[SOLVED] Recovery Media Creation Tool Error Message

[Thom333]

I am trying to upgrade my hard drive to a solid state drive. Step One is to create recovery media.

While creating recovery media, the Toshiba Recover Media Creation Tool failed to start and displayed the error message, “No HDD Recovery Area! The Toshiba Recover Media Creation Tool cannot be launched.”

I checked disk management and partition properties, and there is a recovery partition. I can provide screenshots.

How I can create recovery disks using the Toshiba Recover Media Creation Tool?

 

[ktriebol]

If you can't get your Toshiba Recovery Media Creation Tool to work, another option for you is to install Macrium Reflect free version on your computer. Once that is installed and working, you can save an image of your HDD on some other disk. Then create a Macrium Reflect rescue disk. Remove your HDD, install the new SSD, and use your Macrium Reflect rescue disk to restore your previously-saved image onto your new SSD.

There is an easier way if you can have both the old HDD and the new SSD installed in your computer at the same time. In that case, there is no need to save an image of the HDD. Just use Macrium Reflect to clone the HDD to the SSD. Then remove the HDD, change your boot order as needed, and away you go.

Note: if it is not possible to have both the HDD and SSD installed in your computer at the same time, then consider getting a SATA III to USB 3.0 cable. You could use that to connect externally to your new SSD for the purpose of cloning your HDD onto it. Once it has been cloned, then replace your HDD with the SSD and you should be all done.

 

[USAFRet]

I am trying to upgrade my hard drive to a solid state drive. Step One is to create recovery media.

While creating recovery media, the Toshiba Recover Media Creation Tool failed to start and displayed the error message, “No HDD Recovery Area! The Toshiba Recover Media Creation Tool cannot be launched.”

I checked disk management and partition properties, and there is a recovery partition. I can provide screenshots.

How I can create recovery disks using the Toshiba Recover Media Creation Tool?

"Step One..." No.
You do NOT need the Toshiba Recovery stuff. At all.

Given a few conditions, a migration tool like Macrium Reflect will work MUCH better.

What OS is this?
What size is the new SSD?
How much actual space is consumed on your current C drive?

Details to follow after answers to those questions.

 

[Thom333]

"Step One..." No.
You do NOT need the Toshiba Recovery stuff. At all.

Given a few conditions, a migration tool like Macrium Reflect will work MUCH better.

What OS is this?
What size is the new SSD?
How much actual space is consumed on your current C drive?

Details to follow after answers to those questions.

Answers to your questions:

1. Windows 10 Pro.
2. The new SSD is 960 GB.
3. 652 GB.

 

[USAFRet]

Answers to your questions:

1. Windows 10 Pro.
2. The new SSD is 960 GB.
3. 652 GB.

Easy.

Straight migration from the current drive to the new one.
What make/model is the new drive?

-----------------------------
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
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
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.
-----------------------------

 

[Thom333]

If you can't get your Toshiba Recovery Media Creation Tool to work, another option for you is to install Macrium Reflect free version on your computer. Once that is installed and working, you can save an image of your HDD on some other disk. Then create a Macrium Reflect rescue disk. Remove your HDD, install the new SSD, and use your Macrium Reflect rescue disk to restore your previously-saved image onto your new SSD.

There is an easier way if you can have both the old HDD and the new SSD installed in your computer at the same time. In that case, there is no need to save an image of the HDD. Just use Macrium Reflect to clone the HDD to the SSD. Then remove the HDD, change your boot order as needed, and away you go.

Note: if it is not possible to have both the HDD and SSD installed in your computer at the same time, then consider getting a SATA III to USB 3.0 cable. You could use that to connect externally to your new SSD for the purpose of cloning your HDD onto it. Once it has been cloned, then replace your HDD with the SSD and you should be all done.

Thanks. The first time I triedd this, I used Ease US Todo Backup and checked the Clone (not System Clone) option. I had the SSD connected with a USB cable and did not use a SATA III cable. When I replaced the drive, the laptop would not boot.

