Moving Recovery partitions and EFI to new drive

Megahertz · 11 Oct 2021

Post a disk image of the drives using Minitool

b47ance · 11 Oct 2021

SIW2 said:

Take a look in the esp partition which you previously labelled T.

What is in there?

Hello,
Unfortunately, I tried to redo said previous steps to see if I had done something wrong but now I can't boot even with Boot Option #1 being Windows Boot Manager on my 2.5in SSD

- - - Updated - - -

Megahertz said:

Post a disk image of the drives using Minitool

Now that I cannot boot, what should my next steps be? I have this thumb drive that can install or repair windows. The scan and repair doesn't work. Could I do a new install of windows on my m.2 drive? Or should I install on my HDD? Or are there command prompts that could help me.

AddRAM · 11 Oct 2021

Since you can get into windows now, you should make sure the M.2 is GPT, then unplug all other drives and clean install windows on the M.2

The reason you bought the M.2 was to install windows on it, correct ?

When you`re done your M.2 should look like this in Partition Wizard. Snip #1

And like this in Disk Management. Snip #2

b47ance · 11 Oct 2021

AddRAM said:

Since you can get into windows now, you should make sure the M.2 is GPT, then unplug all other drives and clean install windows on the M.2

The reason you bought the M.2 was to install windows on it, correct ?

I can't get into windows now. I tried each boot option to no avail. I do have the thumb drive with the windows installer on it. Yes correct, I bought the m.2 to have my windows and my main games on it.

AddRAM · 11 Oct 2021

Is your Bios setup to do a Strictly UEFI install ?

If it is, and your M.2 is set as GPT, then use the one time Boot Menu key (usually F8) to bring up the Boot Menu and choose your UEFI installer (it will say UEFI at the beginning)

When you get to your drive (M.2 page) during the install, delete the entire M.2 to unallocated space, then click Next. The install will begin.

b47ance · 11 Oct 2021

AddRAM said:

Is your Bios setup to do a Strictly UEFI install ?

I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I am currently in BIOS under the boot tab with Boot Option #1 UEFI: SMI USB DISK 1100, Partition 1

AddRAM · 11 Oct 2021

OK then, here ya go. The Bios has to be setup this way to install windows strictly in UEFI/GPT mode. And once again (unplug all other drives, just the power cables, you do not need to unplug the data cables yet)

1) Drives have to initialized as GPT (I think your M.2 already is)
2) CSM has to be Enabled
3) Boot Device Control has to be UEFI only, or, it can be left at (UEFI and Legacy OPROM) if your motherboard shows that option.
4) Secure Boot has to be enabled
5) OS Type has to be Windows UEFI mode (not Other OS)

Your Bios may not see your new M.2 and the Boot Menu may not see your new M.2 (My X299 didn`t see my new 980 Pro) but I just clicked on my UEFI usb stick installer and everything went fine.

b47ance · 11 Oct 2021

AddRAM said:

OK then, here ya go. The Bios has to be setup this way to install windows strictly in UEFI/GPT mode. And once again (unplug all other drives, just the power cables, you do not need to unplug the data cables yet)

1) Drives have to initialized as GPT (I think your M.2 already is)
2) CSM has to be Enabled
3) Boot Device Control has to be UEFI only, or, it can be left at (UEFI and Legacy OPROM) if your motherboard shows that option.
4) Secure Boot has to be enabled
5) OS Type has to be Windows UEFI mode (not Other OS)

Good news, I was able to use the thumb drive to delete a partition off of my m.2 C: drive that allowed me to scan and repair. It found some disk errors and now with my boot option #1 set back to my 2.5 SSD I can boot back into windows. So I am able to see minitool again.

Moving Recovery partitions and EFI to new drive-capture3.png

Megahertz · 12 Oct 2021

You didn't do what I instruct on post #6.
- You create an unallocated space at the end of the drive 1- That is OK
- You did not created the Fat32 partition and the recovery partition.
- You created an unallocated space to the right of C:

You have to follow the instructions on post #6 to create a 100M Fat 32 EFI partition and the 700M recovery and then run the CMD to create the boot manager on the EFI partition.