Boot problem after changing HDD to SSD

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Have just cloned the 320 GB HDD in my Dell XPS1340 laptop to a Sandisk 480GB SSD.

The Dell is running Windows 7 SP1. It has the following partitions: (partition letter and name):
No Drive letter: Dell Utility; C System; D Data; E Programs, G Media
The laptop will not boot now from the SSD. This is what I did to get to this situation:

1. Backed up (imaged) all partitions from Dell to external Toshiba HDD using Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2015 Suite (HDM 2015).
2. Copied (cloned) the complete Dell HDD to the USB connected Sandisk SSD using HDM 2015.
3. When the clone was finished (2.5 hours) the content of the SSD appeared to be identical to the Dell HDD (visual compare in HDM 2015).
4. I removed the HDD from the laptop and replaced it with the SSD.
5. Powered up the laptop and got the following Windows error message:

‘Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix this problem:
1. Insert your Windows installation disk and restart your computer
2. Choose your language settings and then click next
3. Click Repair your computer

Status: 0xc000000e
Info: The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible.’

Is this the correct thing to do as I know the failure to boot has been caused by a hard disk swap for an SSD? Is it safe to do this ‘fix’ with the SSD in the computer?
Is there anything else I should do? I don’t want to get in the situation where my computer won’t boot with the original HDD.

I have put the HDD back without making any changes, and all is currently fine.

Geoff

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Moving from a HDD to SDD requires that some drivers be changed. Some SDD’s come with the software to do this for you as well as software to clone your HDD to the SDD. I would expect that the Sandisk SDD came with such software. Did you use it?

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Moving from a HDD to SDD requires that some drivers be changed

I don’t think it does, the disk is still a disk from Windows perspective.

I managed to upgrade my W7 laptop to SSD without issue. See this thread.
http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread//173251-Advice-for-moving-to-SSD-from-SATA?p=1034656&viewfull=1#post1034656

cheers, Paul

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I don’t think it does, the disk is still a disk from Windows perspective.

I was being rather simplistic when I referred to drivers rather than taking the time to try and address the differences between the transfer software provided by the SSD mfg and something like Reflect. Partly because its rather esoteric (e.g. sector alignment) and partly because I haven’t bothered to read enough about it to really understand every thing it can do.

It’s also quite possible that it takes care of itself better than it used to.

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Geoff,

Personally, I’m not a fan of cloning. Why not try doing a Restore from your Image and see if that works better. I’d also suggest replacing the HDD and creating a Windows Rescue Disk, before attempting the restore, that could be used to solve any initial Windows booting problems.

You could, while you have the HDD installed, download Macrium Reflect Free and take an Image with that which would give you another option for restoring to your SSD JIC. If you do this don’t forget to create the Macrium Rescue Media (USB or CD/DVD) so you can boot from it to do the restore.

HTH :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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…Is it safe to do this ‘fix’ with the SSD in the computer?…

Yes, it should be quite safe to boot from your Windows installation disk and run “Startup Repair”.

After you click on “Repair your computer” you will see several repair options, one of which will be “Launch Startup Repair”. After you click “Launch Startup Repair” it will check the partitions on the SSD to locate the Windows boot files and set the appropriate partition active, etc.

If “Startup Repair” returns a message that it cannot fix the boot problem post back here for further help.

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Hi All,

Thanks for all your help to date.

Things I omitted to tell you in my original post:

Physically changing the hard disk for the SSD is quite scary! The hard drive sits right up against the case on the left hand side of the laptop. The drive sits under a ledge in the case and can not be removed without disconnecting a very small connector on the motherboard (for SATA on the drive). I am concerned that I might break the ribbon cable connections. So I’m trying to limit the number of times I have to change the drive.

The clone of the hard drive which I have produced on the SSD differs as follows:
as viewed in HDM 2015, the clone has No drive letters assigned to any of the partitions. Would I expect them to display, or are they assigned during the boot process??
Thanks again.

Geoff

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Oops, pressed the submit button before adding the attached picture of the disk layout in the laptop.
Geoff42858-IMG_6442

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Those ribbons are tough, just go carefully.

The clone should have the same letter as the original, but only if you boot from it.

I’d boot from a Windows DVD and fix per post #4.

Also check that TRIM is working.

cheers, Paul

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Apologies for not replying earlier. I haven’t tried the suggestions in post 4 by Coochin until today. I used my Windows repair disk and got a different list of options when I ran the repair DVD. I responded to the prompts re repair – but did not see a specific ‘startup repair’ option. However, the computer booted successfully. It eventually ended up displaying the ‘login’ screen. I logged in and the computer took some time performing a ‘Desktop organisation’ task. After some time the display changed to a screen with nothing displayed except the message that ‘this copy of Windows is not genuine’!!!

Needless to say I have the genuine Product Key which has been used on this computer only for many years.

