Question Moving BitLocker W10 SSD to new NVME

[jlaf]

Hey all, family friend asked me for some support with one of their business computers. Old machine crapped out on them and I was able to get the 400GB Lexar SSD out of the machine and create an non-Bitlockered backup using Macrium Reflect on an external drive to verify all data and files are there. Here's the current situation I'm in & what I've tried:

1. I bought a new HP Pavilion workstation which came installed with Windows 11. I tried using GParted to clone from the old SSD (plugged in with a SATA cable) to the new NVME, but after cloning I'm getting the HP error "H30: No Boot Device found".
2. I bought an external SSD as well as NVME enclosure and attempted to clone the non-Bitlockered partitions from the old SSD to the NVME on my home Windows computer. Two partitions copied, a "System Reserved" and a Data partition that had all of the files on it.
3. After that, I attempted booting off of the NVME. No dice. I installed W10 Installation Media on a USB, plugged it in, and booted into WinRE. In there, I ran just about every bootrec command imaginable (/scanos, /fixmbr, etc). When I did this, it DID detect that there was a Windows installation at "E:\Windows", but after attempting to add it to the boot list it said the system device couldn't be found.
NOTE: When looking in diskpart, I see the System Reserved on C:, and the Data partition (with an empty name on E. So I verified that everything is indeed there, it just won't boot!
4. I attempted to rebuild the BCD and move it to the NVME and boot off of that - again, no dice. Still running into the same H30 error encountered in point one.

Any help at all would be appreciated! I've also tried Rescuezilla and just doing SSD w/ SATA to NVME, but again running into an issue with the partition showing as bitlocker / H30 issue not booting at all. Definitely have sunk almost 4+ days into this with almost every tutorial imaginable, so hopefully someone knows how to help with this.

 

[USAFRet]

At #3, was it still external when you tried to boot from it?
That will not work.

Clone to the new drive, move that drive to Internal, disconnect the old drive.
See it if boots.

 

[USAFRet]

Also...you're trying to move their old OS to the new workstation?
That will also not work.


Sort of unclear what you're actually trying to do.
Please give us a rundown of starting condition, and what you want the end state to be.

 

[SkyNetRising]

I tried using GParted to clone from the old SSD (plugged in with a SATA cable) to the new NVME, but after cloning I'm getting the HP error "H30: No Boot Device found".

If original system (before cloning) had no nvme drivers installed,
then you won't be able to boot from NVME drive (after cloning).

Clone to SATA drive first. Boot your computer and install NVME drivers.
Then clone to NVME drive.

 

[jlaf]

At #3, was it still external when you tried to boot from it?

It was not! At this point I had it in the M.2 slot, and it still did not boot.

Sort of unclear what you're actually trying to do.

Ideally, have a 1:1 clone of their old machine on the new one - programs, files, settings and all. I'm unfamiliar with what tooling they were using on the old machine, and having to reinstall everything would be a nightmare for all parties involved, so I'm attempting to make the transition as seamless as possible.

Also...you're trying to move their old OS to the new workstation?

Correct, I was. After reading some more online I'm realizing this is less and less feasible, and instead I probably should be re-installing W10 and moving everything over that way - but again, not 100% knowledgable on this, so the help would be appreciated!

 

[USAFRet]

Moving an OS, be it a clone or the physical drive, to a whole new PC is a minefield.
Especially so with an OEM install.


MUCH faster and safer to just install the required applications in the new system, with its original drive and OS.
We'd all like that shortcut, but that is unlikely to work.

 

[jlaf]

Fair enough, and I'm happy to go down that rabbit hole if need be. What should I do to ensure that all files across the board are still in tact where they were last time? I know Macrium has a "File and Folder" backup/image option, would this be my safest bet -> reinstalling the OEM Windows 11 install -> reinstalling necessary programs?

 

[USAFRet]

Fair enough, and I'm happy to go down that rabbit hole if need be. What should I do to ensure that all files across the board are still in tact where they were last time? I know Macrium has a "File and Folder" backup/image option, would this be my safest bet -> reinstalling the OEM Windows 11 install -> reinstalling necessary programs?

Get the new system back to original condition.
Install whatever applications will be used.

For the personal data, that will be a totally manual process.