Windows 10 won't boot after clone to SSD


  1. Posts : 2
    Windows 10
       #1

    Windows 10 won't boot after clone to SSD


    Hi,

    I recently bought a new Dell Inspiron 7559 laptop, and installed an SSD in the computer's m.2 port. I then cloned the existing HD to the SSD, changed the SSD to the default boot in BIOS, and then re-formatted the HD.

    Everything worked fine for the first few days - I restarted the computer a lot, as I was updating a lot of drivers - however at some point the computer started failing to reliably boot. The Dell logo appears, and then nothing happens. Interestingly enough I can workaround the issue by booting from a USB that has Windows 10 installation on it, and then cancelling the install, which boots through to Windows without issues, but otherwise it just hangs on the Dell logo.

    I've got a feeling that the problem lies in my Bios settings - I tweaked these a little when changing the boot order, and here's how they look at the moment:

    Intel Speedstep - Enabled
    Virtualisation - Enabled
    VT for Direct I/O - Enabled
    Integrated NIC - Enabled
    USB Emulation - Enabled
    USB Powershare - Enabled
    USB Wake Support - Disabled
    SATA Operation - AHCI
    Adapter Warnings - Enabled
    Intel Software Guard Extensions - Disabled
    BIOS Recovery from Hard Drive - Enabled

    No passwords set
    Computrace - Deactivated
    Firmware TPM - Enabled

    Boot List Option - UEFI
    Secure Boot - Disabled
    Load Legacy Option Rom - Disabled

    Boot Option 1 - SSD (C:\EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi)
    Boot Option 2 - Windows Boot Manager
    Boot Option 3 - Windows Boot Manager
    Boot Option 4 - Onboard NIC (IPV4)
    Boot Option 5 - Onboard NIC (IPV6)

    The other thing I've tried is to run Startup Repair, which failed. Here's the log:

    Startup Repair diagnosis and repair log
    ---------------------------
    Number of repair attempts: 1

    Session details
    ---------------------------
    System Disk =
    Windows directory = C:\Windows
    AutoChk Run = 0
    Number of root causes = 1

    Test Performed:
    ---------------------------
    Name: Check for updates
    Result: Completed successfully. Error code = 0x0
    Time taken = 0 ms

    Test Performed:
    ---------------------------
    Name: System disk test
    Result: Completed successfully. Error code = 0x0
    Time taken = 78 ms

    Root cause found:
    ---------------------------
    A hard disk could not be found. If a hard disk is installed, it is not responding.

    ---------------------------
    ---------------------------


    Is there an obvious solution here, or is this something that would be best served by a reinstall? I've no idea why startup recovery doesn't detect the hard drive if the install workaround allows the computer to boot as normal.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 564
    Windows 10 Pro x64 21H1
       #2

    Cloning from a HDD to a SSD, or M.2, can cause issues, because it is best to clone a drive, when you are coping to another same model hard drive. In your case, it may not be booting to the SSD due to a number of factors.

    I've used the System Image software that comes with Windows, and I haven't had any troubles when restoring an image to another hard disk. I used to work for a school and would clone hard disks for every PC due to every computer being the same model, however, some of the cloning didn't work correctly, especially in computers that were the same model, but had different hardware. The system would bluescreen every time. Installing a clean copy of Windows fixed the issue.

    Going from a HDD to the M.2 drive may be to big of a change to where it's possible the UEFI is reading it as an inaccessible boot device, especially if the M.2 drive uses a different protocol for connecting to the Motherboard.

    If you can successfully boot again, I suggest you back up your data and reinstall Windows.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 564
    Windows 10 Pro x64 21H1
       #3

    Also, if the M.2 drive is smaller than the original HDD, that can cause issues.

    Let's also hope your new M.2 drive isn't failing
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 2
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #4

    lmaneke said:
    Cloning from a HDD to a SSD, or M.2, can cause issues, because it is best to clone a drive, when you are coping to another same model hard drive. In your case, it may not be booting to the SSD due to a number of factors.

    I've used the System Image software that comes with Windows, and I haven't had any troubles when restoring an image to another hard disk. I used to work for a school and would clone hard disks for every PC due to every computer being the same model, however, some of the cloning didn't work correctly, especially in computers that were the same model, but had different hardware. The system would bluescreen every time. Installing a clean copy of Windows fixed the issue.

    Going from a HDD to the M.2 drive may be to big of a change to where it's possible the UEFI is reading it as an inaccessible boot device, especially if the M.2 drive uses a different protocol for connecting to the Motherboard.

    If you can successfully boot again, I suggest you back up your data and reinstall Windows.
    Hi Imanake - I've recently changed the boot order in the BIOS so that it's loading from "Windows Boot Manager" rather than the direct path to bootx64.efi on the SSD, which seems to have fixed things. Is this likely to have been the root cause or do you think there is something else going on here?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 7
    Win 10
       #5

    Hi jc175
    The difference of MBR and GPT may also lead to the result of boot failure. If you clone the HDD with MBR type to the SSD with GPT type, the system might cannot active the SSD disk. You can simply convert the GPT disk to MBR disk with AOMEI Partition Assistant. It is free for Windows 10.
    Best.
      My Computer


 

  Related Discussions
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 10 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 10" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:44.
Find Us




Windows 10 Forums