Question Windows 10 Clone won't boot ?

[Bob.B]

I cloned a 2.5-inch OS SSD to an M.2 NVMe SSD with Macrium Reflect.
The clone went through to normal completion but the M.2 SSD won't boot.

Disk Management shows the source partition as healthy (boot, basic data partition)
The M.2 SSD shows healthy (basic data partition), but the boot piece is missing.

How to add the boot piece?
Both disks are GPT.

 

[rgd1101]

did you clone just the basic partition?

 

[Bob.B]

did you clone just the basic partition?

No......total disk clone, all partitions.

 

[SyCoREAPER]

Doesn't sound like a complete clone to me. Never had it ignore a partition unless I misclicked.

Are the destination and source the same size?

Another albeit rare oddity I've come across is I tried cloning my LegionGo, nothing clones the drive unplugged for some reason, the clone has to be done from the device with Windows running.

Not your scenario but try cloning the source while it's up and running.

 

[USAFRet]

Cloned a 2.5 OS ssd to a m.2 nvme ssd.
The clone went through to normal completion.
The m.2 won't boot.

Disk management shows the 2.5 partition as healthy (boot, basic data partition)
The m.2 shows healthy (basic data partition)
The boot piece is missing.

How to add the boot piece?
Both disk are gpt.

Then you did something wrong.

Details, please.
Drives involved, motherboard, etc, ec.

 

[Bob.B]

Doesn't sound like a complete clone to me. Never had it ignore a partition unless I misclicked.

Are the destination and source the same size?

Another albeit rare oddity I've come across is I tried cloning my LegionGo, nothing clones the drive unplugged for some reason, the clone has to be done from the device with Windows running.

Not your scenario but try cloning the source while it's up and running.

Destination and source are both 500GB.

Tried running the clone as a windows app and also from the macrium recovery media but no different.

It's not ignoring a partition, all the partitions are there and are the correct size, it's just the boot piece is missing from the destination drive.

 

[Bob.B]

Then you did something wrong.

Details, please.
Drives involved, motherboard, etc, ec.

Source disk......CT500MX500SSD1.......2.5 ssd
Destination disk.....WDS500G3X0C-00SJG0......m.2 nvme

Pc......dell 5260 aio.

I have cloned many times from the m.2 to a 2.5 and I have never seen the boot piece come up missing.

Now I'm trying to go the other way.....2.5>m.2 and the boot piece is missing from the m.2 after the clone.

The partition size is the same on 2.5 and m.2 it's just the description on the m.2 is missing the word.....boot.

 

[USAFRet]

Cloning with what tool?

Selecting the full drive, all partitions...can't leave off some of it.

 

[Bob.B]

Cloning with what tool?

Selecting the full drive, all partitions...can't leave off some of it.

Macrium reflect.

All 3 partitions have a check mark on the source and the destination.

 

[USAFRet]

Macrium reflect.

All 3 partitions have a check mark on the source and the destination.

Screencap of your Disk Management window, please.

 

[Bob.B]

Screencap of your Disk Management window, please.

I have a screenshot as a .png how to send it to imgur?
Do I need to sign-in to imgur I've never used the app.

 

[USAFRet]

I have a screenshot as a .png how to send it to imgur?
Do I need to sign-in to imgur I've never used the app.

You do not need to sign in.
Upload it to there, and put the link here.

 

[Bob.B]

You do not need to sign in.
Upload it to there, and put the link here.

Chasing my tail.
I can clone to another 2.5 ssd and it boots fine.
Run the same clone to the m.2 and it won't boot.
I think I have to try another m.2 and see what that does.

 

[SkyNetRising]

I can clone to another 2.5 ssd and it boots fine.
Run the same clone to the m.2 and it won't boot.
I think I have to try another m.2 and see what that does.

Try enabling CSM.

 

[Bob.B]

Try enabling CSM.

Yup tried that no diff.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Can you show your clone result on M.2 ?
Screenshot from Disk Management?
(upload to imgur.com and post link)

How have you M.2 drive connected?
Did you connect it via M.2 USB adapter for cloning?

 

[USAFRet]

Here is a step by step for cloning:

-----------------------------
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
Both drives must be the same partitioning scheme, either MBR or GPT
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung target SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, you may need to install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up

Verify the system boots with ONLY the current "C drive" connected.
If not, we have to fix that first.

Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

[Ignore this section if using the SDM. It does this automatically]
If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specify the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing
[/end ignore]

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD. This is not optional.
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD

(swapping cables is irrelevant with NVMe drives, but DO disconnect the old drive for this next part)
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.
-----------------------------

 

[Bob.B]

Can you show your clone result on M.2 ?
Screenshot from Disk Management?
(upload to imgur.com and post link)

How have you M.2 drive connected?
Did you connect it via M.2 USB adapter for cloning?

Connection is via the m.2 slot on the mobo.

This was my OS disk which I have been using for years.

I was trying to clone a backup to the m.2 because of some e-mail problems.
This is when I discovered the clone/boot problem.

A clone to a 2.5 ssd works fine so I'll put it on my list to get another m.2 and chase this.

 

[USAFRet]

And at the end of the clone process, you must physically remove the old OS drive, and allow the system to try to boot from only the new one.