Cloned SSD not Booting

jonisbet

Prominent
Oct 14, 2017
2
0
510
Absolutely tearing my hair out here. I cloned my existing 128GB SSD (using Acronis True Image 2015) with a new 480GB BX300 from Crucial. I have an Asus Z170-A motherboard. The cloned 480 shows up in BIOS (and has windows boot in its name) and it appears as healthy also in Disk management (although in its description its states "healthy, (page file, Primary Partition) as against the original SSD which has "Healthy (Boot, Crash Dump, Primary Partition)", but when i select the 480 as the boot source in the BIOS and seek to boot from it, there is no sign of Windows 10, just a black screen and a rapidly flickering processor red light on the desktop unit. My 128GB is still in (it is a Samsung PCI and I have no idea how to disconnect it - indeed, I do not want to as I wish to have that as an additional storage drive) and for now I can simply boot using that (or indeed a bootable USB). Anyone explain what am I missing here? I'd be most grateful.

 
Solution
Assuming the original 128GB drive still works on its own, redo the clone operation.

When the cloning finishes, you must power off, disconnect the old drive, and allow the system to try to boot up from the new drive on its own.

Redo it, like this:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL...

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Assuming the original 128GB drive still works on its own, redo the clone operation.

When the cloning finishes, you must power off, disconnect the old drive, and allow the system to try to boot up from the new drive on its own.

Redo it, like this:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
(disregard this line) Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe as necessary.
Delete the original boot partitions, here:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/4f1b84ac-b193-40e3-943a-f45d52e23685/cant-delete-extra-healthy-recovery-partitions-and-healthy-efi-system-partition?forum=w8itproinstall
-----------------------------
 
Solution

jonisbet

Prominent
Oct 14, 2017
2
0
510
Never ceases to amaze me just how helpful people can be in this world. I am so very grateful to USAFRet for the rapidly provided and absolutely spot on advice. Worked a treat. You have saved my sanity, and further hairloss. Many, many thanks.

Jonny