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Windows 7 disk restore fail on boot up

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I am trying to restore the entire disk to a different pc (same exact Dell model and hardware), it fails to boot, returns the error "Windows failed to start. A Recent hardware or software change might be the cause.". Running repair does not help either.

It restores and boot up fine if I restore the image back to the original pc.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

TIA,

Ron

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Did you create a full disk mode backup, selecting the checkbox for the entire disk (not just some partitions)? I suspect that you did not, that you backed up only C: or only visible partitions, while the boot files are on a hidden partition.

I did try full disk mode backup and restore, issue persists. I have always been able to do this with Windows XP and prior. Also it works when the restore is done on the original pc, I just don't see there are any hardware difference between the 2 pc.

Just wondering if there are anyone out there that has done this successfully.

Are you positive that all hardware is identical on both PCs?

If that's not the issue, I wonder if it could be a Windows activation issue. You are trying to boot Windows on a system that is not the system it was activated on. So, even if hardware component models are identical, it is different hardware.

Finally figured out the issue, apparently there is a SATA mode in the BIOS that was set differently between the 2 pc.

Thank you Tuttle for your assistance.

Aha, I knew the PCs weren't identical.