Skip to main content

Clone or Restore - Target SSD gets 2 Drive Letters/Partitions and Won't Boot

Thread needs solution

I have Windows 7 Professional. My goal: move from old 120 GB SSD boot drive to new 240 GB SSD boot drive.

Alas, whether I use Clone current 120 GB to 240 GB drive, or Recover full disk image of the 120 GB SSD to the 240 GB SSD drive (have tried both from within Windows and from Rescue CD), I end up with the 240 GB SSD having TWO partitions, each assigned a drive letter in Windows, and which will not boot (bootmgr not found message--and, yes, appropriate changes made in BIOS). Partition #1 of the post-clone or post-recover 240 GB SSD is given its own drive letter and identified as "System Reserved" with two folders (Boot, System Volume Information) and two files (bootmgr, BOOTSECT.BAK). Partition #2 is also given its own drive letter and identified as the volume name of the old 120 GB SSD C: drive and appears to have all of the files and folders of the original 120 GB SSD c: source drive.

Whether I use Clone or Recover image, the larger 240 GB always bifurcates and isn't a bootable duplicate of the original 120 GB SSD (albeit expanded due to the 240 GB's larger capacity.)

I'm following directions to a "t", i.e., cloning or restoring disk (not just files or folders) and including MBR etc. I've tried checking disk signature and not doing so.

What am I doing wrong? Thanks.

0 Users found this helpful

Mark,

You need to remove the drive label from System Reserved and also ensure that the correct partition has been marked as active.

Check on your old drive which partition is marked as active, this can be done by using Windows Disk Manager.

Also,

Do not reboot the computer with the original and the clone at the same time in the computer. After the cloning process, done from the recovery CD, put the cloned driver at the same spot as the original and then reboot the computer.
After the computer has booted successfully on the new SSD, you can put the old one back in the system and/or do whatever you want to do with it.

Mark,
If at any point you decide to start over, click on my signature link #3 below and follow the suggestions as listed in item 1 inside that link.

Use the TI bootable media recovey CD for your procedures. As both has suggested, first boot with new disk should be with only the new disk attached.

Thank you to all who replied. I got the cloning process to work so I have now upgraded using True Image 2013 from a smaller boot SSD drive to a larger boot SSD drive. For neophytes like me who are also a tad older and more forgetful, I wrote down step-by-step instructions should I ever need to do that again. For what it is worth, I share them as follows:

PRELIMINARY NOTES:

1. Only applies to upgrading or cloning smaller SSD boot / Operating System drive to a larger SSD boot / Operating System drive on the same computer.
2. You will need Acronis True Image 2013 Boot CD to accomplish.
3. You will need to use the Blac-X Thermaltake external E-SATA docking station or equivalent.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Do a backup of data files to external USB drive.
2. Make sure you have created Acronis True Image Boot CD disc.
3. Shut down computer and remove power cord.
4. Remove original (i.e., smaller) SSD boot drive from computer.
5. Install new (i.e., larger) SSD drive into computer using same connections as original boot drive.
6. Insert original (i.e., smaller) SSD drive into external E-SATA docking station or equivalent and turn on.
7. Plug computer power cord back in and press Power On button.
8. Eject CD Tray and insert Acronis True Image 2013 Boot CD before boot process initiates.
9. If necessary, change BIOS settings to make sure that CD has first boot priority.
10. Let Acronis boot disc load.
11. On opening screen, Select True Image using keyboard arrows (mouse may not work).
12. Let Acronis True Image continue to load.
13. On screen that appears, and using mouse (which will work now), click on Tools/Options and select Clone Disc.
14. Select as Source Drive the original and smaller SSD that is docked in the E-SATA dock.
15. Follow prompts to select new and larger SSD as Destination Drive.
a. Don’t worry if prompt window appears stating that there is data on new drive. It is okay to overwrite it. Just make sure that you have the correct Destination Drive selected.
16. Proceed to Clone Disk. For cloning a 120 GB SSD to a 240 GB SSD, the process took about 7 minutes. Note: Cloning process will automatically expand partition on larger drive to include all of its capacity.
17. When prompt appears showing that cloning completed successfully:
a. Remove and eject original smaller SSD from external docking station or equivalent.
b. Eject and remove Acronis Boot CD from CD tray.
c. Close out of Acronis program which will initiate a system reboot.
18. I let the system reboot without going into BIOS to check that the new larger SSD was selected as the new boot / operating system drive (after the CD) in priority. System detected that it was.
19. Windows should load.
a. The Sys Tray should show that Windows detected and successfully installed a new SATA driver for the new larger SSD boot / operating system drive.
b. You may get a prompt that the system needs to reboot. Go ahead and reboot.
20. After system reboots, go into Windows Disk Management and re-label the new larger boot / operating system drive reflecting the larger capacity. Windows will show it as the C: drive.
21. Recommendation: Don’t reformat and install the old smaller SSD drive until you are sure that everything is working properly.
22. Recommendation: Do a new full backup of the new larger boot / operating system SSD when possible.
23. If everything is working properly after a few hours/days, it is okay to install the old smaller SSD back into computer and reformat it for use as needed.

Thank you for sharing. Nice work!