[SOLVED] winload.exe missing after cloning hdd to ssd

[mrblimack]

Hi,

I looked around here and couldn't solve my problem.

My HDD had a smart fail (reallocated sector count ), but could still boot on it. So I bought an ssd (860 QVO Samsung).

I used easeUS partition master to clone my hdd to my ssd, with no errors encountered, it looks like this:

https://imgur.com/a/OEn9tB4

View: https://imgur.com/a/OEn9tB4


Then I shut down, removed the old hdd, put the new ssd at the slot where hdd was, boot and rand into the winload.exe missing.

I then replug the hdd and ssd where it first was, boot, look around here find few things that wasn't sure if applied to my case so didn't tried, found that the partition has to be active which it already was:

https://imgur.com/a/at9rPk6

View: https://imgur.com/a/at9rPk6


Then I saw the BCDBoot command and tried it, command prompt said successful, but once I re-shut down, remove old hdd, put new ssd at the old hdd slot position and boot I got into the same error.

I can't seem to find the answer to fix my problem so help would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[USAFRet]

Return the system back to original config.
Does it boot up?
If so, redo the clone. It seems it went wrong, or you missed a thing or two.

-----------------------------
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)
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.
-----------------------------

 

[mrblimack]

Ok I'll try thanks, that is exactly what I did thought, except I used easeUS instead of Samsung Data Migration, but will give it a shot. (And yes the old config work (well I have to force boot because I always get the smart failure)) The drives are both 1tb so it should be exactly the same afterwards technically

 

[USAFRet]

Ok I'll try thanks, that is exactly what I did thought, except I used easeUS instead of Samsung Data Migration, but will give it a shot. (And yes the old config work (well I have to force boot because I always get the smart failure)) The drives are both 1tb so it should be exactly the same afterwards technically

However...cloning a failed current install may simply move the 'fail' to a different drive.

 

[mrblimack]

Ahhh, yes,... "Bad sectors can not be read, so there is nothing to write to the destination " Maybe that's the thing

I'll launch a windows installation USB then if this doesn't work.

 

[USAFRet]

Ahhh, yes,... "Bad sectors can not be read, so there is nothing to write to the destination " Maybe that's the thing

I'll launch a windows installation USB then if this doesn't work.

Time for a clean install.
Cloning does not fix a bad drive.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[TerryLaze]

Then I shut down, removed the old hdd, put the new ssd at the slot where hdd was, boot and rand into the winload.exe missing.

The most probable cause is that your system uses the hardware guid in the boot info so it still looks for the old disk to boot from.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/devtest/boot-options-identifiers

"I'll launch a windows installation USB then if this doesn't work. "
Yup,doing this is the way to go.

 

[mrblimack]

The Samsung Data Migration actually worked! Had the USB in my hand ready to plug it in and got surprised when it booted haha! Thanks a lot!