After installation and re-installation, boot issues continue...

Skakner · 26 Aug 2020

Although there is already a thread, I open a new one because I would like to give a more detailed description of the extremely annoying situation I'm in.

About a month ago I switched from Win 7 to Win 10.
My Win 7 system:
SSD - Win 7 greek (Samsung SSD 840 Pro 128 Gb)
HDD 1 - Win 7 eng
HDD 2 storage
HDD 3 storage
HDD 4 storage

My Win 10 system:
SSD 1(860) - Win 10 Home v.2004_greek (Samsung SSD 860 Evo 250 Gb) brand new
SSD 2 (840) - Win 10 Pro v.1909_eng (Samsung SSD 840 Pro 128 Gb)
HDD 1 storage
HDD 2 storage
HDD 3 storage

The SSD 2 installation (the old SSD) worked and still works without problems. A boot-related problem occurred in SSD 1 installation (brand new disk), after two weeks of normal function. ''Preparing Automatic Repair'' appeared all of a sudden. After trying some things without success I decided to proceed to a clean installation of v.1909 (I had the, apparently wrong, impression that something happened after some Windows Updates in combination with the new v.2004).

So yesterday I made Secure Erase (with Samsung Magician) and clean installation of Win 10 Home v.1909.
After 4-5 normal boots (yesterday), this morning a blue screen came out. The error: NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM

I think that's the point where the whole thing seems too much of a coincidence.
After restart, in the Advanced Options screen I chose Automatic repair but the spining circle kept stuck for about 15 min before I shut down the pc.

That's what happens now, every time I try to boot the SSD1, spining circle keeps stuck...

My next step was to try Repair with bootable USB. No success too.

But things get worse...
SSD 1 is no more accessible from the other disk's installation.

I can see it in the BIOS and in Disk Management though.

I wonder if it's time to start thinking about hardware. Maybe a defected disk (although brand new) or some kind of matching issue between the old motherboard and the new disk...
What do you think?

Samuria · 26 Aug 2020

Access to d can be a problem as its own by the admin of the d boot drive and as such as admin of the c system you will have no rights.
Did you do a clean install of both win10s or did you clone one and did you remove all other disk when you installed?

Can you check the 2 ssds disk signature and confirm they are not the same How to Change the Disk Signature of a Drive Without Losing Existing Data or Reformatting (howtohaven.com)

Skakner · 26 Aug 2020

Under normal circumstances I have (had) access to both, regardless of which one I operate from.
I don't know if this matters: from 840's installation, 840 is C and 860 is D. From 860's installation, 860 is C and 840 is D (the three HDDs have the same letter in both installations). In my Win 7 set up this wasn't a problem.

The installations were clean.

The signatures are not the same.

topgundcp · 26 Aug 2020

Sometimes, a loose cable can cause strange behaviour.
Double check the cable connection between the SSD2 & the Sata port from MB.

If does not work, replace the cable.

If still does not work. Swap the cable between SSD1 & SSD2 to see if you can boot from SSD1 and access SSD2.

joeandmarg0 · 26 Aug 2020

Can you boot from ssd1,without going through ssd2?
If you are able to boot from it,try using Safe Mode and updating the drivers and also use---sfc /scannow---to fix any possible file corruption
Faulty drives can cause this NTFS problem and dskchk might work,although a new drive should,in theory,be OK.

Skakner · 27 Aug 2020

topgundcp said:

Sometimes, a loose cable can cause strange behaviour.
Double check the cable connection between the SSD2 & the Sata port from MB.

If does not work, replace the cable.

If still does not work. Swap the cable between SSD1 & SSD2 to see if you can boot from SSD1 and access SSD2.

I checked the connections, they are OK.
I swap cables but nothing changed. Boot procedure stucks at spining circle.

joeandmarg0 said:

Can you boot from ssd1,without going through ssd2?
If you are able to boot from it,try using Safe Mode and updating the drivers and also use---sfc /scannow---to fix any possible file corruption
Faulty drives can cause this NTFS problem and dskchk might work,although a new drive should,in theory,be OK.

I am not sure I understand your question. SSD 1 (860) just can't boot. The procedure stucks at spining circle.

topgundcp · 27 Aug 2020

Boot up SSD 2 then open Admin command and type:
diskpart
select disk 0
list part
exit

Does it list the partition ???

if so, type:
bcdboot D:\Windows
This will rebuild the BCD for SSD 1. Reboot to see if it'll boot

Skakner · 27 Aug 2020

It lists the partition but fails with the boot files.

FreeBooter · 27 Aug 2020

You will have to use Diskpart command to find out the System Reserved partition drive letter.
The output of the below commands may display the name of the System Reserved partition as only System or ESP.

Type diskpart and press Enter.
Type list volume and press Enter.
Under the label row, find the label System Reserved and note its corresponding Volume number.
Now type select Volume=N and press Enter, where N is the Volume number you noted earlier.
Now type assign letter=w and press Enter.
Type exit and press Enter.
Type bcdboot C:\Windows /s w: /f ALL and press Enter.

Please replace partition letter C: with Windows installed partition letter. When computer boots into Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) environment the drive letter assign to Windows partition may not be C: drive letter because Windows 7, 8 , 8.1 and 10 creates a separate system partition when it's installed from scratch. The system partition contains boot files WinRE assigns the system partition the C: drive letter and the Windows installed partition will be assign any other drive letter usually D: drive letter is assign to Windows installed partition. The Bcdedit /enum | find "osdevice" command can be use to find out the drive letter of the Windows installed partition the output of the Bcdedit command is similar to this osdevice partition=D:. The drive letter after partition= is the drive letter of the Windows partition.

Skakner · 27 Aug 2020

I think I did something wrong. This W partition is in the normal operating disk (the 128 Gb). I thought it should be in the 256 Gb disk (the one with problem).