Question Freshly cloned SSD won't boot ?

[kevviek]

I'm trying to upgrade my c: drive SSD with windows to a larger device in my desktop PC.

Steps taken:
Install new drive
Use Macrium to make a clone, extending partitions to full disk size
Shut down the PC, disconnect the old drive and reboot
> At this point it hangs, saying "loading operating system"

I reformatted the new drive and tried cloning again, same issue
I reconnected both drives and can see the cloned drive as e:
I have gone to BIOS and can see both drives, if I select the new drive as a boot drive, it still won't load the operating system.

So I think there is something wrong with the cloning process. I have followed all the defaults and steps that multiple people have used on youtube.

This is what Macrium shows:
Macrium screenshot

This is what disk management shows
Disk management screenshot

I'm wondering of the clone has not worked correctly, because there is no windows symbol on all partitions.

I'd rather not reinstall windows from scratch if possible.

 

[CountMike]

I'm trying to upgrade my c: drive SSD with windows to a larger device in my desktop PC.

Steps taken:
Install new drive
Use Macrium to make a clone, extending partitions to full disk size
Shut down the PC, disconnect the old drive and reboot
> At this point it hangs, saying "loading operating system"
I reformatted the new drive and tried cloning again, same issue
I reconnected both drives and can see the cloned drive as e:
I have gone to BIOS and can see both drives, if I select the new drive as a boot drive, it still won't load the operating system.

So I think there is something wrong with the cloning process. I have followed all the defaults and steps that multiple people have used on youtube.

This is what Macrium shows:
Macrium screenshot

This is what disk management shows
Disk management screenshot

I'm wondering of the clone has not worked correctly, because there is no windows symbol on all partitions.

I'd rather not reinstall windows from scratch if possible

BOOT with Macrium rescue USB, it has option to to fix BOOT problems. Just choose new drive.

 

[kevviek]

BOOT with Macrium rescue USB, it has option to to fix BOOT problems. Just choose new drive.

Should the new drive have the windows icon on it for all partitions if it has cloned properly?

 

[CountMike]

Should the new drive have the windows icon on it for all partitions if it has cloned properly?

No, just on disk windows are booted and running from.

 

[kevviek]

No, just on disk windows are booted and running from.

ok thanks. Hope you don't mind, but it's not clear to me what to do next. I've created the media and rebooted...can't find any guidelines online?

 

[kevviek]

I also just noticed that the file size of the cloned partition is different from the size of the partition it was copied from, so obviously something isn't quite right

 

[SkyNetRising]

Shut down the PC, disconnect the old drive and reboot
> At this point it hangs, saying "loading operating system"

How long did you wait before concluding, it has hanged?
Any disk activity leds blinking?

I reformatted the new drive and tried cloning again, same issue
I reconnected both drives and can see the cloned drive as e:
I have gone to BIOS and can see both drives, if I select the new drive as a boot drive, it still won't load the operating system.

First boot from cloned drive has to be done with old drive physically disconnected.
If you haven't done that (successfully) and
try to boot from cloned drive with old drive connected, then clone gets ruined and you have to redo cloning.

Also you have a bootloader partition H: on data drive.
I'd suggest deleting that.

And turn off fast boot in BIOS and
turn off fast startup in windows (or disable hibernation).

 

[kevviek]

How long did you wait before concluding, it has hanged?
Any disk activity leds blinking?

First boot from cloned drive has to be done with old drive physically disconnected.
If you haven't done that (successfully) and
try to boot from cloned drive with old drive connected, then clone gets ruined and you have to redo cloning.

Also you have a bootloader partition H: on data drive.
I'd suggest deleting that.

And turn off fast boot in BIOS and
turn off fast startup in windows (or disable hibernation).

Thanks, will try all those. I waited about 10 minutes just to make sure it wasn't just slowness.

 

[kevviek]

How long did you wait before concluding, it has hanged?
Any disk activity leds blinking?

First boot from cloned drive has to be done with old drive physically disconnected.
If you haven't done that (successfully) and
try to boot from cloned drive with old drive connected, then clone gets ruined and you have to redo cloning.

