Cloning HDD to SSD, fail to load OS

[monkry]

Forgive me first for being a noob about technology whatsoever.

I used usual HDD in my notebook with Win10, 500 GB with 4 partitions:
C: system, D: data, E: data, x: reserved for something from manufacturer

Then I got a little SSD, 128 GB. I want to clone my HDD to SSD, and after cleaning and backup here and there, I got to the data left about less than 85 GB in my HDD. Then after reading and trying here and there, failed here and there, finally Macrium's Reflect can. I clone only C and x partition, where both partition amount to less than 85 GB. And it said the cloning was a success.

But then, I never succeed booting from the SSD. I tried first by choosing to boot from external HDD (in this case, the SSD) at start, but then still it doesn't load the OS from SSD. Then I take out the HDD and put the SSD in, it failed to load, and a message appeared. Stupid me forget what the message was, but IIRC, it's something stating around: can't find Windows boot loader.

Why? What's lacking? Is C and x partition isn't the only thing I need?

 

[Promomilia]

The first step in the process is to mark the desired volume/partition as "Active" so that WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment) will know which volume you want to become "System" when the startup repairs are run.

The second step in this process is to run at least 3 separate startup repairs to create a new set of boot files to the new "Active" volume/partition, be sure to complete all 3 steps of Option One below to complete this entire process.
Also, maybe syspreping the install will help. By running sysprep on it it should become hardware independent.

If none of this work, your best bet seems to be to run a repair reintall or a full reinstall.


Are you getting a 0x0000007B error when it BSOD's?

Did you load the driver of the storage controller of the new PC onto the old PC before you imaged it? The OS is probably looking for the drivers of the storage controller on the NEW PC, but the image/clone of the old PC won't have those. That often causes a BSOD.
I'm not sure how to do that though. Again, sysprep might be the way to go.

 

[ArtPog]

monkry:
Perhaps it's best to "start over" as it were.

1. I'll assume your original 500 GB HDD is still available, but now contains the 85 GB of data (which, of course, includes the OS, right?) and that drive is currently installed (or if not, you can install it) in your notebook.

2. And that HDD containing the 85 GB of data will boot to Win 10 and function without problems, right? IF IT DOESN'T, DON'T READ ANY FURTHER, OK?

3. Now, does that HDD contain the same number of partitions that were originally on the drive (understanding that volume of data has changed)?

4. So we can assume that any changes you made when you reduced the amount of data involved only programs & other data that you had previously personally installed, right? Or not right?

We'll go on from here if you want...but first, respond to the above questions, OK?

 

[monkry]

[...]

Thanks for your reply, I'll try to look at sysprep

[...]

Thanks for your reply, here's my answer:
1, 2) Yes, it contains 85 GB data and currently running Win10 and basic apps normally in my notebook
3) Sorry, I don't really understand this question... I bought my notebook with no OS installed, install new OS myself, and ever since, I've changed the number of partition around 2-3 times. Actually, before cloning, I also changed my partition, shrinking partition C so it will fit into the SSD.
4) Yes, I only moved many many data to other storage and uninstalled many many heavy storage apps, but I've made sure I didn't touch important programs such as drivers or systems file/apps.

 

[ArtPog]

1. If I correctly understand your situation, you originally installed the Win 10 OS onto the 500 GB HDD and over time manipulated the partitions to accommodate whatever objectives you had in mind in terms of the partitions containing this or that data.

2. In any event...and this is crucial, so please respond clearly...
Before you undertook the disk-cloning operation to clone the total existing contents (presumably 85 GB) of the HDD to the SSD, did that HDD boot without incident and function without any problems?

3. Putting it another way...assuming the 500 GB HDD containing the 85 GB of data (which, of course, includes the OS) is installed in the notebook, does the system boot & properly function without any problems?

 

[monkry]

1. If I correctly understand your situation, you originally installed the Win 10 OS onto the 500 GB HDD and over time manipulated the partitions to accommodate whatever objectives you had in mind in terms of the partitions containing this or that data.

2. In any event...and this is crucial, so please respond clearly...
Before you undertook the disk-cloning operation to clone the total existing contents (presumably 85 GB) of the HDD to the SSD, did that HDD boot without incident and function without any problems?

3. Putting it another way...assuming the 500 GB HDD containing the 85 GB of data (which, of course, includes the OS) is installed in the notebook, does the system boot & properly function without any problems?

Yes, there is no problem at all with booting, before and after I made a new partition

 

[ArtPog]

Then the only reasonable explanation is that for one reason or another the disk-to-disk cloning operation went awry.
Give it another try with the Macrium Reflect disk-cloning program you originally used. I assume you know how to correctly use that program

There's no need to modify the SSD at this point in any way. Just, as you previously did, install the SSD in the USB external enclosure you used previously.

Just as a precautionary move to ensure the SSD is not defective in any way (admittedly there's little likelihood that it is defective), you can boot to your 500 GB drive with the SSD connected as a secondary drive, and test the health of the SSD with a diagnostic program that is generally available from the SSD's manufacturer. (I don't recall if you indicated the SSD's make/model other than it's a 128 GB drive; usually these type of SSD diagnostic programs are referred to as a "Toolbox" or some such label by the disk's manufacturer). Anyway this is optional if you want to try it.

In any event, repeat the disk-cloning operation. Note there's extremely little likelihood that the SSD can boot to the OS while it is installed as a USB device. It can happen on occasion, but it's a rare event.

So after disconnecting the old boot drive from the system, install the newly-cloned SSD. (I'm assuming, of course, that will be the sole drive installed in the notebook). Hopefully you should have a bootable, functional new drive in your system.

 

[monkry]

[...] Note there's extremely little likelihood that the SSD can boot to the OS while it is installed as a USB device. It can happen on occasion, but it's a rare event.

So after disconnecting the old boot drive from the system, install the newly-cloned SSD. (I'm assuming, of course, that will be the sole drive installed in the notebook). Hopefully you should have a bootable, functional new drive in your system.

Just when I started to think storage cloning and system clone from HDD to smaller SSD is a myth...

YOU'RE RIGHT MAN, YOU'RE RIGHT

FINALLY IT LOAD FROM SSD

1) So, I tried to clone using System Clone on EaseUS Todo Backup Free.
2) It cloned only C, and it said it's successful.
3) Then, while the HDD still inside my notebook and SSD connected through USB, I tried to load from SSD.
3) It wasn't successful. But wasn't like when I cloned with Macrium Reflect where it said can't find boot loader etc, this time it entered BSOD instead, saying INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE.
4) I tried googling and found many answers, tried some, didn't work
5) Then I saw your reply, and remember an answer said something along that way too
6) Then I took out my HDD and insert my SSD into my notebook, making it the sole storage. Didn't even bother to re-clone it again...
6) Turn my notebook on, and it loads Win 10 SUCCESSFULLY, excellently a copy of what's left on my HDD with all of its data and apps, and when I tried to copy a file, it's much much faster

I even typed this reply from there...

HNNNGGG THANK YOU VERY MUCH ArtPoooog