I don’t know why this has happened, but I planned to call Microsoft activation centre to re-activate the Windows 7 running off the SSD but cannot find a suitable telephone number. All Microsoft Help seems to assume the computer is running OK before being directed to a telephone number from within Windows.

Does anyone have the telephone number for re-activating Windows 7 in the United Kingdom?

Thank you
Geoff (Original Poster)

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Geoff,

See if this procedure will work:

Call Microsoft Using Manual Phone Activation

If you have trouble activating Windows 7 open the Windows Activation Wizard while in Windows 7 to obtain a phone number to call Microsoft and activate Windows:
1. When you reach the desktop click Start, then in the Search box type: slui.exe 4
2. Press Enter on your Keyboard
3. Select your Country.
4. Select the Phone Activation option, then call the number given and hold for a real person.

HTH :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Hi RetiredGeek

I should have mentioned that when I get the ‘this copy of Windows is not genuine’ screen, the whole computer becomes non responsive. i.e. there is no response to any of the keys. The only combination of keys that respond are Ctrl-Shift-Delete. this changes the screen to some icons associated with power down, lock the computer, etc. So basically all I can do is power down.
About 2 hours ago, I called the Microsoft line 0344 800 2400. During the next 45 minutes I spoke to 4 different helpers (including 1 ‘technician’). They all wanted the Product Key characters spelt out to them phonetically. I had difficulty hearing them on their phone system and difficulty understanding their accents. 2 of them claimed to have verified the Product Key. None of them listened to what I said – they couldn’t understand that the keyboard was not responding so I couldn’t actually press the Windows and r keys. Then I got on to a technician. Apparently I had done something that ‘had corrupted the system’. After 45 minutes, I needed a break as I could feel my blood pressure rising. Not a happy or productive call.

I’m about to remove the SSD and replace the hard disk Fingers crossed that all will be well.

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I’ve swapped the SSD out and the hard disk back in to the laptop. So I have the original system.
AND – it WON’T BOOT.
Also Start up repair ‘can’t fix the problem’. This is getting serious.

I’m about to break out the images I made earlier of all the hard disk partitions I made with Paragon Drive Manager Suite. Before I do that, a question:
Why won’t the hard disk boot now. It has been out of the laptop all the time so no data can have been written to it? Does that mean it’s picked up some bad information from the laptop? where could that bad information come from? Has the information come from the SSD, and been picked up by the hard disk during boot up?
You will see that I don’t really understand what is going on during the boot process.

Thanks for all help

Geoff

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Your machine may not be well.
Can you boot from your backup program and make a new backup to external disk, before attempting to restore. This will test your machine.

cheers, Paul

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Your machine may not be well…

You reckon Paul? (kidding)

Actually, just cloning partitions from a HDD to an SSD should not result in Windows wanting to be re-activated. Although I did see similar with XP back before about 2005-or-so a couple of times when I replaced HDDs in customers PCs.

Nowdays it is usually only when a motherboard is changed that activation kicks in, but normally there would be a 30-day period to activate before the system becomes unresponsive.

When most OEMs like Dell set up a new model run they install the OS to a computer that is typical of that model run using a generic product key they have obtained from M$ (almost certainly different to the key on the COA sticker on your PC), then once they have all drivers/software working as expected they image the partitions on that HDD then restore them to the HDDs for the other PCs in that model run.

Consequently if the PC’s hardware is changed there is a likelihood that Windows will require re-activation with the product key on your COA sticker.

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It is now the following day, early morning.
The HDD is in the laptop.
I thought I’d have one more look around before restoring the system and programs partitions using Paragon Hard Disk Manager Suite
I rebooted the laptop from the hard disk and once again it would not boot. I noticed that during the attempted boot, 2 or 3 messages from Nvidia were displayed before a message saying it could not boot. I had seen and read them when this had happened before. BUT, I had not appreciated the significance of the final message including a note to ‘check connections’.
So, I removed the back from the laptop and checked the plug connecting the SSD to the motherboard. I noticed that one side of the plug did not seem to be fully home into the motherboard. I pushed it a bit harder and it snapped into position. I replaced the laptop back and tried again to boot from the HDD. Success! It behaved just as it had before I removed and replaced it.
It may have been a similar problem with the SSD install. However I think I may delay the task of swapping in the SSD……
Many thanks to all who followed this thread and provided much needed assistance.
I should have remembered to check every step of what I had done that may have been responsible for the problem. I was concentrating too much on the software and not enough on the hardware.

Geoff

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I decided to have one more go installing my SSD.
Cut a long story short – with the SSD replaced in the laptop I still get the following symptoms:
Boots ok to user login screen. When I login, I get ‘preparing desktop’ for a number of minutes followed by a screen displaying ‘not a genuine copy of Windows’. At this point, all I can do is Shut Down.
I believe that my problem may be that partition drive letters were changed during the cloning
On HDD drive letters were C: System, D: Data, E: Programs, F: DVD; G Media
On the SSD they are C: System, D: Data, F: Programs, E: Media
So I need to re-assign the letter E: to Programs and G: to Media: on the SSD.

