Can't boot from new SSD

bazpaul1

Hey guys, need your help yet again

I just bought a new SSD for my DELL Precision T3400

So here's what I did

1. installed SSD into SATA=1
2. booted into my normal windows (sata=0)
3. Formatted the SSD and created a partition using Easeus Partition manager
4. Copied my windows install (C:\) over to the ssd using Easeus
5. I can see SSD drive as G:\ in my comp now. It's drive strucutre mimics my c:\ drive
6. shutdown comp
7. open case and swap sata cables; SSD is now sata=0
8. boot
9. blinking cursor on boot, nothing happens
10. insert windows 7 disk and start repair
11. windows detects startup problems
12. repair and re-boot
13. same blinking cursor
14. reboot, press F12 and boot from sata=1 back into my HDD!



What am i doing wrong???

Here's a screenshot from my Easeus software - my SSD is Medusa. My old HDD here is ARES

Redisle

Er, you can't really swap hard disks like that. There would be a bunch of hidden and system files that wouldn't copy for a start and then there is the special ~100MB partition that windows places at the start of a hard disk and also the bootloader to contend with.

Your best bet would be to reinstall Windows from scratch on the SSD then copy over any files you need from the old hard disk. You could also use a disk image program that you boot from to create an image of your existing hard disk and then write that image to the SSD. There is a few tools like Clonedisk and DriveImage XML on Hirens Boot CD for example. In my experience though these programs don't like it if the destination hard disk (ssd) is smaller than the source disk.

bazpaul1

My disk manager - how do i make the ssd a system drive?

bazpaul1

ahhhhhh

I really dont wanna reinstall windows, i only did that a month ago and thats not an option.

i simple followed this tutorial and they said that you can copy all the files using Easeus. I realize now that i'm missing the boot sector as you can see from the aboev image - my SSD - medusa should be a system drive!!!!

help!!!!!!!!!!!!

cgarrad

It wont work with copying. Make an image but not copy and paste.

Reinstall of 7-8 takes 35 mins with ninite.

Redisle

Just reinstall Windows tbh. Here's a good program for backing up your activation to alleviate the need to activate again using Phone/Internet. It actually will take less than 10 mins to install the OS.

bazpaul1

Redisle wrote: »

Just reinstall Windows tbh. Here's a good program for backing up your activation to alleviate the need to activate again using Phone/Internet. It actually will take less than 10 mins to install the OS.

No - i spent too much time ove the last month tweaking everything, i'm not doing it again. If I decided to reinstall i wouldn't be here asking for help.

There must be a way you can create a bootable sector or something?

Can i copy the hidden partition?

Redisle

Ok. You need to Image your original hard disk in that case. There's a pretty good tutorial here using DriveImage XML:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/backup-your-computer-with-driveimage-xml/

The idea is to take a "snapshot" of your current disk and store it to an external hard drive then boot from a bootable CD like UBCD and use the bootable version of DriveImage XML to write that image (stored on an external hard disk) to your new drive.

I wouldn't bother messing around trying to get the partitions and boot sector right manually tbh, just use an imaging program like the above. Like I said though, I have seen cases in the past (though not with this program) where there was trouble putting the image back onto a smaller disk. (I'm not sure if this is the case here?)

bazpaul1

Redisle wrote: »

Ok. You need to Image your original hard disk in that case. There's a pretty good tutorial here using DriveImage XML:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/backup-your-computer-with-driveimage-xml/

The idea is to take a "snapshot" of your current disk and store it to an external hard drive then boot from a bootable CD like UBCD and use the bootable version of DriveImage XML to write that image (stored on an external hard disk) to your new drive.

I wouldn't bother messing around trying to get the partitions and boot sector right manually tbh, just use an imaging program like the above. Like I said though, I have seen cases in the past (though not with this program) where there was trouble putting the image back onto a smaller disk. (I'm not sure if this is the case here?)

ok cheers.....i dont understand why all websites like lifehacker have got it wrong then....i must be dong something wrong here

bazpaul1

...actually looking at that lifehacker article again - it said "copy the disk to the ssd" i copied my partition C:\ i didn't copy the whole disk drive - just the partition called C:\ which is where i store my OS

hmmm maybe that's why............if i click copy disk - it may clone the whole disk -boot sector included!!!!

Redisle

That's probably it! I didn't realize EaseUS could do disk mirroring while Windows was running but looks like it can. Bear in mind you will still need to do that partition alignment step using a bootable CD if you follow that lifehacker tutorial. SSD speed can be badly affected if it isn't aligned properly.

Probably best to wipe the SSD and start from scratch too.

unkel

LOL at several comments here

No need to do a reinstall. Just clone* your hard disk onto your SSD. Then physically take out your hard disk and replace it with your SSD. Boot up and bob's your uncle

My favourite program for this is Acronis True Image. The latest version (2013) is the only version that works with Windows 8

bazpaul1

unkel wrote: »

LOL at several comments here

No need to do a reinstall. Just clone* your hard disk onto your SSD. Then physically take out your hard disk and replace it with your SSD. Boot up and bob's your uncle

My favourite program for this is Acronis True Image. The latest version (2013) is the only version that works with Windows 8

OMG thank you!!

people tend to take the easy road and just say "reinstall your OS" - that's kinda like saying "Ohh your bike has a puncture, you should probably buy a new bike and that'll fix it!"

I will get there in the end dont you worry - i read that (for some mad reason) you may need to run startup repair a a few times before the boot priority is fixed

...although................................. i could just reinstall my OS :P

Redisle

unkel wrote: »

LOL at several comments here

No need to do a reinstall. Just clone* your hard disk onto your SSD. Then physically take out your hard disk and replace it with your SSD. Boot up and bob's your uncle

My favourite program for this is Acronis True Image. The latest version (2013) is the only version that works with Windows 8

...?

I explained disk imaging (cloning) in my first reply.. maybe I wasn't clear enough.

I then suggested a tutorial for DriveImage XML in post #8.

I didn't mention Acronis because it isn't free. It used to be included (illegitimately) on Hiren's boot CD but was removed in recent versions.

bazpaul1

in the end I decided to cut my losses and reinstall - spent the better half of this morning reinstalling and tweaking!

I'm having a problem updating the firmware however - I run the exe, the computer reboots but doesn't go into the crucial window

druidhill

The very first reply to your post from Redisle should have sorted it, but it seems like you did not choose to read and understand it properly. You've wasted a lot of your own time on this. Chalk it up to experience.

I'm not sure about the firmware update, you'll have to read up about it from the manufactuers website - you might find you should be updating the firmware when the SSD drive is not your primary drive.

bazpaul1

druidhill wrote: »

The very first reply to your post from Redisle should have sorted it, but it seems like you did not choose to read and understand it properly. You've wasted a lot of your own time on this. Chalk it up to experience.

strongly disagree - i've wasted a lot of time having to reinstall losing lots of tweaks.

I actually found where i was going wrong with the disk copy, I copied the Volume C:\ using Easeus, when I should have copied the whole disk (right click on the disk title and click clone) thus copying the MBR and hidden system partititon.

I had it working but then had alignment issues and decided to cut my loses and refresh the beast!