HELP! Disk Read Error when migrating XP to SSD

typezstg

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Hi everyone, seeing if one of you could help me. I've searched the forums but most say it's a drive fault, but I don't think that's the case here.

TL;DR:
A disk read error occured. Press crtl, alt, delete to restart." when trying to boot right after BIOS


DETAILS:
Trying to migrate XP to an SSD without doing clean install because there are programs on there that I don't have the installation/key for anymore.

I've purchased a Samsung 840 EVO for my Lenovo T500 laptop and used the Samsung Data Migration tool via USB that came with the SSD to clone my drive. After successful clone process and swapping in the SSD in the main SATA drive bay, I received an error stating ""A disk read error occured. Press crtl, alt, delete to restart." when trying to boot right after BIOS.

I thought it might be a bootloader problem so I used a bootable USB drive (also used a CD but the USB was faster) to go through Windows XP repair NOT RECOVERY CONSOLE (had to switch the SATA to Compatibility mode from AHCI to get the OS to show up in the repair tool)

It completes successfully but after rebooting, the Disk Read Error still shows up. I can see the drive in BIOS and also the OS installed when in the Repair CD. If plugged in via USB to another computer all the files show up fine. What else could it be??

Please let me know if you need additional information and thanks in advance for your help!!


BTW I've used samsung data migration successfully on 2 win8 machines with no issues and 1 win7 machine (had to fix the bootloader on that one using the bootable USB method which worked)


UPDATE 1: tried installing a clean version just to see if it would even boot up and it booted up partially (asked for a missing driver to be installed from a:\ on the windows install/setup screen after installation and reboot) so its not a hardware/mobo problem...

then tried re-cloning the drive but still back to square one

Also ran CHKDSK from another computer on the SSD
 
Solution
FOUND A SOLUTION

See here: http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/X-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/X61-Can-t-get-sysprep-ed-image-to-boot-on-it/m-p/32806

"The Lenovo's and the Dell's and maybe other OEM's [not Fujitsu-Siemens] use a recovery partition and the boot table that references it is based on some form of Linux as also is the recovery partition itself."

There's a boot table on the recovery partition that must be used to get the new drive to boot up. I used bootable cloning software to copy the boot partition onto the new drive (old drive on USB, new drive in SATA slot) but this didn't work as it did for some others. I then booted into the recovery partition on the new drive and then did a factory restore.

Also made a backup of the...
Hi

Not having used Samsung data migration I do not know what it does
Is it a version of Acronis ?

If you can examine the old drive in a USB adapter attached to another PC
(or in the original PC)
see what diskmanagement shows as the number of partitions
their size & order
which one is active ?
look at boot.ini and print it out or save it

default for XP: is first partition is C: but laptops often have hidden recovery or diagnostic partitions

then do the same for the new SSD
is same partition active ?
are there the same number of partitions ?

If number of partions before C: (main partition) has changed then boot.ini will have invalid settings

regards

Mike Barnes
 

typezstg

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Jul 29, 2010
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Hi Mike,

Thanks for your quick reply. Samsung data migration is Clonix software.

Disk Management

OLD HDD:
Primary Partition Active 226.81 GB NTFS
OEM Partition (I'm guessing recovery?): 6.08GB

NEW SSD:
Primary Partition Active: 232.88 GB NTFS

No OEM partition on the SSD


How do I find the boot.ini file for the SSD from another computer? Thanks!!
 
Hi

The boot ini on your new SSD is c:\boot.ini
A hidden file so you have to go to control panel to tell windows to show hidden & system files
I don't have access to my PC this is a tablet
Look at line pointing to c:\windows. It will have a disk/drive number . Only one but partition number is one too high (unfortunately some count from zero some from one)

Post your boot.ini and someone can confirm what to change

Or google boot.ini. For settings required

Unfortunately you did not migrate all partitions hence problem as windows startup files can't find your windows folder when reading boot.ini


Regards

Mike Barnes
 

typezstg

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Jul 29, 2010
13
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FOUND A SOLUTION

See here: http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/X-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/X61-Can-t-get-sysprep-ed-image-to-boot-on-it/m-p/32806

"The Lenovo's and the Dell's and maybe other OEM's [not Fujitsu-Siemens] use a recovery partition and the boot table that references it is based on some form of Linux as also is the recovery partition itself."

There's a boot table on the recovery partition that must be used to get the new drive to boot up. I used bootable cloning software to copy the boot partition onto the new drive (old drive on USB, new drive in SATA slot) but this didn't work as it did for some others. I then booted into the recovery partition on the new drive and then did a factory restore.

Also made a backup of the old drive using the lenovo software and going to try and restore the backup onto the new drive.

Hope this helps someone!
 
Solution