I have not found a way of doing this. I expected to find it in Paragon Hard Disk Manager. I can only remove a drive letter from a partition, not assign a letter to a partition without a letter.
Can anyone advise how to do this?
When running the WIN PE version of Paragon HDM, there is an option to run a Command Prompt. Can I run the equivalent of Disk Management in Windows which allows you to assign disk letters?

Thanks again for any help

Geoff

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…When running the WIN PE version of Paragon HDM, there is an option to run a Command Prompt. Can I run the equivalent of Disk Management in Windows which allows you to assign disk letters?…

You might be able to use DISKPART to re-assign drive letters.

At the command prompt type:
DISKPART /?
(enter)
to get a list of switches.

Sorry I can’t be of more help right now; it’s almost midnight here so I’m about to stumble off to bed.

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This is only an observation, as I have never used cloning to move an installation to a new disk. I use Image For Windows (prior to that I used the imaging tool in BootIt Next Generation) to make a full disk image. In the imaging menu the software presents the drive itself along with all the partitions on the drive. By selecting the drive itself, everything on the drive is captured in the image.

Then, when restoring the image to the new drive, it simply boots and runs as if nothing has happened. This link is a thread descriptive of my HDD to SSD conversion for my Dell Latitude E5420.

This link is a thread descriptive of converting two HDD’s (one was going bad) to two SSHD’s in my desktop. My point is that using a full-disk drive image on a couple of occasions has given me almost hassle free drive swaps and no issues with activation.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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IMHO it sounds like the image or clone job did not work quite right. I am not familiar with modern Paragon sw (bought it once not tempted to do so again). If this was a clone job it seems less likely to have gone astray but sometimes SW does weird shtuff. If you want to try to reassign drive letters via diskpart, try to start in safemode. This link should help with that latter part.

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/ss/safe-mode-windows-7.htm

this link with the diskpart part.
http://www.howtogeek.com/197296/how-to-use-the-diskpart-utility-to-assign-and-remove-drive-letters/

Downloading Macrium Reflect Free and redoing your cloning may be the best use of your time (unless you are looking at this as a learning experience and w/ the over tones of frustration I hear in your posts I am thinking you have enough learning for a while. Personally I would love to know what went wrong but some times one never knows w/ computers even w/ best effort.).

:cheers:

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Hi all,

Thanks once again for all your help – knowledge, experience, references etc.

Well, would you believe it, I have succeeded. The SSD is now working in my laptop.
This is what I did:

1 with the HDD in the laptop, booted the laptop from the Paragon WIN PE recovery DVD
2 created individual images of each of the 4 HDD partitions onto my Toshiba external portable hard drive
3 powered down and swapped the HDD for the SSD
4 erased all partitions on the SSD which had been made during my original attempt to produce a clone of the HDD
5 individually restored each of the 4 partitions from the Toshiba to the SSD.

I then shut down the laptop and removed the Paragon DVD and the Toshiba external HDD.

I switched on the laptop and it booted to the Login screen. I logged in, and after a short delay the desktop appeared and I had a working laptop again!!

I think I’ll go for a lie down ….

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Now you need to check Trim is working.
http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread//172025-SSD-life-%28new-question%29?p=1026300&viewfull=1#post1026300

cheers, Paul

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Hi Paul T,

Sandisk Dashboard indicates that Windows TRIM is ‘Enabled’.
Trimcheck results displays that ‘TRIM appears to be not working’.
The Sandisk Ultra II drive is installed in a Dell XPS1340 which must be 4 or 5 years old.
It is running Windows 7 SP1.
The SSD is replacing a 7200 rpm HDD
The BIOS shows AHCI enabled.
Device Manager shows a Microsoft Disk driver version 6.1.7600.16385, 21/06/2006
Microsoft Windows Experience Index shows ‘disk data transfer rate of 7.6’.

Subjectively, it seems to be slow to boot up to the Log In screen. Then log in proceeds at a reasonable speed and some programs open and run quicker than before.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Geoff

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Hi Geoff,

As for the slow boot to the login screen: on thing I often over look/forget is to check the boot order in th BIOS. The BIOS may be looking for the CD, another disk, etc and waiting for a time out. Then it finds the SSD and boots normally.

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What other drivers are listed for the Standard AHCI 1.0 Serial ATA Controller in Device Manager?

Also for the Active Channel – the one the Windows SSD is connected to?

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Hi satrow,

Device Manager / Disk Drives shows one item:

SanDisk SDSSDHIII480G SCSI Disk Device

Does the attached picture give you the information you requested?

Geoff

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Maybe it’s a slow SSD. Try UserBenchmark to see how it performs.

cheers, Paul

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Hi Satrow,

OOPS. I did not attach picture.
It should be attached here.

43414-SSD-Driver-1

Geoff

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