[SOLVED] Unable to boot SSD with Windows 10 on it? Trying to fix but need help figuring out what is happening and why.

[NightKnightElias]

Hello everyone.

Yesterday I received my new SSD. After plugging it in I made sure to edit the boot order to boot my regular SSD (with Windows 10 on it). Despite booting my regular SSD I still got the 'Reboot and Select proper Boot Device' message. After a long string of failed attempts of fixing it, I decided to install Windows on my new SSD to see if I could at least access the files on my old SSD. Turns out I can and all the files are still on there. Running Crystal Disk tells me everything is fine with the SSD.
(Is there anything else I can from my new SSD to check the status of my old SSD and see what might be wrong?

I have tried:
Swapping SATA cables.
Swapping SATA Power cables.
Running Windows Media Creation tool and trying to repair the old SSD, which doesn't work and does not give me any error message as to why it isn't working.
Running cmd through the Media Creation tool and running bootrec.exe /ScanOs detects Windows on my drive.
Running bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd, then entering Y when the 'Add installation to boot list?' comes up, doesn't work. Instead I get something along the lines of: 'Can't find system device requested.' (Could my Windows somehow be corrupted? Could my SSD be faulty? If so, why is it still showing up in BIOS?)

My motherboard is an MSI B350 Tomahawk, Socket AM4.
My OLD SSD is a Kingston A400 240GB 2.5" SSD.
My new SSD is a Kingston A400 960GB 2.5" SSD.

Having both SSDs plugged in at the same time results in the new SSD being booted (despite changing the boot order to boot the old one).
Having only the old SSD plugged in gives me the 'Reboot and Select proper Boot Device' message.

I'll take any advice on how to fix it or even speculation as to what might have happend.
Thanks in advance!

 

[USAFRet]

Adding the new drive, you did not need to alter the boot order in the BIOS.

But when you did, exactly what did you choose?
The selection should have been "Windows Boot Manager". Not that specific drive.

Now...when you installed the OS on the NEW drive, did you have both still connected?

 

[NightKnightElias]

No, when I installed Windows on the new drive I unplugged the old one. It wouldn't install it when both of them were plugged in.

When running boot manager, the old SSD shows up. However, booting it gives me the 'Reboot and Select proper Boot Device' message.

 

[USAFRet]

Can you show us a picture of the selections within the BIOS , to edit that boot menu order.

 

[NightKnightElias]

https://imgur.com/a/Xo6QPy8

View: https://imgur.com/a/Xo6QPy8


Not sure if this is what you needed but this is my Boot Order.
The one at the top reads 'Hard Disk:KINGSTON SA400S37240G', which is my old SSD.
I don't currently have my new SSD plugged in.

 

[USAFRet]

Switch # 1 and #2.

 

[NightKnightElias]

Switch # 1 and #2.

Swapped #1 and #2 and unfortunately getting the same message.

 

[USAFRet]

And if you remove the old drive, and try it with only the new?

 

[NightKnightElias]

And if you remove the old drive, and try it with only the new?

If I'm only booting the new one, which I installed Windows on earlier today, it boots properly. I can access all the files on my old drive from there. Although it doesn't make any sense at all, maybe the Windows on my old drive somehow got corrupted?

 

[USAFRet]

If I'm only booting the new one, which I installed Windows on earlier today, it boots properly. I can access all the files on my old drive from there. Although it doesn't make any sense at all, maybe the Windows on my old drive somehow got corrupted?

That would seem to be a possibility.

 

[NightKnightElias]

That would seem to be a possibility.

Well, if nothing else comes up, I think I'll just save anything that i need, wipe the SSD and start over. Thanks for your help!

 

[USAFRet]

Yeah, sometimes it is better to just move on with a new install, rather than spending weeks trying to fix the old one.

 

[Wildone9999]

I don't know if this would help, but unplug the new disk and clear your tpm and Secure start settings in bios. I'd walk you through, but I'm used to acer hardware or ancient stuff(before efi).

Windows takes control of the tpm chip.
also, your secure settings should allow you (after you set bios password), to set your boot. if you open that you can usually click the efi file you want.
never ran into this error before
ps. yes, I buy the underpowered stuff and add ram, then slap linux distro of the day alongside

 

[NightKnightElias]

I don't know if this would help, but unplug the new disk and clear your tpm and Secure start settings in bios. I'd walk you through, but I'm used to acer hardware or ancient stuff(before efi).

Windows takes control of the tpm chip.
also, your secure settings should allow you (after you set bios password), to set your boot. if you open that you can usually click the efi file you want.
never ran into this error before
ps. yes, I buy the underpowered stuff and add ram, then slap linux distro of the day alongside

A lot of that flew right over my head, sorry. I'm not gonna ask you to write out a full explanation but roughly why do you think it could work?

 

[Wildone9999]

A lot of that flew right over my head, sorry. I'm not gonna ask you to write out a full explanation but roughly why do you think it could work?

It sounds like you've done the standard checklist already. so, I was trying to get you to check that your bios was loading the correct file.

Let me put it this way, windows is a hellish os that is inherently backwards compatible on purpose. That means it has many bugs, to be simple. e.g. I just fixed a problem with one of mine, by flicking it in safe mode, changing a bios setting, and putting it back to normal. The fix I employed, was supposed to require me monkeying around in registry. of course, to run safe mode you need to be able to load in bios...

honestly, you see that legacy/uefi... change that to uefi only... just try it

 

[themoviemancan]

OP, its probably UEFI and secure boot in your systems BIOS/UEFI settings. They protect the booting of the system to prevent malware from taking over your system. With them on, you won't be able to boot to any other SSD/HDD. Unless you only have one drive installed, then it boots to that one drive.

I could be wrong though, post your hardware specs, model number ect.

 

[themoviemancan]

Change UEFI to legacy boot, or BIOS, and turn off secure boot if you have those options.

 

[USAFRet]

I still say...
The new install is working on the new drive.
Use that and move on.

Don't bother trying to "fix" whatever is wrong with the old install.

I'm out.

 

[Wildone9999]

https://imgur.com/a/Xo6QPy8

View: https://imgur.com/a/Xo6QPy8


Not sure if this is what you needed but this is my Boot Order.
The one at the top reads 'Hard Disk:KINGSTON SA400S37240G', which is my old SSD.
I don't currently have my new SSD plugged in.

I only noticed a possible fix because it annoyed me a few days ago, did you change the boot mode? because my computer gives me gibberish if I attempt to load uefi/efi OSes when in legacy+uefi mode. I don't understand why the bios doesn't just say legacy, because everything breaks.

so, change it to uefi only

 

[NightKnightElias]

Thanks for all your responses! I'll see what I can do, but like USAFRet said, I think I might just move on even if I do fix it. I have almost everything downloaded and sorted out on the new SSD so I might just roll with that, but we'll see.

In any case I apprichiate you guys helping out!