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Cloned disk will not boot

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I have Acronis True Image 2021 Build 34340 on a Windows 10 with all updates. I can be reached at   wwpearce@comcast.net   

The computer has 2 hard drives (HD). C: is a PCLe SSD drive with all the programs. D: is a traditional HD with the data files.

I use the Acronis clone process to make a backup HD once a month. The HD is always formatted prior to starting the clone process. After the clone process is completed, I always have the computer boot to the cloned HD to test it.

When I cloned C:, I selected the option to make the HD bootable on this computer. As the PCLe SSD drive is directly connected to the Mother Board, it cannot be removed to boot the computer to the cloned HD. When I booted the computer with the cloned HD connected to the mother board with the same cable used for the clone process and went to the BIOS to select that drive to be booted to, the computer did not boot. All I got on the monitor was a blinking short dash on the top left side of the monitor.

Also, Windows Explorer did not see the cloned HD; however, the Windows Disk Management process and the AOMEI Partition Assistant program did see the cloned HD and they show the same partitions.

Is this issue caused by the computer having a PCLe SSD drive? How do I make the computer boot to the cloned HD?

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Not familiar with PCLe SSD, what exactly are they. Do they connect to M.2 socket or a SATA socket. If M.2 socket then it will as I understand it, only boot using Windows Boot Manager as the boot device.

I think it's meant to be PCIe-SSD. If it's like what I installed for my dad it's just a PCIe Adapter for an M.2 socket.

Cloning drives then booting the system with both the original drive and the cloned drive connected at the same time has never been recommended due to the potential for a disk signature clash.

I am unsure of the exact actions that Warren took in this scenario?

Was the target cloned drive connected internally or externally when the clone was done? If external, then how connected, i.e. via a SATA - USB adapter, using a dock etc?

If the internal PCIe drive is soldered to the motherboard, then this poses other potential issues and questions?  What BIOS boot mode was being used to boot into Windows from this drive? Is the same mode being used for the cloned drive?  Has the BIOS settings for the boot drive been changed?

Last question: was a full disk backup taken before doing any actions here?  If yes (hopefully) then this at least should provide a means of recovering back to the starting grid on this PC by recovering the PCIe drive with the cloned drive removed.

Reference: Not familiar with PCLe SSD, what exactly are they.

This is like RAM that connects/attaches directly to the mother board not with a traditional RAM type connector or traditional hard drive cable. It is identified as C: and is treated like a hard drive. Windows Explorer accesses it just like it is a traditional hard drive.

My second computer has the same type of C: and I have successfully cloned it and tested the cloned Hard Drive.

I clone to a traditional hard dive and when I test it after the clone process, I have the BIOS boot to it rather than the routine C:

Warren, is the PCLe SSD permanently connected, i.e. soldered, or is it removeable?

There are many variations on types of PCIe drives such as mSATA, NVMe which connect into a short (edge) connector directly on the motherboard and are retained by a single screw at the opposite end of the card drive.

The MS Surface Pro 7 notebooks come with hard-soldered SSD drives that would require a motherboard replacement to upgrade or change.

Before changing any BIOS settings, you should identify what BIOS mode your Windows OS is using by running the msinfo32 command in Windows.  The BIOS mode is shown in the right panel and will show as either UEFI or Legacy / drive make.  If UEFI is used, then Windows Boot Manager from the drive is the boot option.