Can’t successfully clone bootable SSD

[kapone32]

Macrium reflect is the software to use. I had a similar issue to you with my last 2 builds and that program ran like a charm. It even allowed me to clone an SSD to a NVME drive on X470.

 

[LFaWolf]

Just a thought - you are spending so much time on this cloning, why not perform a fresh install of Windows and reinstall everything? You get the benefit of a fresh install and your computer will actually run faster, but you can then decide what software that you actually need to install.

Now, if you still want to go with cloning, I have done the same with using a Samsung manufactured usb to sata adapter that came with my Samsung 840. It worked for cloning a Samsung 840 250Gb to 850 500gb. The other time I cloned a 120gb OCZ to 240gb OCZ, I used clonezilla as another user mentioned.

 

[lexluthermiester]

With Acronis clone, I got an error ) NTLDR file missing.

This is a common error when cloning drives but forgetting to mark the newly created partition as "Active" or bootable. Try using Acronis again and make sure you mark the new partition as active.

 

[SeptimusFry]

lexluther: How do I do that? Not noticed opportunity to mark anything as active.

My previous experience with Acronis enabled Clone//Swap in new for old//Reboot - with nothing in between. But that was mainly simple SATA drives on desktop.

 

[Static~Charge]

This is a common error when cloning drives but forgetting to mark the newly created partition as "Active" or bootable. Try using Acronis again and make sure you mark the new partition as active.

Any disk cloning software worthy of the name should do this automatically.

SeptimusFry: Did you take a look at Macrium Reflect as recommended by kapone32 in post #26? The free edition should have no trouble cloning your drive, assuming that the source and target drives are in usable condition.

 

[SeptimusFry]

Static: I have been told to use this and that software, effectively ruling out both the Acronis and Samsung software. I am developing a little better insight into the problem, but am so far reluctant to give up on the two I have and try a possibly long list of other softwares.
I may well have to give up and try something else, I will certainly have Macrium Reflect on the list. Thanks.

I have backed up the ‘data’ (SATA) drive and will try cloning from the system (on the mSataSSD I am replacing) to that second internal (SATA) drive. If that works I will then swap over the mSata drive and try cloning back. If that doesn’t work, it must be a dud drive!

 

[lexluthermiester]

lexluther: How do I do that? Not noticed opportunity to mark anything as active.

See below. I don't don't use Acronis, but with AOMEI, it's easy.

In that utility, you right click the partition you want to set active and navigate to "Advanced" then select "Set Active Partition". In Acronis, it's going to be different but should be similar enough to be obvious.

Any disk cloning software worthy of the name should do this automatically.

Not always. In some systems, for various reasons, the boot flag is not set when the clone process is done.

 

[SeptimusFry]

Well, it doesn’t exist in Acronis, or I can’t find it.
I have succeeded in my original intention, switching around with an external drive. Pity Acronis nor Samsung software could manage with cloning across usb3, but I can now live with it.
With 1Tb system on the 860 SSD and data on a 1Tb Crucial SSD drive and 12Gb memory, and 8cores i7, it is really quick at least by my standards.
Thanks for all the helpful suggestions.

 

[Static~Charge]

Not always. In some systems, for various reasons, the boot flag is not set when the clone process is done.

Then I would consider that cloning software to be deficient. If the source drive was bootable, then the target drive should be bootable (it's supposed to be a clone, after all...). You shouldn't have to clean up behind it and flag the target drive as active.

 

[Bones]

Have to agree, the cloning software I've used before was a trial version with a limited number of uses and it did everything automatically, no hassles or anything and the cloned drive worked.

 

[lexluthermiester]

If the source drive was bootable, then the target drive should be bootable (it's supposed to be a clone, after all...). You shouldn't have to clean up behind it and flag the target drive as active.

I agree with you. However, not all systems are created equal and some configurations prevent the boot flag from being set while a bootable drive is present on the system. It happens to the best of utilities. But as the OP has solved the problem they were having, it's mute point.

 

[Solaris17]

To shed some light on this. The problem was originally because it was VIA USB like his software stated. This also happens from time to time if you look at my guide for creating a better diag drive in my sig. While I have yet to get the intricate details what I have found suggests the issue stems from how USB devices function.

I am guessing its because USB drives cause alignment issues (think early SSDs) and this destroys the LBA scheme. IE, the MBR looks at wrong parts of the PBR (Partition Boot Record) and thus winload cannot execute. Repairing the MBR generally corrects this issue. (since its "scans for OS (PBR)" and points to the correct sectors and tracks)

The take aways are that in order to fix this generally the easiest way (because not all HDD util MBR repair tools are created equal) is to use "bootrec" from a install drive buy going to "repair windows" and opening a command prompt.

The rub is that the drive generally cant be passed through via USB (since thats the initial problem) thats why "access denied" can happen.

I have found that USB drives such as corsair GTX or W2G certified drives (basically any USB that is detected as a fixed disk) over comes this (being USB themselves) but USB > SATA adapters do not (since the controllers are not as complex and they do CHS translation).


so in short generally the repairs must be done on the drives via there native interface in this case m.SATA and personally with caution (no other drives connected to system) this is how I fixed this system for durvelle https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...ils-to-boot-srttrail-txt.250864/#post-3964662

Its rare to run into odd issues like this, generally winload.exe problems and MBR failures in general stem from

A: build upgrades

B: HDD failure.

but anytime it happens with USB you must follow a specific set of remediations to correct the problem. (in this case bypassing the USB adapters and cloning to a sata drive first and then back to the desired msata drive.)

Glad OP got it sorted.

 

[SeptimusFry]

Solaris. Interesting summary, not that I fully understand it, computer interfacing being low in my knowledge base, but what you seem to be saying chimes with my thinking.

Yes, I got round it by just not cloning over the usb connection. However, two or three years ago I upgraded from a 256G Samsung SSD to a 512G. At that time, all went swimmingly, no problems at all. As I originally stated, Samsung state that is a problem, so I think it is not a simple “no, you can’t do that!”, more a case of “you might have problems doing that”.

I am hoping to do some trials, 1T -> 500G and 500G -> 1T, over USB — if I have time, to see if one or two of the magic bullet alternatives can do what Samsung and Acronis can’t do, or is this specific and unavoidable with this particular configuration.