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W7 SSD not bootable after cloning with ATI 2021

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Hi, I used Acronis True Image 2021 to Clone Windows 7, on a Dell Inspiron 5749 from HD to a new SSD both 1TB and the new SSD is not bootable. I can boot the SSD in F12 > boot options > UEFI Options Windows Boot Manager. Except for boot, everything seems great.

Target SSD was installed in the computer before cloning. I used Acronis Bootable Media on a thumb drive. Both Source and Target use AHCI mode. Diagnostics says all tests passed. Ran chkdsk berfore cloning.

Upgraded Bios A11 to A13 from Dell (thought Win updates would have done that.) Still doesn’t boot independently.

Acronis created GPT partitions. Is this a problem for Windows 7 booting?  Been reading up, but honestly, Bios, Boot modes, & GPT vs MBR have me confused.

I'm planning to upgrade to Windows 10. Is it possible that will be bootable even though Win 7 is not? Wondering if I should with proceed with that next or it that will amplify problems. (I chose to clone, then upgrade so that I could carry along installed software)

Thanks

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I suspect that this is a complex issue. One thing that occurs to me, is that to boot a UEFI computer the boot device is NOT specified by a drive, but by selecting Windows Boot Loader (I think this is the correct description - it may vary from PC to PC), from the listing in the BIOS/UEFI settings. With any luck that should solve the problem.

The UEFI/BIOS in not updated by Windows updates, you have to get the BIOS from the computer manufacturer or the manufacturer of the motherboard. With Dell computers there is a utility that you run to update BIOS and drivers for the particular PC. The process of setting that up is made easier if you have the service TAG number. Go to this site to do so. The service TAG number should be on the bottom of the notebook.

Hope this helps

Ian

mlee, welcome to these public User Forums.

Was the laptop booting in UEFI mode originally on the HDD before doing the cloning?

If the SSD does boot correctly when using the Dell F12 boot override menu option, then you need to go into the BIOS settings and set the 'Windows Boot Manager' as the boot priority device given that you say the clone converted your disks to using GPT partition scheme.

The boot mode used for the Acronis Rescue Media determines the partition scheme, so doing the clone when the rescue media is booted in UEFI mode will migrate the disk from MBR to GPT.

Thanks to both, still confused and not there yet, but I feel I'm getting close.

"BIOS from the computer manufacturer"
I had earlier updated Bios via the manf, Dell from A11 to A13, I think that is what you meant.

"Was the laptop booting in UEFI mode originally on the HDD before doing the cloning?"
I had not checked, but since it was default after cloning, I'm assuming it was the other "Legacy…"

Regards "go into the BIOS settings and set the 'Windows Boot Manager' as the boot priority device":

F12 Boot Options Legacy and UEFI Options. Selected Change Boot Mode Setting: Boot is set to Legacy, Secure Boot is off. Selected UEFI Boot Mode, Secure Boot On. A Red Warning "Secure Boot Violation, Invalid signature detected. Check Secure Boot Policy in Setup." This repeats trying to boot. When I go back to Boot Options, "Windows Boot Manager" are the first two UEFI Options. So it seems right, but when I select one of them (Win Boot Mgr) I get the same warning.

in F2 Setup>Boot, Boot List Option is now UEFI. Now Boot Option Priorities #1 & #2 are both Windows Boot Manager. So it looks ok, just get that red warning instead of booting.

Thanks again,

mlee

Please detach the old HDD and try again.

You can also try turning off Secure Boot as some older UEFI systems didn't always implement it correctly!  Your Dell should still boot in UEFI mode without having Secure Boot enabled.

Ok, that did it, boots just fine and fast. thanks again.

I encountered instructions to turn off secure boot in a sequence of other fixes, but it's confusing. There appeared to be two options to do that, one under Set Up and One under Boot Options and the Set Up warning scared me.

Now I'm hoping to install from Windows 10 a thumb drive. I'm hoping thats doable.

Curious about the 1 years subscription - it sounded like it was for this computer only. Does that mean I can only clone for one computer, since it also said it sets up a clone for the computer being used? And because it needs to be performed on an installed ssd?

Thanks again for your time and expertise.

Now I don't see a way to start from Acronis Bootable Media or any other bootable media, unless I should go into Bios and change back to, Secure Boot, Legacy, etc.

I don't know how the blue "Didn't Help" mark got on your post, but all posts were very helpful. 

mlee wrote:

Now I'm hoping to install from Windows 10 a thumb drive. I'm hoping thats doable.

Curious about the 1 years subscription - it sounded like it was for this computer only. Does that mean I can only clone for one computer, since it also said it sets up a clone for the computer being used? And because it needs to be performed on an installed ssd? 

On the widows 10 installation, I have successfully upgraded from Windows 7.1 to Windows 10 several times. If you have plenty of space on you internal SSD you can do an in place upgrade without resorting to creation of a installation USB stick, just select upgrade this computer rather than create installation media. Oddly, you get this option when you go to the download page for the Microsoft media creation tool (to find the download page just do a search for "media creation tool". 

The number of PCs/MACs  on which ATI can be installed is determined by the type of licence you purchased, they are available for 1, 3 or 5 systems. While you can only have ATI installed on a max of 1, 3 or 5 systems (depending on your licence) the recovery media does not check to see if there is an activated version on the particular system.

Ian

This just isn't working. Was nice to see Windows 7 boot up, but that is all that will boot. Windows 10 won't finish upgrading because it cannot boot and without the ability to boot "bootable media" there's nothing left. Even if it could be upgraded, you have to be able to boot recovery media in a usb, external drive or CD/DVD Drive for which ever problems arise and it can't do that.. Searching for something else right now.

Still I'm very thankful for the expertise and time.

In your bios advanced boot options look for a way to enable Legacy and UEFI boot.  Enabling both should fix your boot issue.