[SOLVED] Windows 10 won't boot after cloning from sata HDD to m.2 SSD

[Bunnii-Latte]

Got a Samsung 970 evo plus 500gb m.2 SSD to use as a boot drive for my OS and games, and keep my current 1t Toshiba sata HDD drive as storage for documents, music and such. I formatted the SSD using the windows disk manager, then I cleaned up my hdd so it's under 500 gb, in preparation for cloning using Macrium reflect 7. I selected all the partitions, let it clone for a while and all went well. I could see my new samsung ssd present in the "my pc" folder alongside my hdd and another disk by the name of "system reserved". I shut down my pc, opened bios and set my SSD as the primary boot device and moved the HDD as a secondary one. Saved everything, booted Windows annnnndddd... blue screen. At the very bottom it says the stop code is "inaccessible boot device". After that it sends me to the Automatic repair screen. Tried restarting the system multiple times to no avail. Same screen, same everything. Any idea what might've happened? If I didn't state every detail please feel free to ask for more...

 

[USAFRet]

At the end of the clone process, the first thing you do it physically disconnect the old drive.
Not simply change the boot priority.

Does the system still boot from the original drive?
If so, redo the clone.

-----------------------------
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
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, 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
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

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 specifiy the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
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.
-----------------------------

 

[Bunnii-Latte]

At the end of the clone process, the first thing you do it physically disconnect the old drive.
Not simply change the boot priority.

Does the system still boot from the original drive?
If so, redo the clone.

-----------------------------
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
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, 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
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

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 specifiy the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
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.
-----------------------------

I can't swap sata cables, I'm using an m.2 NVMe. After my initial attempts listed in my original post didn't work, I physically disconnected my hard drive to see what would happen ; same result. Later on I even selected "Startup repair" on the automatical repair thing, it led me to a never ending black screen with a loading icon. Perhaps I should wipe everything I cloned on the SSD and attempt a second clone using the Samsung data migration tool?

 

[USAFRet]

I can't swap sata cables, I'm using an m.2 NVMe. After my initial attempts listed in my original post didn't work, I physically disconnected my hard drive to see what would happen ; same result. Later on I even selected "Startup repair" on the automatical repair thing, it led me to a never ending black screen with a loading icon. Perhaps I should wipe everything I cloned on the SSD and attempt a second clone using the Samsung data migration tool?

Disregard the 'swap cables' part. That was meant for going between 2x SATA drives.

Yes, do the clone again....at the end of the process, power off, physically disconnect the old drive, power up.

 

[Bunnii-Latte]

I'll let you know how that goes, thank you! Another question, any suggestions on how I should wipe my SSD with all the cloned files, so it's empty for a new clone? Apologies for being a bit of a newbie to this storage stuff. Thanks again!

 

[USAFRet]

I'll let you know how that goes, thank you! Another question, any suggestions on how I should wipe my SSD with all the cloned files, so it's empty for a new clone? Apologies for being a bit of a newbie to this storage stuff. Thanks again!

For a 'new clone' ?
Why?

But, commandline function diskpart, and the clean command will do that.

 

[Bunnii-Latte]

For a 'new clone' ?
Why?

But, commandline function diskpart, and the clean command will do that.

By new clone I meant doing the clone again. So I'd be wiping what I already have cloned on my SSD, and then doing it all over again, correct?

 

[USAFRet]

By new clone I meant doing the clone again. So I'd be wiping what I already have cloned on my SSD, and then doing it all over again, correct?

Oh.
I think you can do that in the Macrium application.

 

[Bunnii-Latte]

Oh.
I think you can do that in the Macrium application.

Yup, did that originally. Didn't you suggest using Samsung's migration software since it's a samsung SSD? Think I'll try that next instead of Macrium, I'll keep you updated

 

[USAFRet]

Yup, did that originally. Didn't you suggest using Samsung's migration software since it's a samsung SSD? Think I'll try that next instead of Macrium, I'll keep you updated

Yes, if its a Samsung drive, try the Samsung Data Migration tool.

In either case...physical disconnection at the end, boot from ONLY the new drive.

 

[Bunnii-Latte]

Yes, if its a Samsung drive, try the Samsung Data Migration tool.

In either case...physical disconnection at the end, boot from ONLY the new drive.

Good day, sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I'm currently in the process of recloning my OS and data using Samsung data migration instead of Macrium. I wiped my SSD clean using a command in cmd, and set up the drive with the new simple volume thingy in disk management. Just curious however, when I launched disk management it asked me to initialize the disk and pick either mbr or gpt, I chose mbr because that's what it was set to automatically last time I initialized as well. Was this the right decision?

... Continuation : while the cloning is still happening I opened file explorer to see my SSD disk missing. It's still currently cloning with no errors present and I can see the SSD in task manager, however it says it's unallocated in disk management. I allocated it prior to starting the cloning though. Is it maybe going to appear after the cloning finishes and I boot from the SSD or did something get messed up?

... Another continuation : failed. Tried to initialize the clone again and it keeps unallocating my SSD in disk manager.

