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HDD cloned to SDD, but SDD won't boot into Windows

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Hi,

I have a Lenovo Ideapad Z580. 

i've just used Acronis True image to clone my HDD to SDD - Crucial MX500. Crucial led me to download Acronis and use True image.

Both disks are 1TB large (Acronis tells me they're both exactly 931.5gb, in fact), both GPT, have the same bytes/sector. The cloning process (I chose 'Automatic' mode) was a success and nothing wrong was reported. 

I took out my HDD and then put in the SDD into the SATA port. But now when booting, the laptop enters into Lenovo's 'Onekey Recovery Mode', where I have the option of shutting down, restarting, or choosing factory reset: you can see what this screen looks like if you google image search 'Lenovo Onekey recovery' - it's the blue screen. (I think Lenovo's Onekey recovery takes over a small 20gb partition labelled D: on the HDD).

I've tried going into the BIOS and changing the Boot order - the default is to put Lenovo Onekey as the top priority - the SDD is listed as 'CT1000MX500SSD1' among the options, but as the last priority. I've tried a variety of combinations, including moving the SDD as the top priority, moving Windows Boot Manager as the top priority, Lenovo Onekey as the bottom priority, and all of these combined. Each time I boot, it boots into Lenovo Onekey. Then, when I check the BIOS again, Lenovo Onekey has returned to top priority. I've also tried changing from UEFI to Legacy support, but this doesn't seem to make much difference either, except to the screen resolution.

I've now put back in my original HDD, and it's booting and working as normal. 

I'm currently going to try and clone it again, to see if that works.

Any ideas as to what I might be doing wrong? Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks,

HT

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HT, welcome to these public User Forums.

Please see KB 56634: Acronis True Image: how to clone a disk - and review the step by step guide given there.

Note: the first section of the above KB document directs laptop users to KB 2931: How to clone a laptop hard drive - and has the following paragraph:

It is recommended to put the new drive in the laptop first, and connect the old drive via USB. Otherwise you will may not be able to boot from the new cloned drive, as Acronis True Image will apply a bootability fix to the new disk and adjust the boot settings of the target drive to boot from USB. If the new disk is inside the laptop, the boot settings will be automatically adjusted to boot from internal disk. As such, hard disk bays cannot be used for target disks. For example, if you have a target hard disk (i.e. the new disk to which you clone, and from which you intend to boot the machine) in a bay, and not physically inside the laptop, the target hard disk will be unbootable after the cloning.

See also KB 59877: Acronis True Image: how to distinguish between UEFI and Legacy BIOS boot modes of Acronis Bootable Media 

If your working drive uses GPT then it must boot using UEFI mode and have the 'Windows Boot Manager' as the boot priority device.

The key to success here is to boot from the Acronis Rescue Media in UEFI mode with the new SSD installed inside the laptop and the original HDD connected externally.

Thanks for your reply and your efforts, Steve - I've spent a few hours reading through your advice on lots of other threads! In case it makes any difference, I've just checked, and my version of True Image is the 2019 version.

I'd like to clarify this bit of advice, just to check I've got it right - does the guide mean that before I start the cloning process, I should take out the HDD and put in the SDD; then boot from the HDD, now connected via USB; then run Acronis True Image, clone onto the SDD, then once finished, unplug the HDD, restart, and it should all work?

Second question: Do I have to boot via Acronis bootable media? if I connected my HDD via a SATA-USB cable, could I boot straight off that, or is the Acronis media necessary?

Third question: I followed Crucial's guide 'How to install a Crucial SSD in your computer' bit by bit, and that's what led me to use Acronis - they don't follow these recommended guidelines. Is it just that I've been unlucky?

 

Thanks for your help.

HT

I'd like to clarify this bit of advice, just to check I've got it right - does the guide mean that before I start the cloning process, I should take out the HDD and put in the SDD; then boot from the HDD, now connected via USB; then run Acronis True Image, clone onto the SDD, then once finished, unplug the HDD, restart, and it should all work?

Second question: Do I have to boot via Acronis bootable media? if I connected my HDD via a SATA-USB cable, could I boot straight off that, or is the Acronis media necessary?

Yes, remove the original HDD and replace it with the new SSD before starting the cloning process.  Have the original drive connected externally as the Source for the Clone.  This is important because Acronis will not need to identify and install any new device drivers for the USB - SATA adapter if the Target drive is not connected by using it!

Microsoft do not allow for Windows to boot from an external HDD connected by USB, so this has to be done by using the Acronis Rescue Media.

Third question: I followed Crucial's guide 'How to install a Crucial SSD in your computer' bit by bit, and that's what led me to use Acronis - they don't follow these recommended guidelines. Is it just that I've been unlucky?

Unfortunately the advice given by lots of the OEM providers of Acronis software is often lacking and has been for a number of years!

Please see forum topic: [IMPORTANT] CLONING - How NOT to do this - which was written after dealing with many cloning issues in the forums often caused by following such guidance from the OEM providers!

Personally, I favour using Backup & Recovery instead of using Cloning.  A Backup should always be made before using Cloning, and doing a Recovery to the new drive means that I can put the original drive safely in a cupboard well away from harm, knowing that I always have it to fall back on if needed.

Thanks so much for your help, Steve - much appreciated.

After this experience, and all the guides you've posted warning of the dangers, I've been turned off cloning. I think I'll just go for a clean install onto the SSD! It could do with a fresh start...

 

Best wishes,

HT

Hi,

 

I ran last night into the exact same issue as HT, on my W10 Home Lenovo G700, after successfully cloning internal WD500 sata drive to usb connected Crucial BX500 960GB, using the same procedure, as advised by Crucial.

After swapping the Crucial drive in, laptop boots into Lenovo OneKey recovery. Swapped the sata drive back in, laptop boots just fine into my W10.

I will get my external drive from the office and make a full backup (just in case) and will then try the procedure the other way around as outlined by Steve.

Will keep you posted.

Cheers

Hans

Thank you Steve. First time cloning a HDD to SSD. Upgraded an old Win7 HP Laptop with SSD and got great speed improvement and near 3x space available. Following your process got me there easily. Only issue, I was not quite getting all the details on first read. ( and likely reads 2 & 3 )

Here is my take on using the tool for old Win7 Laptop:

   1. Load Acronis True Image and create Acronis rescue USB.

    2. Remove original HDD and replace with new ready to clone SSD.

    3. insert Acronis Rescue USB, Start Laptop, use Esc or BIOS config to set USB boot device if needed.

    4. connect HDD with USB cable and run Clone within Acronis Rescue.

    5. When complete, restart Laptop with USBs removed. Adjust BIOS boot device if needed.

I must have spent 5 days and many clone copies with new SSD on USB cable, but it would not boot window. Kept getting a page fault.  Start with the rescue USB. Have fun.

Johnny, glad the information helped and thanks for detailing the method you used.