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Dell XPS8700 desktop - SSD cloned, but Windows 10 won't load fully

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I have a Dell XPS 8700 desktop PC with a 1TB HDD. I bought a Crucial 1TB SSD from Newegg. It came with a license key for Acronis True Image 2015.

I installed the software, then cloned the C drive to the new SSD. Everything was fine until after I came home and saw the PC screen flashing on/off rapidly. The keyboard would not respond. I suspect this is because the PC saw 2 C drives. I had to power down the PC by holding the power button.

I then disconnected the old C drive and attempted to boot from the SSD. The Dell logo/bios screen loads and it begins to load Window (10) but it hangs and I just seeing; a small circle comprised of dots spinning. There is disc activity according to the LED on the PC. I left it like this for over an hour, screen saver kicked in, but nothing changed. Windows never fully booted.

Now I can't hook up the SSD to reformat it or anything because the PC sees it as a C drive and gets confused.

What do I do?

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Philip, welcome to these user forums.

Please note that the version of ATIH 2015 that comes with the Crucial drive is an OEM one and limited in function compared to the full retail product.

Please confirm whether your Crucial 1TB SSD drive is a true SSD or whether it is a hybrid SSD, i.e. SSHD with a small SSD coupled to a spinning HDD drive?  If it is a SSHD then please be aware that hybrid drives are not supported for use when cloning - you should be using Acronis Backup & Restore instead of cloning.

Did you make a backup of your HDD drive before attempting to clone to the SSD?  This is always recommended in order to provide a way of recovery in the event of issues.

Are you able to remove the SSD and reinstall the HDD and get the desktop to boot correctly with the original system configuration?  You may need to modify the Boot selection options in the system BIOS / UEFI settings to either select the HDD drive or to select 'Windows Boot Manager'.

If you can get the system to boot correctly into Windows from the HDD then you should be able to reformat the SSD drive by attaching this via a USB - SATA connector or caddy.  You should never try to boot the system with two drives which are essentially identical, as clone produces where both drives even have the same disk signature.

 

The SSD is a true SSD, not a hybrid.

I made a backup and the old drive is still working just fine. I can boot from it as long as the SSD is not connected.

I don't have a USB to SATA connector, would have been nice if Crucial provided this with the drive! Any suggestions on where to get one, locally?

Thanks for the further information.

When cloning a drive, you should always remove the source drive and replace it with the new target drive so that the cloned drive will be connected to the same SATA port / controller as the original drive when you boot it into Windows.  This is because the Windows Boot Configuration Data stores that information for the boot device.

As to where you could get a USB-SATA adapter locally, that will depend on where 'locally' is for you?  I am in the UK and would either look at Amazon or else Ebuyer as the places where I tend to go the most.  You can also get USB docks that can take bothe 2.5 and 3.5 inch SATA drives, some with dual bays that even allow for hardware cloning without needing a PC.

See KB document: 48386: Acronis True Image 2015: Cloning Disks for further information on cloning.

If you have a low power 2.5" hard drive - these work nice:  https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-SATA-Drive-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00HJZJI84/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476399656&sr=1-1&keywords=usb+3.0+to+sata

I also like the external clone/docks.  For the price, the ability to use as a dual external hard drive bay that fits both 2.5" and 3.5" drives, and the ability to do physical offline cloning to the same size or larger disks - these things are well worth the $35.    

I always use Acronis for Backup and Recovery.  However, after a backup, if I need a down and dirty clone that can be done offline (without a computer) and you have physical access to both drives (SATA) these things work great.  https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Dual-Bay-Docking-Function-Tool-free/dp/B00N1KXE9K/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476399817&sr=1-1&keywords=usb+3.0+clone+dock