[SOLVED] Windows is operating from hard drive even after clone

Slusher

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May 22, 2016
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Hello! I just got a new SSD, in addition to my old HDD that has run out of storage. I have cloned my HDD onto the SSD, and have even already set the boot priority to the SSD.
I went to format the HDD, but it gave me an error saying windows is operating from this drive, so I can't format it.. Here's a picture: http://prntscr.com/nt300o
I would like to have windows operating on my SSD rather than my HDD, especially because I already cloned all of my stuff onto the SSD: http://prntscr.com/nt308l (Drew this myself!)

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
 
Solution
Try booting with only the SSD installed--completely disconnect the HDD.

If it won't boot with the SSD installed, you'll probably have to re-clone and try it again, to be sure that you can boot from the image.

Once you can boot from the SSD, download Gparted, and set it up on a USB flash drive. Remove the SSD and connect the HDD, and boot from the Gparted flash drive. Delete the partitioon table from the HDD, and write a new partition table to it (GPT most likely). Then format the HDD as NTFS.

After that, you can use both drives in the machine....your empty HDD, and the SSD boot drive.
Try booting with only the SSD installed--completely disconnect the HDD.

If it won't boot with the SSD installed, you'll probably have to re-clone and try it again, to be sure that you can boot from the image.

Once you can boot from the SSD, download Gparted, and set it up on a USB flash drive. Remove the SSD and connect the HDD, and boot from the Gparted flash drive. Delete the partitioon table from the HDD, and write a new partition table to it (GPT most likely). Then format the HDD as NTFS.

After that, you can use both drives in the machine....your empty HDD, and the SSD boot drive.
 
Solution

Slusher

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May 22, 2016
51
1
18,535
Try booting with only the SSD installed--completely disconnect the HDD.

If it won't boot with the SSD installed, you'll probably have to re-clone and try it again, to be sure that you can boot from the image.

Once you can boot from the SSD, download Gparted, and set it up on a USB flash drive. Remove the SSD and connect the HDD, and boot from the Gparted flash drive. Delete the partitioon table from the HDD, and write a new partition table to it (GPT most likely). Then format the HDD as NTFS.

After that, you can use both drives in the machine....your empty HDD, and the SSD boot drive.
Alright I'll give this a shot and get back to you. In order to boot from the Gparted flash drive, it should be in the "override boot" list right? Or will it be somewhere else
 

Slusher

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May 22, 2016
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You can set your boot priority in BIOS/UEFI....just place USB connected devices ahead of the HDD in the boot order.

If your BIOS presents this as a different nomenclature, you should look into the MB manual to decipher the terms.
So apparently, before I tried booting with Gparted I checked my Disk Manager, and it seems that after I cloned it swapped the names and assigned letters of the HDD/SSD, so I just had to format the other drive that "used" to be the SSD drive. Appreciate the help!