[SOLVED] Problems cloning System drive.

[Johnluk]

I have a DELL Inspiron 5477 AIO which was set up by DELL with a 128GB SSD for the operating system and 1TB drive for the DATA drive.

I would like to upgrade the 128GB SSD to 256GB SSD. I am able to clone the drive successfully but when I replace the 128GB SSD with the 256CG SSD and boot up the DATA drive d: is lost - does not show up. System (DISK MANAGEMENT) show me the 128GB SSD and the 256SSD even though the 128GB SSD is not physically in the system??? The BIOS also shows the 128GB SSD and the 256GB SSD with no 1TB DATA drive.

I am using Macrium Reflect 8 free.

What did I do wrong or what did I not do???

Thanks In Advance.

 

[Lafong]

My first impulse would be to use Macrium to image old to new.....rather than clone.

Do you know for a fact if the PC would boot OK with ONLY the 128 gb drive connected before you ever attempted to change to the 256 gb drive?

Post a screen shot of Windows Disk Management if possible.

 

[Johnluk]

Thanks for replying.

No, I don’t know if the PC would boot OK with only the 128 GB drive. The 1TB drive is hidden deep in the system so not sure how to disconnect the 1TB drive.

I have two Disk Management shots - one before doing anything and one just after completing the clone and before pulling the 128GB drive. I am just not sure how to Post the Screenshot. I am new to this forum

 

[SkyNetRising]

I am just not sure how to Post the Screenshot. I am new to this forum

Upload to imgur.com and post link.

 

[Johnluk]

Thanks.

 

[Johnluk]

Disk Management shots before doing anything:
original
Disk Management just after completing the clone and before pulling the 128GB:

After clone before pulling 128GB drive

 

[Lafong]

Superficially.....it looks like the clone "succeeded".......

I can't explain why the big data drive disappears when the 256 is swapped in for the 128.

It's passing strange to me that the bottom area of Disk Management shows 11 partitions in the "after" picture, but only 7 in the upper portion......F is the only partition on disk 2 that is shown in the upper area. Maybe that is normal?

Have you fished around in the BIOS for possibly relevant settings?

 

[Johnluk]

The BIOS doesn't seem to be much help. After the 128GB was pulled the BIOS shows the 256GB as the FIRST HDD and the pulled 128GB as the SECOND HDD and no signs of the 1TB drive. Under BOOT sections there is nothing for picking and choosing drives.

BIOS:
BIOS

 

[Johnluk]

DO you think it is worthwhile to use Macrium to image old to new.???

 

[Lafong]

DO you think it is worthwhile to use Macrium to image old to new.???

It's certainly worth a try. If it were to "fail", you could always reclone from the 128 to the 256 as you did earlier.

When imaging, you can choose which specific partitions you want to include in the image file.

OR

You can select "create an image of the partitions necessary to back up and restore Windows" from the left side of the main window.

I'd probably choose the latter to avoid confusion.

The file it creates will have an mrimg extension and should be circa 60 or 70 gb in size. You need a place to store a file that large and then restore from that location to the 256 in a separate operation.

Might take15 to 30 minutes to make the image and similar to restore it the 256.

You would need a way to boot the PC after you have made the image file and removed the 128.

That would be done through a USB flash drive that you make within Macrium. Do that first, before even making the image. You need to confirm it will in fact boot the PC.

If it fails to boot from the flash drive, you can't restore because you can't boot the PC to get at Macrium to give commands.

You may end up in the same position, but you can't know without trying and it certainly should do no harm.

 

[SkyNetRising]

I am able to clone the drive successfully but when I replace the 128GB SSD with the 256CG SSD and boot up the DATA drive d: is lost - does not show up.

That's because you replaced HDD with new SSD.
Old SSD remains connected.
Show a photo of motherboard of your pc.

This is your old SSD:

This is your new SSD.

Not really possible to replace one with the other.

 

[Satan-IR]

Also the Status column of the Disk Management in the shots is not expanded. How many drives/partitions have the 'boot' or 'primary' flag? Is it more than one?

 

[Johnluk]

Lafong I tried the imaging and got the same results. After sitting back and looking deeper into the PC I discovered my error. SkyNetRising hit the nail on the head. I assumed the 2.5 SSD right in the middle of the PC was the C: 128GB drive when in fact it was my 1TB drive. After looking deeper and taking the PC more apart I found the SATA M2 SSD drive 128GB drive.
Sorry for wasting all your time but it was a learning experience for me. Thanks to all for your help.