Also you have a bootloader partition H: on data drive.
I'd suggest deleting that.

And turn off fast boot in BIOS and
turn off fast startup in windows (or disable hibernation).

Ok, have recloned, using the forensic copy mode, shut down immediately and disconnected the original c drive. Restarted with only the new drive connected and again stuck at the "loading operating system" message for at least five minutes.

Fast start up is turned off, I am unable to access BIOS, can only get into the boot sequence menu (which is no use as the cloned drive won't boot anyway). Gigabyte H55M motherboard.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Fast start up is turned off, I am unable to access BIOS, can only get into the boot sequence menu

Why can't you access BIOS ?

This means, you can't change boot priority settings also. Right?
Did you connect new drive to sata port, where old drive was connected?

 

[kevviek]

Ok, have recloned, using the forensic copy mode, shut down immediately and disconnected the original c drive. Restarted with only the new drive connected and again stuck at the "loading operating system" message for at least five minutes.

Fast start up is turned off, I am unable to access BIOS, can only get into the boot sequence menu (which is no use as the cloned drive won't boot anyway). Gigabyte H55M motherboard.

Found the CMOS reset pins, got into BIOS and selected the cloned drive and it won't boot, so obviously something wrong with the cloning. But if I've already done forensic mode it seems like I'm out of options?

 

[kevviek]

Why can't you access BIOS ?

This means, you can't change boot priority settings also. Right?
Did you connect new drive to sata port, where old drive was connected?

Yes

 

[Bob.B]

I'm trying to upgrade my c: drive SSD with windows to a larger device in my desktop PC.

Steps taken:
Install new drive
Use Macrium to make a clone, extending partitions to full disk size
Shut down the PC, disconnect the old drive and reboot
> At this point it hangs, saying "loading operating system"

I reformatted the new drive and tried cloning again, same issue
I reconnected both drives and can see the cloned drive as e:
I have gone to BIOS and can see both drives, if I select the new drive as a boot drive, it still won't load the operating system.

So I think there is something wrong with the cloning process. I have followed all the defaults and steps that multiple people have used on youtube.

This is what Macrium shows:
Macrium screenshot

This is what disk management shows
Disk management screenshot

I'm wondering of the clone has not worked correctly, because there is no windows symbol on all partitions.

I'd rather not reinstall windows from scratch if possible.

WAG..........redo the clone but do not extend the partitions just a straight clone......any diff?

 

[kevviek]

pretty sure I have already done that but might not have followed all the same steps eg discoinnect/reconnect. I'll try again, last attempt before bedtime 🙂
I also tried creating a rescue disk on USB and booting from that, but it came up with errors as well

 

[kevviek]

WAG..........redo the clone but do not extend the partitions just a straight clone......any diff?

Now done, and it makes no difference.

 

[Bob.B]

Now done, and it makes no difference.

Another WAG.....if you another disk try the clone over to it to see if it makes a diff.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Found the CMOS reset pins, got into BIOS and selected the cloned drive and it won't boot, so obviously something wrong with the cloning. But if I've already done forensic mode it seems like I'm out of options?

Did you turn off fast boot?

BTW - are you using bitlocker?
What windows version is this?

 

[kevviek]

Did you turn off fast boot?

BTW - are you using bitlocker?
What windows version is this?

Yes, fast boot is off.
Windows 10.
No Bitlocker

 

[kevviek]

I've given up on Macrium.
I thought I'd try making a system image and save that to an external drive then restore to the new SSD
Tried to create a recovery drive using USB and it would not boot, came up with error code 0xc000a004 and message "kernel is missing or contains errors". Same even after running chkdsk on the windows drive
I then tried to create a recovery DVD. It burned it, but after rebooting (with correct drive sequence via BIOS) it just sat there for 15 mintes with the windows logo and didn't progress.

I'm going to try cloning with Aomei now...

 

[kevviek]

Problem solved.

I reformatted the drive and tried cloning with Paragon software and it worked first time. Now up and running.