 

[Thom333]

Easy.

Straight migration from the current drive to the new one.
What make/model is the new drive?

-----------------------------
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
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
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.
-----------------------------

It is a Sabrent 2.5" SATA SSD.

Questions:

1. It sounds like you want me to remove the existing hard drive from the laptop prior to cloning. Is this correct? If so, how do I get the laptop to boot with the hard drive externalized?
2. Prior to cloning, do I connect the SSD to the laptop with just a USB cable, or with a SATA data transfer cable?
3. "Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD." For this step, can I just open the laptop and replace the existing hard drive with the SSD?
4. "Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive." This step is unclear. It seems steps 3 and 4 are related, but there seems to be some missing information. Wouldn't this problem be solved just by replacing the old drive with the new one?
5. What is the correct BIOS order?

Thank you.

 

[USAFRet]

Did not know this was a laptop. It is a bit different.

You need some sort of external connection for the new SSD. A USB dock (preferable), ir a cable that provides SATA data and power.

Mostly the same as above, but:

Install the Macrium Reflect tool
Connect the new SSD externally.
Boot up, and run the clone process as noted above.
When it is done, resist the urge to open trhe SSD and see if it worked. Barring any error message, it almost certainly did.
Swap the physical drives. Old HDD out, SSD in.
Power up
It should boot OK.

 

[Thom333]

Did not know this was a laptop. It is a bit different.

You need some sort of external connection for the new SSD. A USB dock (preferable), ir a cable that provides SATA data and power.

Mostly the same as above, but:

Install the Macrium Reflect tool
Connect the new SSD externally.
Boot up, and run the clone process as noted above.
When it is done, resist the urge to open trhe SSD and see if it worked. Barring any error message, it almost certainly did.
Swap the physical drives. Old HDD out, SSD in.
Power up
It should boot OK.

Last time I tried this using a USB hard drive enclosure, connected to the laptop with a USB cable (not a SATA III data transfer cable) and cloned the HDD using Ease US Todo backup. After swapping the drives, the laptop would not boot up.

 

[USAFRet]

Last time I tried this using a USB hard drive enclosure, connected to the laptop with a USB cable (not a SATA III data transfer cable) and cloned the HDD using Ease US Todo backup. After swapping the drives, the laptop would not boot up.

Then you did something wrong. Possibly left off the boot partition.
I've done exactly this, with Macrium Reflect.
Worked perfectly.

 

[Thom333]

Then you did something wrong. Possibly left off the boot partition.
I've done exactly this, with Macrium Reflect.
Worked perfectly.

When I do it the next time, would using a SATA data transfer cable (as opposed to a regular USB cable) potentially make any difference?

 

[USAFRet]

When I do it the next time, would using a SATA data transfer cable (as opposed to a regular USB cable) potentially make any difference?

If it is a SATA SSD, you need to use a cable or dock that delivers both power and data.

I've done this with a SATA->USB dock.
No problems.

 

[captaincharisma]

if the OS is windows 10 pro and you have no attachment to any of the software that came preinstalled on the laptop then you have no reason to use toshiba's recovery tool use the media creation tool from microsoft to load a copy of the windows 10 install on a USB drive and install a bloat free version of windows 10 on your new SSD. of course backup any important data of your HDD just in case

 

[Thom333]

Success!!

Thanks to both of you for your help. Just so you know what the problem was:

The cloning software was not copying the boot partition (partition 4). After installing Macrium Reflect and a Mini-Partition Tool, I had more options to resize the main partition, but Macrium still wouldn't copy the boot partition, so I had to drag and drop it into the SSD. I rearranged the partitions after installation, and re-extended the primary partition to reclaim the unallocated drive space. All good now.

Unfortunately, I had an external HDD crash during the process and will have to do some data recovery, which is why it took me so long to respond.....