Question Help moving Windows Image to new SSD

[Muckster]

Hi, I have a windows 10 system that's working fine with an SSD drive (Samsung). I bought a new 1TB SSD that I want to use instead. I've been using an old (2016) version of True Image to create backup images. I would like to use True Image to restore an image of my old SSD onto my new SSD.

The old SSD hold Windows 10 which was actually Windows 8.1 that was updated to 10. I mention this only because it may have affected how partitions were intitally created. At any rate, my old SSD has a 485MB partition (system?) followed by a 100MB partition (EFI), followed by the main parititon holding the OS (windows 10).

Using True Image, I make an image of the above partitions. I do this all the time and restore from them with no problem. Using a True Image boot disk and an USB holding the image, I used True Image to copy the image onto the new SSD which created the above partitions with all their data.

However, whenever I try to boot from the new SSD, I get efi errors.

I could install windows 8.1 from scratch on the new SSD, update it, then update all my drivers, and get my settings customized, but that's a TON of work.

Can someone instruct me on the best way to move an image from an old SSD to a new SSD? After that, I'll need help troubleshooting EFI errors if I get any.

Thanks!

 

[USAFRet]

1. Give us a FULL parts list of the system.

2. Remove the new drive....does the system still boot properly from the original drive?

 

[Muckster]

1. Give us a FULL parts list of the system.

I don't see why that's necessary at this point. It's an older PC (over 10 years old) and I don't have a ready list of the components. It would be a manual task for me to list them all.

2. Remove the new drive....does the system still boot properly from the original drive?

Yes, "I have a windows 10 system that's working fine with an SSD drive". I've restored the image to the new drive, but when I swap the new drive in, I get EFI errors immediately and no boot.

I think it has something with the boot drive not getting the right efi or information . Judging from Disk Management, the Old drive is GPT format, as is the new one.

 

[USAFRet]

I don't see why that's necessary at this point. It's an older PC (over 10 years old) and I don't have a ready list of the components. It would be a manual task for me to list them all.


Yes, "I have a windows 10 system that's working fine with an SSD drive". I've restored the image to the new drive, but when I swap the new drive in, I get EFI errors immediately and no boot.

I think it has something with the boot drive not getting the right efi or information . Judging from Disk Management, the Old drive is GPT format, as is the new one.

I'm sorry. But I didn't ask for a parts list just to hear my keyboard clack.


There is documented proven way to clone from one drive to another.
But any questions I ask are only in pursuit of that end.

 

[Muckster]

I'm sorry. But I didn't ask for a parts list just to hear my keyboard clack.


There is documented proven way to clone from one drive to another.
But any questions I ask are only in pursuit of that end.

Look friend, I don't mean to sound ungrateful in any way, but I've spent the last 10 hours trying about everything I can think of to get this to work including installing windows 8.1 and 10 from scratch and hooking the SSD up to other PCs and formatting from there, then doing it all over again with MRB instead of GPT. This has involved a lot of sorting through old cables and countless goose chases. I got bad night sleep and am feeling a bit exhausted. lol.

Also, I have gotten responses from you before on other issues and you can be quite stubborn an unwilling to admit when you're wrong. I really don't need that right now, so please please either back off the sarcasm or let someone else address this post. I'm not going to have much luck getting other people respond if they see you alrady are. I apologize ahead of time for how ungrateful this sounds as I don't mean it that way.

What possible harm could there be in you simply telling me the proven method and letting me try it rather than insisting I jump through your hoops?

I am literally replacing the exact same 1TB SSD with the exact same hardware model on the same computer. I am doing this because I want to give away this computer to a family member but I want 100% peace of mind that my old data cant't accessed via some undelete funcntion on my old ssd. There shouldn't be any hardware issues because it's literally the same SSD.

This is the SSD:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08QBJ2YMG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

The mobo is Gigabyte... GA B85 HD3. If you NEED to know certain hardware I can try to poke inside the case some more and read the specs off the parts.

Thanks for your time.

 

[USAFRet]

What possible harm could there be in you simply telling me the proven method and letting me try it rather than insisting I jump through your hoops?

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Both drives must be the same partitioning scheme, either MBR or GPT
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung target SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, you may need to install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up

Verify the system boots with ONLY the current "C drive" connected.
If not, we have to fix that first.

Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

[Ignore this section if using the SDM. It does this automatically]
If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specify the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing
[/end ignore]

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD. This is not optional.
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD

(swapping cables is irrelevant with NVMe drives, but DO disconnect the old drive for this next part)
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------

 

[USAFRet]

I am literally replacing the exact same 1TB SSD with the exact same hardware model on the same computer. I am doing this because I want to give away this computer to a family member but I want 100% peace of mind that my old data cant't accessed via some undelete fucntion on my old ssd.

