Cloned SSD Won’t Boot in Windows 11/10/8/7 [7 Quick Fixes]

Case: Cloned SSD not booting

Most of people know that the SSD (solid state drive) has better performance than traditional hard disk drive (HDD). Compared with HDD, SSD runs faster and smoother with less noise. Thus, many Windows users would upgrade old HDD to SSD. 

To do this, it seems easier to clone HDD to SSD than reinstalling OS. However, many people have spent time, effort and even money trying to clone hard drives, only to find that the cloned SSD won’t boot in Windows 11/10/8/7. It may show you this message:

Windows fails to Start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem: 1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart your computer. 2. Choose your language settings, and then, click “Next”. 3. Click “Repair your computer”. If you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer manufacturer for assistance. File:\Boot\BCD Status:oxc000000f Info:The Boot Configuration Data for your PC is missing or contains error.

How to solve cloned SSD won't boot? Please read on.

💡 Quick navigation of 7 quick fixes ✎ Method 1. Correctly install the cloned SSD with a SATA cable ✎ Method 2. Set system partition as an active partition ✎ Method 3. Setting BIOS to boot from UEFI or Legacy ✎ Method 4. Change boot order to boot from the cloned SSD ✎ Method 5. Repair Windows Startup from Windows RE ✎ Method 6. Run Bootrec.exe 🔥 Quick fix: clone HDD to SSD without booting problems

Why is my SSD not booting after cloning?

There are a lot of reasons that would cause the SSD won’t boot after clone. I've summarized some common reasons here:

✔ Bad sectors: If the source disk you cloned has bad sectors, it may cause cloned Windows 10/11 SSD won’t boot.

✔ Corrupted system: The system is corrupted during the cloning process, so the cloned drive won't boot.

✔ Missing System Reserved partition: Missed cloning the System Reserved partition.

✔ Wrong boot drive: Set the wrong drive to boot from.

✔ Missing boot files: The drive letter may have changed while you change HDD to SSD, causing boot files missing. As a result, SSD cannot boot after cloning.

✔ GPT/MBR conflict: GPT/MBR conflict causing the cloned drive won't boot in Windows 11/10/8/7.

How to resolve Windows won't boot after cloning HDD to SSD

After cloning HDD to SSD, if the SSD cannot boot, you can try the following solutions according to your situation:

Method 1. Correctly install the cloned SSD with a SATA cable

Use a SATA cable to connect the cloned SSD to your computer instead of a USB connector. Some Windows 10 users successfully booted their PC from the cloned SSD using this method.

Method 2. Set system partition as an active partition

In most cases, the active partition should be the primary one where the operating system's boot files reside. If the cloned SSD is not booting on a Windows 10 computer, it may be due to the system partition not being designated as active. You can use Command Prompt to change this.

1. Boot from the old hard drive since the cloned SSD won't boot.

2. Place the SSD in a hard drive enclosure and attach it to the PC.

3. Type “cmd” in the search bar. Right click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.

4. In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:

• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk XX (Replace "XX" with the disk ID of the SSD)
• list partition
• select partition XXX (Replace "XXX" with the partition ID of your SSD)
• active

After performing the above commands, restart the computer.

Method 3. Setting BIOS to boot from UEFI or Legacy

If you cloned the GPT HDD to MBR SSD, or cloned the MBR HDD to GPT SSD, it is necessary to change boot mode from UEFI to Legacy or from Legacy to UEFI. The wrong boot mode will cause the SSD not booting after clone.

To change the boot mode, you can refer to the following to configure it:

1. Continuously press a specific key (usually F2, F8, F12,Del) to enter BIOS Setup.

2. Then, use the arrow keys to select Boot tab. Here, you can select UEFI/BIOS Boot Mode as Legacy or UEFI.

3. Press F10 to save the settings and then exit. Then, restart your computer from the cloned SSD.

*If your computer only supports Legacy boot mode, you can convert GPT to MBR, and then your disk can boot successfully in Legacy boot mode.

Method 4. Change boot order to boot from the cloned SSD

Wrong boot device could also cause the cloned drive won't boot. If there is more than one hard drive on your computer, you'd better set boot order manually.

1. Enter BIOS Setup and go to the Boot tab.

2. Set the cloned SSD as the first boot option and press F10 to save and exit.

•  If your SSD is connected externally via a USB cable, move Removable Devices to the top of the list using the + key. (In some cases, you'll only be able to select a USB drive in this menu. If so, make sure that your external hard drive is the only USB storage attached to your computer when booting from it.)
• If your SSD is connected internally via a SATA cable, move Hard Drive to the top of the list and make sure your SSD is the first option under Hard Drive.

