS you're working with.)

2. So when you currently boot to your 120 GB drive the 1 TB HDD should be connected. Generally if it's not, the system will not boot. Win 10 is a bit more forgiving; at times it will boot to the OS under these circumstances, generally after a reboot. But don't count on it.

3. It's likely this problem arose because you originally cloned the contents of the then-1 TB-boot drive to the 120 GB SSD but you did NOT disconnect the 1 TB HDD immediately following the disk-cloning operation and initially boot to the newly-cloned SSD as the ONLY DRIVE CONNECTED at the time. Are you following me?

As a general proposition it's good practice that IMMEDIATELY following a successful disk-cloning operation the source drive be disconnected from the system and the initial boot to the OS be undertaken with ONLY the newly-cloned drive present in the system. Capiche?

4. Frankly, given your present configuration, probably the most practical course of action would be to fresh-install the Win 10 OS onto the 500 GB SSD in order that drive would become your new boot drive. Now of course that would mean you would have to manually install any programs currently on your 120 GB boot drive and copy/move your personal data, audio/visual files, etc. over to the 500 GB drive. So that would be something of a chore.

Is that a viable option for you? If so, you may want to pursue that option.

5. On the other hand there's another possible option...actually a more simplified process, but there's a chance that it will not be successful. I'll go into some detail after explaining the potential process.
A. After disconnecting the 500 GB SSD from the system, boot with only the 120 GB SSD and the 1 TB HDD connected.
B. Presumably the system boots to the C partition on the 120 GB SSD. At a Command Prompt (Admin) type: bcdboot c:\windows /s c: <Enter>
C. System returns "Boot files successfully created."
D. Shut down system and disconnect the 1 TB HDD drive from the system.
E. Boot the system with only the 120 GB SSD connected and determine if you get a viable boot to the OS and the SSD functions problem-free.
F. If so, it worked.

Now for the caveat...Understand there will be a chance that the preceding process might not work and you'll be left with an unbootable SSD. The likelihood is it will work but the possibility exists that it might not. I want you to be aware of that.

It's the reason that when we work on other users' PCs involving this or similar types of reconfigurations, we FIRST clone the contents of the drive we're about to manipulate to another drive so that in the event of a failed operation we have the wherewithal (the clone) to return the system to its previous state. Are you with me?

6. Anyway...in the event of success, you can reinstall the 500 GB SSD and clone the contents of 120 GB drive to the larger drive. I assume you have a favorite disk-cloning program in mind. And don't forget to DISCONNECT the source drive (120 GB SSD) IMMEDIATELY following a successful disk-cloning operation and boot ONLY TO THE NEWLY-CLONED 500 GB drive that's connected in the system. After you determine it boots & functions problem-free only then should you reconnect the now secondary drives. Capiche?

Let us know how it all works out, OK?

I am on Windows 10. I took my chances and created the boot files on the 120gb drive. They created successfully, and I had a successful boot. Everything seemed normal except when I tried to shutdown, the computer would not actually shut down all the way without manually holding the power button down. Unchecked a box under power options for "fast start up" and now it works as it should. Cloned to the new 500gb with a successful first boot (with everything disconnected) Thank you very much!!!! I appreciate your help, and am very glad I didn't have to re-install everything!

 

[ArtPog]

Good to hear that it all worked out. It usually does in these kinds of situations but one never knows for sure.

As I previously indicated, it's the reason we always recommend that the user first clone the existing drive PRIOR to undertaking the actual change so that if the process fails and one is left with a dysfunctional drive he/she can easily use the clone to return the system to a functional state.