[SOLVED] Upgrading Components And Trying To Boot Off Old Boot Drive

[ClemsonFanKyle]

I just got done installing my new i7 10700K and Asus Prime Z-490A Motherboard. Along with some new Corsair Vengeance 32gb ram and a WD SN750 NVME.

So here is my issue. Before doing the upgrade process this morning, I got on the phone with Microsoft to clarify if I would have to do a fresh install or if I was able to boot off of my old boot drive. The lady I spoke with told me I would be perfectly fine upgrading my chipset and motherboard, and still booting off my old drive. She just told me I would have to check the box that I upgraded my computer parts.

Needless to say, that did not work. Now every time I restart my computer it just boots to BIOS, recognizes the drive, but shows nothing in the boot order.

I have two options:
1. Download a new install of Window's to the new NVME I got, and just get rid of the old drive with Window's on it;
OR, the option I would prefer:
2. Download a new install of Window's to the new NVME, but keep the old drive.

I would prefer to do the second option, because I completely forgot to check what was on that SSD before I did all of this. I really do not feel like putting all of my old stuff in to find out what was on it. But my question is, what would happen if I did the fresh install on the new NVME, then shut down the system, connected my 3 other SSD's, including the one that was my old boot drive, and be able to keep all of the information on the old boot SSD.

Thanks for responses, I know it is an odd hour, and I am hoping to get a response soon. I am currently doing research so I can make a decision before bed soon.

 

[k1114]

Either it boots and the old ssd just shows as another storage drive or it only boots to bios like it already does, in which case you could try plugging it in after windows boots if it's sata because sata supports hot plugging.

Is the m.2 drive in when you boot with the old ssd? That could be an issue.

 

[ClemsonFanKyle]

The NVME which is the new drive is actually installed. This is probably an error on my part because I was not thinking. I am going to remove it now, and try to boot off of my old SSD.

I upgraded from a i7 4790K to a 10700k as previously mentioned, if this makes a difference or not.

Give me a minute to remove the NVME and boot off of the SSD being the only thing plugged in.

 

[ClemsonFanKyle]

Either it boots and the old ssd just shows as another storage drive or it only boots to bios like it already does, in which case you could try plugging it in after windows boots if it's sata because sata supports hot plugging.

Is the m.2 drive in when you boot with the old ssd? That could be an issue.

I just removed the NVME and tried to boot off of the SSD, but it recognizes the drive but still doesn’t appear in the boot list. So I am still having the same issue

 

[ClemsonFanKyle]

Either it boots and the old ssd just shows as another storage drive or it only boots to bios like it already does, in which case you could try plugging it in after windows boots if it's sata because sata supports hot plugging.

Is the m.2 drive in when you boot with the old ssd? That could be an issue.

If I were to just go ahead and download windows onto the NVME, would there be any way to recover the information on my old boot SSD? If so, how?

 

[egda23]

If I were to just go ahead and download windows onto the NVME, would there be any way to recover the information on my old boot SSD? If so, how?

After removing the NVME SSD did you do a clear CMOS ?
Leave only the old SSD with your old windows.
Do a clear CMOS, and try to boot

 

[cherry blossoms]

Was secure boot enabled in old system? Disabled before moving? and in the new system?

Was your bootloader on a different drive?

 

[ClemsonFanKyle]

If I were to just go ahead and download windows onto the NVME, would there be any way to recover the information on my old boot SSD? If so, how?

I’ll try clearing the CMOS, and see if that works. Didn’t even think to do that

 

[ClemsonFanKyle]

Was secure boot enabled in old system? Disabled before moving? and in the new system?

Was your bootloader on a different drive?

To be honest, I actually don’t know if secure boot was enabled/disabled on the old system. I don’t even know if the motherboard supported it, it was an MSI Z97 Gaming 7 if that makes a difference.

Also, the boot loader might be on the mass storage HDD that I had because it was probably installed whenever I loaded windows onto the SSD.

I have a couple more things I can try, and I’ll update you two after.

 

[ClemsonFanKyle]

I have tried clearing CMOS and booting off of the SSD only, didn’t work. I have tried clearing CMOS and booting off the SSD and HDD that was in the system while Windows was originally loaded.

As far as the secure boot goes, in the Asus BIOS the only secure boot settings require deleting a bunch of keys and codes. I have no idea how to go about that or get them back.

 

[USAFRet]

So here is my issue. Before doing the upgrade process this morning, I got on the phone with Microsoft to clarify if I would have to do a fresh install or if I was able to boot off of my old boot drive. The lady I spoke with told me I would be perfectly fine upgrading my chipset and motherboard, and still booting off my old drive. She just told me I would have to check the box that I upgraded my computer parts.

And she was wrong.
There is NO 100% "it will just boot up". Period.
Win 10 is better than previous versions, but by no means guaranteed.

"She just told me I would have to check the box that I upgraded my computer parts. "
That was almost certainly referring to the OS license. That IS generally transferable.
The actual install....not so much.

 

[ClemsonFanKyle]

And she was wrong.
There is NO 100% "it will just boot up". Period.
Win 10 is better than previous versions, but by no means guaranteed.

"She just told me I would have to check the box that I upgraded my computer parts. "
That was almost certainly referring to the OS license. That IS generally transferable.
The actual install....not so much.

So based off of that, is there any way I can still boot off of the options I have mentioned and tried?

If not, I just made a new post about putting windows on the NVME and trying to recover data that was on the old boot SSD here: https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...after-installing-windows-on-new-nvme.3652596/

 

[USAFRet]

Front line help desk at MS is frequently wrong.

We've had people come here wondering about transferring a WIN 10 license to new hardware.
After being told categorically from the Tier 1 at MS that there is no possible way to do that. Absolutely not.

Only after I showed them the actual link from MS that states Yes and How, and it was elevated up two levels at MS, did they realize their mistake.

 

[ClemsonFanKyle]

Front line help desk at MS is frequently wrong.

We've had people come here wondering about transferring a WIN 10 license to new hardware.
After being told categorically from the Tier 1 at MS that there is no possible way to do that. Absolutely not.

Only after I showed them the actual link from MS that states Yes and How, and it was elevated up two levels at MS, did they realize their mistake.

Seems about right to me considering the lady I talked with at first didn’t even realize the question I was asking.