Your computer should boot successfully now. If not, go to the next solution.

Method 5. Repair Windows Startup from Windows RE

Sometimes, you need to get into Windows recovery environment (Windows RE) to repair Windows Startup if the cloned SSD won’t boot in Windows 10/11. The Windows Startup repair will fix some errors and help you boot successfully.

1. Boot from the Windows installation disc. Select Repair your computer.

2. When you get into the "Choose an option" screen, select Troubleshoot -> Advanced Options -> Startup Repair (Windows 11/10/8). Then, it will start to repair the startup problem.

Method 6. Run Bootrec.exe

If Windows Startup Repair doesn’t work, you can use Bootrec.exe to fix cloned SSD won’t boot in Windows 11/10/8/7.

1. Boot computer from Windows installation disc. Select Repair your computer -> Troubleshoot -> Advanced Options -> Command Prompt.

2. In the pop-up command prompt, type the following commands to fix Windows 10/11 fails to boot.

• bootrec /fixmbr

• bootrec /fixboot

• bootrec /scanos

• bootrec /rebuildbcd

Quick fix: clone HDD to SSD without booting problems

Is there any way can help users clone HDD to SSD without booting problems? Yes, and it's highly recommended to use the best cloning software for Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP - AOMEI Backupper Professional. It allows you to clone HDD to SSD with simple steps, and boot from the cloned SSD successfully.

Steps to clone HDD to SSD without boot issues

Step 1. Connect the SSD to your computer and make sure it can be detected. Free download AOMEI Backupper, install and launch it. Click Clone -> Disk Clone.

Notes: * If you only want to clone the operating system, you can use the System Clone feature. * To clone a disk without OS, such as clone an external drive or USB drive, you can try free disk clone software - AOMEI Backupper Standard.

Step 2. Select the HDD as the source disk.

Step 3. Select SSD as the destination disk.

Step 4. Here you will move to the final page. Check the box of SSD Alignment to optimize SSD performance and click Start Clone.

Tips:

• Besides HDD to SSD clone, you still can use it to clone SSD to larger SSD, clone bootable CompactFlash card, copy USB to USB, etc.
• If you find that Windows won't boot from cloned SSD after cloning system to another computer, this may be due to dissimilar hardware. To do it successfully, you can use System Backup to create a system image, and create a bootable media to start the target computer into WinPE, then perform Universal Restore to ensure the target computer can boot after restoration.
• To clone disks on any computer without installing AOMEI Backupper repeatedly, you can use Technician or Technician Plus edition to create portable version on removable device.

FAQs on cloned drive not booting

1. What is the best way to clone an SSD for successful booting?

Discover recommended methods and tools for cloning an SSD to ensure successful booting, including using reliable cloning software, verifying disk integrity, and properly configuring the destination SSD.

2. Why won't my SSD boot after cloning on Windows 11?

Windows 11 sometimes faces compatibility issues with cloned SSDs. Ensure you're using reliable cloning software and that the target SSD is properly initialized and formatted before cloning.

3. I cloned my SSD using Crucial's software, but it won't boot, what should I do?

While Crucial's cloning software is generally reliable, ensure that the cloning process is completed successfully without errors. Additionally, check if the BIOS settings are correctly configured to prioritize the cloned SSD for booting.

4. How can I fix a black screen issue after cloning my SSD?

A black screen post-cloning can be due to various reasons such as incorrect BIOS settings, driver issues, or hardware conflicts. Try booting into safe mode or using the Windows Recovery Environment to troubleshoot and repair potential issues.

5. Why is my Samsung SSD not showing in BIOS after cloning?

If your Samsung SSD isn't detected in BIOS after cloning, verify the SATA or NVMe connection and ensure it's properly seated. Additionally, check if the BIOS recognizes other drives and consider updating the BIOS firmware if necessary.

6. My cloned SSD is not recognized in BIOS, what steps should I take?

If the cloned SSD isn't showing in BIOS, double-check the SATA or NVMe connection, and try using a different SATA port or M.2 slot if available. Also, ensure the SSD is compatible with your motherboard and consider updating motherboard drivers or firmware. If the issue persists, try re-cloning the SSD using a different cloning tool or seek assistance from technical support.

Conclusion

While cloning a hard drive to SSD has some significant benefits, many users also encounter the problem of the cloned SSD not booting. In that case, using effective HDD to SSD cloning software may be a more efficient option than troubleshooting errors one by one.

With the help of AOMEI Backupper, you can easily clone HDD to SSD and ensure your computer can boot from the cloned SSD successfully. Moreover, it allows you to further accelerate the reading and writing speed of SSD disk as well as prolong its lifespan. You could download it and try it by yourself.