Win 10 doesn't boot from SSD after HDD removal

[Victor_G]

Hello there,

First I would like to mention that I have already read similar threads to my question, but none of them gives me instructions on how to solve my specific problem.

In my Lenovo E540 notebook I had win 8.1 later upgraded to Win 10. After a while I added an SSD into the system and installed fresh Win 10 there. So each time I turned on the computer I got the dual boot menu from which I could boot from SSD no problem. Recently I removed the old HDD and the notebook stopped booting from SSD. By reading all the forums I learned that's because the boot files are all stored in the HDD instead of SSD. The problem is after returning the HDD back the system still won't boot. I have played with the settings of the UEFI BIOS in the meantime so maybe that's the reason. Would anybody please help me this? I would like to be able to boot from SSD without the HDD and without having to format.

Thank you to anybody out there kind enough to help me!

Victor

 

[ss202sl]

The fix is to re-install windows with only the SSD plugged in.
You would have to create a new partition on the SSD, and that would involve removing the existing partitions.

 

[Victor_G]

Thank you ss202sl for your answer!

I need the data on the ssd, so I need another solution, if possible. Hope there is one...

In the meantime I managed to boot from HDD. When booted in Disk Manager I can see the SSD marked as 238.35GB big Efi System partition. Maybe that's because I was trying to run the bootrec from USB Win 10 repair tool. When right-clicking the image of ssd in Disk Manager, all the options are grayed out. When running the Disk Part, can see 2 partitions on the SSD:

Partition 1: type reserved, 128 MB
Partition 2: type system, 238 GB

Please tell me there is a way to boot from SSD into Windows 10 stored there!

 

[ss202sl]

"I need the data on the ssd" Then there should be a backup?

You could put the ssd in another system, and gain access to the files there - and copy them to a USB drive

 

[ss202sl]

Have you tried to repair the boot files

 

[Victor_G]

Thanks again for sticking with me

Unfortunately there is no backup.

 

[Victor_G]

To answer your suggestion by putting the ssd in another system, that's exactly what I have done, because I loaded the windows from HDD, but it did not assign any drive letter to the ssd, in disk management it shows as EFI system partition, the whole ssd. But as described above, in disk part it clearly shows 2 partitions. In disk part I assigned a letter to the partition 2 that contains the data. In windows that drive appeared, but when trying to open the drive I get access denied message.

And to your second suggestion. I would like to, not sure how....

 

[kaipirinha]

I just had a similar problem but when I put my 2nd drive back in, Windows would boot again. please see the last post here:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-3853764/boot-removal-2nd-ssd.html

Put your SSD into another computer and check in disk management if there is a small system reserved partition on the SSD. Most likely there is none and the reason boot information cant be repaired is because it is completely missing.
If this is the case, you can copy the boot information from the old hdd to the ssd.
To do so you can use the information in the post I have already linked, and the information here: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-performance/moving-the-system-reserved-partition-to-a/b1daf186-16f9-421a-974c-8eaf5c39836d

If you need more help, please describe the steps you are having trouble with.