 

[USAFRet]

Good day, sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I'm currently in the process of recloning my OS and data using Samsung data migration instead of Macrium. I wiped my SSD clean using a command in cmd, and set up the drive with the new simple volume thingy in disk management. Just curious however, when I launched disk management it asked me to initialize the disk and pick either mbr or gpt, I chose mbr because that's what it was set to automatically last time I initialized as well. Was this the right decision?

... Continuation : while the cloning is still happening I opened file explorer to see my SSD disk missing. It's still currently cloning with no errors present and I can see the SSD in task manager, however it says it's unallocated in disk management. I allocated it prior to starting the cloning though. Is it maybe going to appear after the cloning finishes and I boot from the SSD or did something get messed up?

... Another continuation : failed. Tried to initialize the clone again and it keeps unallocating my SSD in disk manager.

After the clone is finished, and you physically disconnect the old drive....there is no 'initialization' needed.
None.

Either you're doing something wrong, or something is broken.

 

[Bunnii-Latte]

After the clone is finished, and you physically disconnect the old drive....there is no 'initialization' needed.
None.

Either you're doing something wrong, or something is broken.

aren't I supposed to format the drive in disk management BEFORE cloning it?? Doesn't formatting create a disk in the this pc folder which is where the cloned os is going to go? Sorry, I'm a little confused

 

[USAFRet]

You set up a New Simple Volume
Then you did the clone with SDM
Then.....?

 

[Bunnii-Latte]

You set up a New Simple Volume
Then you did the clone with SDM
Then.....?

I'm sorry, ignore the initialization bit. So, I did clone, and while it was in the middle of cloning I opened file explorer to see my SSD disk missing. I then checked disk management and saw it was suddenly unallocated, despite the fact I created a new simple volume and everything before the clone. A few minutes later SDM gave me an error. I tried cloning again later, having disk management opened at the same time, and yes, for whatever reason running the clone on SDM makes the drive go offline or whatever, having to put it back online and set up a new simple volume again. I don't know why it's doing this, perhaps I should try Macrium again, maybe AOMEI?? I'm so lost....

 

[USAFRet]

and while it was in the middle of cloning I opened file explorer to see my SSD disk missing

It specifically says don't do anything while the clone is in process.

Start over.
SDM, then Macrium if SDM fails.
Leave it alone until the clone is finished.
Then, power OFF, disconnect the old and power up with the new.

Resist the urge to poke around in the new until it actually boots up from ONLY that device.

 

[Bunnii-Latte]

It specifically says don't do anything while the clone is in process.

Start over.
SDM, then Macrium if SDM fails.
Leave it alone until the clone is finished.
Then, power OFF, disconnect the old and power up with the new.

Resist the urge to poke around in the new until it actually boots up from ONLY that device.

Alright, I'll try SDM one last time, won't touch a thing. Keep you updated, thank you. Oh and just to confirm I did install ALL the necessary drives from Samsung's website

 

[USAFRet]

OK.
Fingers crossed.

 

[Bunnii-Latte]

It specifically says don't do anything while the clone is in process.

Start over.
SDM, then Macrium if SDM fails.
Leave it alone until the clone is finished.
Then, power OFF, disconnect the old and power up with the new.

Resist the urge to poke around in the new until it actually boots up from ONLY that device.

Oh, another thing. When I cleaned my SSD with cmd I used the command "clean all" instead of "clean" as I got the impression that it's more efficient and completely wiping the disk clean. Could that have messed something up?

 

[USAFRet]

Oh, another thing. When I cleaned my SSD with cmd I used the command "clean all" instead of "clean" as I got the impression that it's more efficient and completely wiping the disk clean. Could that have messed something up?

Almost certainly not.

 

[Bunnii-Latte]

Almost certainly not.

Update : I'm not at all positive this is going to work... Been 23 minutes, the progress so far is 1%, 6147/382016MB and it's uploading 4MB/s... much much slower than last time... should I just stay patient? Last time it only took about an hour.

 

[USAFRet]

Update : I'm not at all positive this is going to work... Been 23 minutes, the progress so far is 1%, 6147/382016MB and it's uploading 4MB/s... much much slower than last time... should I just stay patient? Last time it only took about an hour.

Patience...

 

[Bunnii-Latte]

Patience...

well, it just errored on me and stopped the cloning process. And once again I can confirm that it set the disk back to being offline and unallocated. I really don't get what the problem is... Also, I just created a new simple volume again and opened samsung magician, in drive details it says there are no volumes found. I don't know if this has anything to do with the problem or if the particular software is just not defecting it

 

[SkyNetRising]

Also, I just created a new simple volume again and opened samsung magician, in drive details it says there are no volumes found.

No need to create partitions on drive, you' re cloning to.

Magician shows only partitions, that have drive letter assigned.

 

[Bunnii-Latte]

No need to create partitions on drive, you' re cloning to.

Magician shows only partitions, that have drive letter assigned.

I'm very confused on this partition stuff.. So what I need to do before cloning is create a new simple volume if it says it's unallocated and that's it?