[SOLVED] Trying to replaced HDD with SSD and no boot device

[ImPrettyIrish]

Hello,
I am trying to remove a hard drive and replace it with an SSD and for some reason windows will not boot after doing so. Windows is installed on my M.2 SSD but I have no idea why it would need the hard drive in order to boot. Also when in bios, it will not boot to windows unless if you have the boot device set to windows boot manager. I've been out of PC building for a while now so I have forgotten what most of what everything in the bios means lol. I've tried googling but nothing really helps.
Thanks in advance for any help

 

[USAFRet]

Please give us a FULL rundown of all the parts in this system.

Make/model of everything.

 

[ImPrettyIrish]

Please give us a FULL rundown of all the parts in this system.

Make/model of everything.

Sorry, should have said that before.
Core i5 8600K
Gigabye z370 AORUS ultra gaming
16 GB of DDR4 (PNY is the brand)
Nvidia GTX 1080 FE
Corsair 750W PSU
And for storage I have a WD 500 GB m.2 and a Seagate 2TB 7200 RPM HDD which I'm trying to upgrade to a crucial Sata SSD

 

[TerryLaze]

Hello,
I am trying to remove a hard drive and replace it with an SSD and for some reason windows will not boot after doing so.

Windows during installation will look for the first drive in the boot order and will add the boot files to that drive so if the hdd was first in line the boot files where written there even if you installed on the m.2 drive.

If you boot with a windows installation media and only the m.2 connected you can go to startup repair, run it several times and it should be able to make the m.2 bootable.

Windows 10 Won't Boot? Fix it with Startup Repair and BootRec Commands

A black screen and a Windows 10 PC that won't boot often means that your master boot record is on the fritz. Here are two ways to fix it.

www.groovypost.com

If you feel up to it use the bootrec method detailed lower down on that page since it's more straight forward.

Obviously if you put in the new drive and that is still first in line it won't boot again. So you should go into bios and make the m.2 drive first in line.

 

[USAFRet]

Sorry, should have said that before.
Core i5 8600K
Gigabye z370 AORUS ultra gaming
16 GB of DDR4 (PNY is the brand)
Nvidia GTX 1080 FE
Corsair 750W PSU

And the most relevant info, the drives, were left out of this.

So, what drives are in here?

And please post a screencap of your DIsk Management window.

 

[USAFRet]

If you boot with a windows installation media and only the m.2 connected you can go to startup repair, run it several times and it should be able to make the m.2 bootable.

No, that only works if the MBR is in the proper place, just broken.

It does NOT create a new boot partition on a drive that does not have one.

 

[TerryLaze]

No, that only works if the MBR is in the proper place, just broken.

It does NOT create a new boot partition on a drive that does not have one.

You don't need a boot partition, it can create the BCDstore on the same partition windows is on.

 

[ImPrettyIrish]

And the most relevant info, the drives, were left out of this.

So, what drives are in here?

And please post a screencap of your DIsk Management window.

I have a WD 500 GB m.2 and a Seagate 2TB 7200 RPM HDD which I'm trying to upgrade to a crucial Sata SSD

https://imgur.com/a/aBse9Rc

View: https://imgur.com/a/aBse9Rc

 

[USAFRet]

What size/model is the new Crucial SSD?

 

[ImPrettyIrish]

What size/model is the new Crucial SSD?

It is the Crucial MX500 1TB ssd

 

[USAFRet]

It is the Crucial MX500 1TB ssd

Well, the current 2TB HDD is too full for an actual clone from HDD to SSD.

But, why not just ADD the SSD, and leave the HDD in place.

 

[Mr.Random]

i always clone a new hard drive upgrade so i don't have to deal with these issues. i went from a 1 tb to a 2tb. yes i know when you clone you get the same 1 tb layout on the 2 tb layout but i do it on my linux machine and i resize after the cloning.

 

[USAFRet]

yes i know when you clone you get the same 1 tb layout on the 2 tb layout but i do it on my linux machine and i resize after the cloning.

With the proper clone tool and procedures, there is functionality to make that not happen.