Make w7 pro x64 bootable after cloning

[jey69]

Hi I am new to this forum so welcome everyone.

I bought a Dell laptop which came with installed Windows 7 Pro but installation media is unfortunately Win 8.1... I additionally got an SSD drive and want to move the system to it.

So I did several things:

• I changed the size of the original system partition (HDD)
• took a snapshot of this partition using CloneZilla
• partitioned SSD
• my new partition for Windows is exactly the same size as the original one. And marked it bootable
• restored the image to the new partition
• disabled HDD in BIOS for the time being

So far so good but it didn't boot and nothing even detected it.

So I booted up a Recovery DVD I created and built a BCD store (bcdboot c:\windows) and tried all the magic I could find (bootrec /fixboot and /fixmbr). And still nothing...

When I boot windows from HDD it sees the partition on SSD and says no errors on it (same with chkdsk). Contents looks sane.

When I try to boot from SSD (HDD disabled in BIOS) I just get a blinking cursor. Windows recovery disk now sees the system and allows to try repairing it but the repair always fails (no reason given). But partition size is reported 0MB (although HDD version of windows reports it correctly).

Since this is SSD I obviously don't want to blindly write stuff on it. Is there anything more I could do to make the cloned system to boot? Any ideas appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
jey

EDIT: fixed formatting

 

[Ztruker]

Why not just clone the HDD to the SSD? Don't do any partitioning, just clone it.

 

[jey69]

Why not just clone the HDD to the SSD? Don't do any partitioning, just clone it.

Thanks for the suggestion Ztruker. The main reason is that there is a recovery partition on HDD I don't want on SSD (waste of space).

j

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there

you need BOTH the small system partition and the main "C" partition. The system partition should be set to ACTIVE.

If you only have a "C" partition (i.e no small system boot partition) then THAT partition should be set to ACTIVE.

Download a Linux live CD or a bootable version of GPARTED and set the partition as ACTIVE.

Without an ACTIVE bootable partition the system won't boot.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[jey69]

Hi jimbo

C: is set to active (boot flag is on - that's what GParted says).
Additionally I believe that the original HDD doesn't have the small partition (can't check ATM) and the recovery partition might play this role there.

j

 

[whs]

Here is your problem. Dell puts the bootmgr on the recovery partition. You must first copy the bootmgr to C before you make the image.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/209885-bootmgr-move-c-easybcd.html

Alternatively (if C is active), you can run startup/repair 3 times. That will create a new bootmgr.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html

 

[Ztruker]

I'd clone it then delete the unwanted partition and add it's space to the boot drive.

 

[whs]

I'd clone it then delete the unwanted partition and add it's space to the boot drive.

That does not work because the unwanted partition (recovery partition) has the bootmgr.

 

[Ztruker]

Ah, thanks. Read your previous post but didn't make the connection.

Thanks.

 

[gregrocker]

If the PC has a UEFI BIOS then you'll need a UEFI-supported imaging or cloning App. Macrium is good.

Clone or image the Win7 partition to the SSD after moving the Bootmgr as previously suggested.

If Win7 doesn't start. confirm that C is the Partition Marked Active

then run http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html.

You can still http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164 taking the opportunity to do a perfect install with the media supplied.

 

[jey69]

Hi

Thank you all for your input.

I ran repair from a recovery DVD more than once now (3 at least with the one that just finished) but here is the thing - it's not able to fix anything. And I mean exactly that - it finds issues but is unable to fix them. "Startup repair cannot repair this computer automatically". Details are all unknowns and zeros. I don't think running it three times will change anything.

I have UEFI BIOS alright but it's in legacy mode so I don't think cloning tool causes a problem. Can it?

Again - the partition with Windows is active, I have installed Linux and GRUB detected Windows as a bootable system.

And now a question: isn't bootrec supposed to re-create boot manager/BCD for the current configuration?

I was hoping that it is possible to fix the current state. I would love to at least be able to diagnose the problem.
As far as reinstalling or creating a different image I think I will first try Dell recovery media I created - but that's my last resort.

j

 

[gregrocker]

Did Dell provide a Reinstallation DVD so you can get a clean reinstall instead of having all the crapware piled on? If not it's provided in Reinstall tutorial below along with official Win7 installer and tool to burn to DVD or stick. If you stick with the tools and methods given you'll get and keep a perfect install for as long as you do, infinitely better than the factory install craptured by the Recovery media.

Are you sure the BIOS wasn't set to UEFI when you made the image, even if you reset it to Legacy now? Those settings can be really tricky, are different for every BIOS, while the imaging app may simply not work for that one.


If you can boot free Partition Wizard to post back a picture of the full drive map and listings, we may be able to see the problem as often is the case. You can also use it to highlight the disk, then from Disk tab select Rebuild MBR, OK and Apply which may help. Try the repairs afterwards again.

 

[jey69]

Hi everyone I was hoping I would be able to fix the problem without a reinstall but it seems it's a waste of time unfortunately.
I am waiting on Windows 7 system disk and I will do a clean install...

Thank you all for your help. j

 

[gregrocker]

Did you try any of the steps I gave you, to which you didn't reply or answer my questions?

Had you actually read http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164 you would see that the installation media is provided in the first step along with tool to burn to disk. You can then use this disk for the repairs you ignored.

 

[jey69]

hi gregrocker

Dell originally didn't provide a Windows 7 DVD but this is the disc I am getting now.

As to your earlier questions - the BIOS was in legacy mode when I got the laptop and I didn't touch it.
As I mentioned earlier I know alternative methods of fixing my problem but I wanted to understand what was wrong with the current setup. I used Microsoft tools to rebuild MBR but my primary OS is Linux and GRUB is in control of the 1st stage of booting, hence I think the problem is on the Windows partition itself.

I actually need to start using this laptop so I'm going to give up and just do a clean install.

Thanks again.

j

 

[gregrocker]

You can do the Reinstall now. Everything is provided in http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164. If you'll stick with the tools and methods given then you'll keep a perfect install for as long as you do.

If you want to try a Dual Boot with Linux again these two approaches are what works best:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/257048-dual-boot-windows-7-linux.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/83923-where-install-ubuntu-my-system.html#post733626

 

[AddRAM]

Not sure why you wouldn`t just do a clean install on the ssd from the beginning, doesn`t the pc have a Windows 7 COA ?

Why would you clone or use recovery discs ?

 

[jey69]

If you want to try a Dual Boot with Linux again these two approaches are what works best:

Thanks, I have Linux installed already (and I know I'll have to fix GRUB after installing Windows).

Not sure why you wouldn`t just do a clean install on the ssd from the beginning, doesn`t the pc have a Windows 7 COA ?

It doesn't.

Cheers,
j