Windows doesn't boot up from clone SSD after connecting previous SSD

BBrunk · 07 Jan 2020

Hello,
I cloned my 850 EVO ssd to a Sabrent 1TB nvme ssd. I disconnected the 850 from the PC and had no problems booting to the Sabrent. All was well for several months. Then, wanting to use the 850 in a laptop, I connected the 850 back to the PC to format it. The result is that I can no longer boot to the Sabrent. The PC boots from the 850. The bios sees the Sabrent but not as a Windows Bootable Disk. The Sabrent doesn’t appear in file explorer but shows in disk management without a letter and is GPT. I built the PC, using a Gigabyte z170x-ud5 mobo, i5-6600 and windows 10 v1903. During troubleshooting, when I updated the bios, the Sabrent appeared to bootup normally, but after restart, the problem returned. I would appreciate any help. Thanks!

Windows doesn't boot up from clone SSD after connecting previous SSD-disk-management-screenshot.png

f14tomcat · 07 Jan 2020

Boot into you BIOS and check the boot order of the drives it recognizes. If the old 850 is higher in order than the new NVMe, bump it down. Boot. Should come up in the NVMe. Then format the 850. The 850 still has viable boot recs, so will take off if seen first by the BIOS.

BBrunk · 07 Jan 2020

Thanks f14tomcat. I did that but then windows won't boot at all, not even on the 850. It will only boot if the 850 is first in boot order.

f14tomcat · 07 Jan 2020

Run MSCONFIG.exe. click Boot Tab. Post a pic of the display. Thanks.

Samuria · 07 Jan 2020

If the disk is cloned and the two are in the same system they will both have the same disk signature so to windows I sees both disk as the same disk. On first contact windows writes a signature to drives so it know what it is. Can't you format on another pc?
How to fix Disk Signature Collision problem in Windows 10

BBrunk · 07 Jan 2020

Thanks f14tomcat.

Windows doesn't boot up from clone SSD after connecting previous SSD-msconfig.png

Thanks Samuria,
I should have attempted to format the 850 on my laptop. However, now using the 850 is a way to get the pc to boot for the purposes of troubleshooting.

f14tomcat · 07 Jan 2020

BBrunk said:

Thanks f14tomcat.

Thanks Samuria,
I should have attempted to format the 850 on my laptop. However, now using the 850 is a way to get the pc to boot for the purposes of troubleshooting.

Is this with the 850 disconnected?

ThrashZone · 07 Jan 2020

Hi,
Usually cloning is hit or miss

Restoring system images to new ssd/... is a better way usually works 100% of the time plus a system image is best backup also so point being you should have system images regardless

Winpe recovery can do both create and restore system images so you don't even need an os operating.

BBrunk · 07 Jan 2020

f14tomcat, The 850 is still connected.

f14tomcat · 07 Jan 2020

BBrunk said:

Thanks f14tomcat.

Thanks Samuria,
I should have attempted to format the 850 on my laptop. However, now using the 850 is a way to get the pc to boot for the purposes of troubleshooting.

This is probably a better solution long term for booting to trouble shoot.

Kyhi is a member here, and developer.

Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk

Because of the collision Samuria pointed out, if you can, format it on it on your lappy.

OR..... make the rescue thumb drive in the link above, boot it, and work from it to fix the 850. Kyhi's rescue environment has MiniTool, Aomei partition manager, a full blown OS you can run command line Diskpart commands.... all of it.