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Windows 10 fails to boot after HDD clone to SSD

Writer Olivia Zamora

I have been trying to migrate a laptop from a HDD to an SSD. I initially cloned the drive with the latest version of TODO Backup and then tried with Macrium Reflect. Both have the same problem. The drive clones fine and all the files appear to be present, but Windows 10 won't boot.

I have booted from a recovery disk, loaded a command prompt and run:

bootrec /RebuildBcd
bootrec /fixMbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootsect /nt60 SYS

It still doesn't boot. If I load the Windows 10 recovery disk and boot from the CD I can then select to load Windows it will load. Likewise, if I select reboot rather than shutdown, the machine loads.

This is how the SSD drive looks in drive manager:SSD partition

When trying to start the system after shutdown, it permanently sits on a black screen with a flash _.

The partitioning on the source disk is MBR. I am cloning to an Integral P Series 2.5 inch Solid State Drive (120 GB, 4 SSD, SATA III Drive).

7

10 Answers

Windows 10.
Fix Error After Cloning HDD SSD - Error in file winload.efi

  • With Windows 10 installation/recovery media open the command prompt in advanced tools

  • Diskpart

  • list volume (take note of boot partition volume and windows partition letter)

  • select volume # (replace # with the partition responsible for booting the system, hidden partition in fat32)

  • assign letter w (to be able to recover the boot files)

  • exit (exit diskpart)

  • bcdboot X:\Windows /s w: /f UEFI (replace X with the partition letter that contains the Windows folder)

  • reboot the system (select the new boot option if more than one)

  • msconfig (Boot - delete the \Windows options and leave only the c:\Windows option)

5

Since you have a way of booting into Windows on the SSD, you can do a Repair install of Windows 10 by performing an in-place upgrade without losing anything.

You should first verify the partition alignment as described here.

I think there is some problem with boot files or boot order.

The first thing you can do is disable fast startup by going to power options.

As fast startup uses a kind of hibernation techniques.

If it doesn't work perform an in-place upgrade without loosing your data. This will create new boot files and settings.

1

I struggle with similar problem with Windows 8.1.

When cloning from HDD to SSD, partitions serial and GUID kept intact. But I not want to remove original HDD from system. So I needed to change GUID (in GPT for FAT EFI partition) and remove windows system partition from original HDD after cloning and before boot recovery.

When partition ID is non unique windows work strange, for example PE recovery unable to detect both HDD and SSD.

3

I had this same problem, just create windows installation usb drive from official site, boot up from installation usb, then go to troubleshooting, start CMD there and copy all files (and folders) that start with boot* and efi* from installation usb to root directory of cloned SSD drive, after doing that my cloned SSD was able to boot. Also check your boot settings in bios.

I ran into this same issue cloning my OS drive to a new SSD and was able to resolve it.
I noticed I had two Windows Boot Manager listed that pointed to the original drive.
1: I downloaded BootIce v1.3.4 by Pualy.
2: I went to the UEFI tab>> Edit boot entries button
3: There were two Windows Boot Manger listed in the listbox on the left, they both pointed to the same hard drive.
4: I selected one of them and changed it to point to my new SSD>> Click Save current boot entry button. 5: When I rebooted and went into the BIOS i was able to change the boot priority to the Windows Boot Manager of the new drive.
Success! I am now typing this from the Windows 10 loaded from the new SSD.
I plan on formatting the old one for secondary storage once I feel comfortable this is stable.

just met the same problem, actually a small mistake on 2nd clone of 2nd new laptop.

1st laptop clone, connect alone and boot up ok, the default hard disk connect on 2nd boot and formatted without problem.

But on 2nd laptop clone, connect newly clone SSD and original hard disk still with win10 in it, although choose boot with SSD, then wipe the hard disk OS, next time failed.

Solution: use Macrium Reflect bootable disc, go to restore > fix Windows Boot problem, it auto fix the boot manager. Remind next time after clone, boot the cloned disk alone without original source disk, connect after 1st boot.

Reload windows to the new drive like you are doing a fresh install, then use AOMEI Backupper free to clone only the windows partition to over top of the windows partition on the new drive and overwrite it with the windows partition from the old drive.

1

This answer may already be posted, however I did not see it.

Too simple: Go into computer management: then to storage disk management, and identify the new cloned drive.

My software does not return the cloned drive with a name, therefore add a name , usually C: and then the drive should be recognized, and boot properly. Hope this works for you, it did for me.

bfhjr

Fixed, here is what you do ...

You f2 force boot with the SSD. You use the command prompt in admin to navigate disks with the following

  • LIST DISK
  • SELECT DISK n -- n is the disk you want (HDD storage)
  • LIST PARTITION
  • SELECT PARTITION n -- the system one

inactive

If this won't allow because the HDD is not MBR, you need to clear your HDD (make sure to backup) and reformat the HDD to MBR. This makes it so the UEFI can't open the HDD to boot as MBR HDD only boots to legacy BIOS. Launching with the Windows Boot Management straight into the only drive available to launch. The SSD

To convert HDD to MBR you need to do this. You use the command prompt in admin to navigate disks with the following

  • diskpart
  • list disk
  • select disk n (disk you want to convert)
  • clean
  • convert to mbr

Once it's MBR, you repeat the 1st couple of steps to make the drive partition inactive.

When restarting the drive will not be able to be used as there are no partitions (you have cleaned the HDD). Access the Disk Management menu and add new volume by right clicking the drive. You can assign the letter and enjoy your new storage drive that is MBR. Booting with the NVME SSD