A clone, which you seem to wanting to do, is a 100% copy of everything.
Including your personal data.

If you're gifting this system to someone else, then what you want is a full wipe and reinstall.
Not a 'clone'.

See these:

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

How To - Windows 11 clean install tutorial

Windows 11 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows 11, version 23H2 or newer but can be equally applied to earlier versions which may have some basic differences in the screens you see but will largely remain similar in...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Muckster]

A clone, which you seem to wanting to do, is a 100% copy of everything.
Including your personal data.

First, thanks for taking the time to offer the clone info and typing it all out. My concern is still the ability of a bad actor to recover old data say with a utility like "undelete" or "recovera" or some other software that lets you reclaim supposedly deleted data. If I make a clone of an SSD would the copy also include "deleted" data that can be recovered with this kind of software? If so, then a "clone" won't fit my needs.

However, if cloning doesn't copy empty sectors with old data, then this might be a solution.

This is why an imager might be better because I can just move the data and not the empty sectors over. I just need to resolve the EFI problems which would take some knowledge of how the EFI and Sytems partitions work.

If you're gifting this system to someone else, then what you want is a full wipe and reinstall.
Not a 'clone'.

Yes, except I don't trust software solutions to REALLY delete all the data which is why I decided to just buy a brand new SSD and use that. I'll use the old ssd on another PC I own.

See these:

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

How To - Windows 11 clean install tutorial

Windows 11 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows 11, version 23H2 or newer but can be equally applied to earlier versions which may have some basic differences in the screens you see but will largely remain similar in...

forums.tomshardware.com

I know how to reinstall windows from scratch, but for reasons I already explained, I'd rather avoid that method.

Thanks.

 

[USAFRet]

What is the actual end result you're looking for?

Starting with, and ending with?

 

[Muckster]

What is the actual end result you're looking for?

Starting with, and ending with?

I want to gift my old PC to a family member. Before I do I want to replace, not wipe, the SSD drive. I'll be replacing it with the exact same model SSD drive. On the new SSD drive I want to have a copy of the OS partition from the original SSD drive. This way all the drivers and updates are already installed to match the rest of the PC. Of course, I will also need to include the EFI and System partitions in order for it to boot properly.

Because I have images of the OS and the EFI and Sytem partitions my intent was to use True Image to just restore the images to the new unformatted SSD drive. I've done this before successfully for other PCs but for some reason it's not working this time which is why I was looking for a tried-and-true method to make sure I haven't missed a step somewhere.

The end result is my old PC with a new SSD but with a copy of my OS on the new SSD along with all the OS associated partitions. Really what I'm asking for is about the same you'd seek out if you had a SSD faling and just wanted to replace it with the same SSD, but in my case the orginal SSD works fine.

 

[USAFRet]

I want to gift my old PC to a family member. Before I do I want to replace, not wipe, the SSD drive. I'll be replacing it with the exact same model SSD drive. On the new SSD drive I want to have a copy of the OS partition from the original SSD drive. This way all the drivers and updates are already installed to match the rest of the PC. Of course, I will also need to include the EFI and System partitions in order for it to boot properly.

Because I have images of the OS and the EFI and Sytem partitions my intent was to use True Image to just restore the images to the new unformatted SSD drive. I've done this before successfully for other PCs but for some reason it's not working this time which is why I was looking for a tried-and-true method to make sure I haven't missed a step somewhere.

The end result is my old PC with a new SSD but with a copy of my OS on the new SSD along with all the OS associated partitions. Really what I'm asking for is about the same you'd seek out if you had a SSD faling and just wanted to replace it with the same SSD, but in my case the orginal SSD works fine.

I want to gift my old PC to a family member.

Then that would indicate a new OS install, on whatever drive will go in this system.

NOT a clone, NOT an Image....A clean install.

 

[Muckster]

Then that would indicate a new OS install, on whatever drive will go in this system.

NOT a clone, NOT an Image....A clean install.

I don't think you're going to be able to help me do what I want to do, but thanks for your time.

 

[Muckster]

If someone out there could help me figure out how to do what I asked in my OP... please advise.

Thanks.

 

[USAFRet]

I don't think you're going to be able to help me do what I want to do, but thanks for your time.

I will bow out completely.

Good luck.

 

[DSzymborski]

I don't think you're going to be able to help me do what I want to do, but thanks for your time.

