Cloning Issues
Hi
I cloned a 2 tb nvme ssd to a 4 tb nvme ssd
The computer boots and runs fine but the old drive shows up in Explorer and Disk Management even though It is no longer physically in the system.
Have tried google search multiple times, changed my bios to boot from the new drive - but the old drive still shows up in the UEFI. Which baffles me.
Can you help steer me in the right direction. Don't know if this is a bios issue or Windows issue and I'm sure this is more common than my search indicates. Thanks


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Hi Steve thanks for the welcome!
I used Acronis True Image 2020.
The results are baffling: "c" drive still shows up in Explorer, I can add a notepad text file to "c" it and it won't show up in the "e" (the actual physical drive I assume). I can add a notepad text file to "e" and it won't show up in "c". Weird.
Also, in my UEFI BIOS there is an entry for the old no-longer-connected nvme ("c") in the Boot Manager. I tried setting it up to the new physically-connected nvme but I still get the issues in above.
Disk Management shows c and e and they look identical. I'm not sure how to remove the old drive from being listed.
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Ben, as far as I am aware, Windows will always boot from C: so it is difficult to understand why you are seeing it as E: (assuming I am understanding you correctly?).
If you can post some screen images of what you are seeing, that may help us to understand what you are seeing.
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Steve I thank you for your efforts but I am basically a character from Monty Python - do you remember the 'Gumby' sketches? There's a dated reference for you. I have been basically flailing around doing my best to disturb my sanity when I finally figured out a basic fact:
I have a two nvme setup, the C or Windows drive, and D the extra stuff drive. When I did the clone, Acronis actually did a damn good job as far as I can tell. When I went to remove what I thought was the C drive, I actually removed the D drive. Which meant that two copies of Windows existed, with the original C drive booting up and the cloned drive (called E by the system) not having a boot ability. Therefore Windows explorer etc. saw two versions of my computer system, which is a miracle that everything still worked!
So I got Paragon Disk Manager to delete the boot partition on the original C drive nvme and when I booted up my system again, Explorer showed the new drive - now called c and not e - and a gimp of a drive - my original Windows c drive, which I basically wiped to make way for a new 'extra stuff' drive.
The moral of the story is everything was working as it was supposed to work, since I hadn't removed the original system drive. When I disabled that drive, the 'cloned' drive took over.
Honestly this should be added to a 'sticky' post on 'Foolish things you might do and please avoid them'. Sheesh!
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Ben, thanks for your update which just confirms what many of us older users already have experienced, that is having a 'senior' moment! I don't remember the Monty Python 'Gumby' sketches as I think I was serving overseas around that time in the forces!
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Steve Smith wrote:Ben, thanks for your update which just confirms what many of us older users already have experienced, that is having a 'senior' moment! ......
Yes, the dreaded senior's moment. Had one yesterday afternoon. I beta testing a PVR firmware and did a system reset without saving secondary configuration information ... had to set it up again. And the uncooperative PVR is still refusing to connect to the remote control server.
Ian
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Hey guys I have a new one in this ongoing saga:
The 'd' drive nvme I removed - the 'extra' drive that stored things like my steam library. I tried connecting that nvme externally and I was getting strange things from Disk Management - I tried doing a data recovery etc. but the drive kept showing various errors.
Now I'm thinking I will return the nvme to Samsung for a replacement.
But this is the good part. Explorer and Disk Management now shows a D drive that displays contents etc. I can't seem to add things, like a notepad file, but there is no drive connected - I swear! In the process of trying to recoverthe nvme, could I have created a 'phantom' drive somewhere? And how do I get rid of this phantom drive?
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