You really should listen to the advice given; it was basically the optimal solution at this point after the initial problems. Anything else is an enormous waste of time for a suboptimal outcome. If @USAFRet is stubborn, then he's stubborn about only offering good advice, a personal flaw I can get 100% behind.

 

[SyCoREAPER]

No point in wasting your fingers and energy on someone who asks for help and then has an attitude and is borderline combative.

What I've surmised and assume is OP wants to clone only Windows so it's using the same key and as before and presumably use the key on their new PC, why else be secretive and go through unnecessary hoops to get a PC ready to gift.

Not only does using the same key across two PCs not work with Windows 10 and Windows 11 Activation but is piracy and piracy is not allowed on these forums.

I think this thread has run its course.

 

[Muckster]

You really should listen to the advice given; it was basically the optimal solution at this point after the initial problems.

Huh? I certainly did listen to his advice and tried to follow it. It's still don't have clarity on whether or not cloning copies empty sectors, thus creating a situation in which "deleted" data can be undeleted with the right software.

Even so, I have tried cloning from the old drive to the new drive, on partition at a time, and I still can't get the new drive to boot. This isn't much different than trying to restore an image of the old drive to the new drive, meaning an image that contains the OS and other related partitions.

As I understand it, his advice, in the end, was to reinstall windows from scratch, something I explicitly said I was trying to avoid. Meanwhile, I'm certain there's a way to setup a new SSD using an old one and Imaging software as I've done it before only this time either the hardware is faulty or (more likely) I've just done something wrong.

Anything else is an enormous waste of time for a suboptimal outcome. If @USAFRet is stubborn, then he's stubborn about only offering good advice, a personal flaw I can get 100% behind.

The man is clearly stubborn and even a bit cantankerous at times. I don't think he would deny this or even mind me saying it. I don't consider either of these necessarily bad qualities in a person and sometimes I even find them endearing.

Anyway, here's an UPDATE for those who might still be willing to give advice...

I did try cloning all partitions from old to new but it still won't boot.

I can install windows 8.1 from scratch form DVD, so I know it works, but it sets up a different partition structure. It seems windows 8.1, 10, and 11 all do partitions a little differently. Again, this PC is over 10 years old so I originally installed windows 8.1 then upgraded to 10. The key I own is for win 8.1, so it's a hassle to install 8 then upgrade to 10, and I'm not sure it will work anyway given the way partitions are handled differently.

After playing with the cloning, I tried installing Win 8.1 again from scratch and it worked. When I did the cloning I'm certain I designated GPT to match the GPT format of the new SSD. However, when I fresh installed Win 8.1 (deleteing all partitions), it reformatted the drive to MBR.

Then I booted with the win DVD again and lauched diskpart. From there I tired to clean then reset the drive to GPT. I couldn't get it to take the GPT. Then I did a rescan, but that didn't work either. I beginning to suspect there's something actually wrong with the new SSD.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/w...he-mbr-or-gpt-partition-style?view=windows-11

 

[Muckster]

No point in wasting your fingers and energy on someone who asks for help and then has an attitude and is borderline combative.

come on, lol. USAFRet doesn't seem like the kind of guy you need to walk on egg shells around and I'd argue he gave me a little snark first. I respect him and I doubt he or I are the kind of people who get worked up over some very mild head banging. You don't retire from the USAF without having a thick skin and perhaps even enjoying a little ribbing, giving and taking.

What I've surmised and assume is OP wants to clone only Windows so it's using the same key and as before and presumably use the key on their new PC, why else be secretive and go through unnecessary hoops to get a PC ready to gift.

Yep. That's about right. Over 10 years ago I bought a full version of Windows 8.1 (home) and installed it. At some point after that, I upgraded to 10 but never upgraded to 11. (My hardware wouldn't support it).

I don't see what's so secretive about anything I've stated here. I want to replace my old SSU with a new one before I give the PC away. I'm doing this because I don't have faith that software can truly erase or write over old data enough to make in inaccessible to the new owner. I've been transparent on this.

Not only does using the same key across two PCs not work with Windows 10 and Windows 11 Activation but is piracy and piracy is not allowed on these forums.

I think this thread has run its course.

Have I really been THIS unclear in my OP and throughout? It's really out of line to for you insinuate I'm engaging in piracy due to your misreading of my post.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Even so, I have tried cloning from the old drive to the new drive, on partition at a time, and I still can't get the new drive to boot.

Please show your clone result - a screenshot from Disk Management
with clone source and clone target drives connected.
(upload to imgur.com and post link)

Note - first boot from cloned drive has to be done with old drive physically disconnected. This step is not optional.
If you tried to skip it, drive letter assignments on cloned drive get messed up and you'd have to redo cloning.

 

[SyCoREAPER]

And as @USAFRet put it, I'm out too.

That will get you real far in life and on here, especially when it's you who can't figure out a basic issue and is the one asking us for help.

Good luck getting help with your insults and attitude on this forum.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Just to be clear!! When you cloned the Drive, upon first boot thereafter, you had both drives connected?

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Note - first boot from cloned drive has to be done with old drive physically disconnected. This step is not optional.
If you tried to skip it, drive letter assignments on cloned drive get messed up and you'd have to redo cloning.

Missed this in your answer. I was just getting to that with my own post.

come on, lol. USAFRet doesn't seem like the kind of guy you need to walk on egg shells around and I'd argue he gave me a little snark first. I respect him and I doubt he or I are the kind of people who get worked up over some very mild head banging. You don't retire from the USAF without having a thick skin and perhaps even enjoying a little ribbing, giving and taking.




Yep. That's about right. Over 10 years ago I bought a full version of Windows 8.1 (home) and installed it. At some point after that, I upgraded to 10 but never upgraded to 11. (My hardware wouldn't support it).

I don't see what's so secretive about anything I've stated here. I want to replace my old SSU with a new one before I give the PC away. I'm doing this because I don't have faith that software can truly erase or write over old data enough to make in inaccessible to the new owner. I've been transparent on this.




Have I really been THIS unclear in my OP and throughout? It's really out of line to for you insinuate I'm engaging in piracy due to your misreading of my post.

This is because of where the boot record will be. Booting with the original drive in the system along with the clone, means the clone is not recognized or there are issues. As mentioned above. You will have to clone again. However, again, as others have covered, if you're going to gift the PC, then doing a fresh install from scratch is the preferred method.

Also, I don't follow your logic of being concerned about data on the PC, when you are gifting it to a family member. Are they experts in data recovery? Are they going to hack you or something? I guess the answer would be no. Maybe those concerns are valid for you, but it seems like a little much.

 

[Muckster]

And as @USAFRet put it, I'm out too.

That will get you real far in life and on here, especially when it's you who can't figure out a basic issue and is the one asking us for help.

Good luck getting help with your insults and attitude on this forum.

Well, you know how we pirates are. If for any reason the retire United States Air Force Veteran felt insulted, I'm pretty sure he can speak for himself. And if that's the case I'll surely apologize here publicly to him.

No hard feeling from my end. Have a good one.

 

[Muckster]

Please show your clone result - a screenshot from Disk Management
with clone source and clone target drives connected.
(upload to imgur.com and post link)

Note - first boot from cloned drive has to be done with old drive physically disconnected. This step is not optional.
If you tried to skip it, drive letter assignments on cloned drive get messed up and you'd have to redo cloning.

Well, I've been using the free Haselo Backup Imager to do the Cloning. There's not much to see on Disk Manager. What I've been doing is moving both drives over to a new computer which, of course, boots from an entirely different HD. Anyway, Disk Manage shows Disk 0 and Disk 1. Disk 0 being the original SSD and Disk 1 being the new one. I've tried this a few times now. Using DM, I first make sure both are GPT, then, using Haselo Backup Imager, I clone over each partition, one by one until Disk 1 looks exactly the same as Disk 0. Then I move only the new SSD back to the old PC and try to boot.

One thing that's odd is that Haselo shows an additional partition not shown on DM. I've tried the above method deleting and not deleting it.

I've done this whole process at least a half dozen times including the process of restoring images instead of cloning. I've got like 15 hours into this. lol. Mostly waiting for boots and installs, etc. I've already ordered a new SSD incase this one's just faulty.

But sure, I'll do it again and take images. Be back as soon as I'm done but I want to read other posts here first. Thanks.

 

[Muckster]

Just to be clear!! When you cloned the Drive, upon first boot thereafter, you had both drives connected?

Good point. The answer is no. After cloning or imaging, I've always immedately shut down and tested only with the "new" drive freshed cloned or imaged.

I've tried a lot of things. After putting the new SSD in the old PC (by itself) I've booted from Win DVD and from there I've deleted all partitions and then let Windows install hoping it would at least setup the right partitions even though I knew I'd write over them later. This was also a test to at least make sure the SSD works on a fresh install, which it does.

Other times I've had both SSDs hooked up to the old PC and tried to image onto the one, not directly from the old SSD, but through software. I think I also tried cloning direclty at one point.

Since then I've just been hooking both SSDs up to a different computer and working on them that way with and Imager or Disk Manager.