Win7 Pro Giving Problems Booting on SSD

[Candoo]

I swapped out my HD with a Samsung 860 Evo SSD. I used the migration software from Samsung. The first few times I booted my machine it worked well. Then I started getting problems booting. If I shut down or restart my machine, the only way Win7 will start is if I enter the bios and F10 out. Sometimes I have to do this a few times.

I am new to SSD's so I'm not sure how this is supposed to work. The migration software has created 2 partitions on the disk: "C" which is my Win7 operating system and "G" (which wasn't there/didn't show up on the original HD and is very small). The G partition contains a file named "bootmgr", a folder "BOOT", that contains several language folders. In the US folder are files "bootmgr.exe.mui" and "memtest.exe.mui" . In the BOOT folder there are files named "BCD", "bootstat.dat" , "memtest.exe" and .log files.

In Computer Management:
G partition is marked "Healthy (System, Active, Primary partition)
C partition is marked "Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary partition) but NOT active

I was just going to mark "C" as active, but I didn't want to attempt this without asking for expert advice in case it totally screws everything up and I brick my system. So, suggestions how to proceed so this thing will boot normally ?

 

[mrjimphelps]

I suggest you reinstall your previous hard drive, and that you then do a backup of the hard drive using something like Macrium Reflect Free. Also, be sure to create the Macrium emergency boot disk.

Now shut the computer off, remove your hard drive, and install the SSD. Now boot to the Macrium emergency boot disk. This will put you into Macrium Reflect Free.

Now restore your backup to the SSD. When done, remove the Macrium emergency boot disk and reboot the computer.

Finally, make sure that TRIM is activated on your SSD. Also, make sure that the alignment is correct. (I don't know how to check the alignment, but people I trust and respect have said that you need to check the alignment.)

 

[Megahertz07]

We can't help much as your system specs doesn't have all the information we need.
Please edit your profile with ALL your hardware specs.
The tutorial below [Published by Brink and written by CyberZeus] let's you easily see all of your system information, along with the option of making filling out your system specifications here at Seven Forums easier.
System Info - See Your System Specs - Windows 7 Help Forums

On OEM computers (Dell, HP etc) you have a small partition (normally called System, without a disk letter) with the boot loader and other maintenance software. You should also have a recover partition with the C: disk image for doing a Factory recover.

Instead of magician (migration software from Samsung) use Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free

 

[SIW2]

1. admin command prompt:

diskpart
sel vol c
act
exi
bcdboot c:\windows /s c:

2. If you have any difficulty after that, try hitting it with bootsect. It isn't in the installed version of windows, so do that from winpe. Or copy bootsect.exe from boot.wim\windows\system32 to your installed windows\system32

admin cmd prompt:
bootsect /nt60 /all /mbr

Or you can use Bootice to do the same job
View attachment BootIce.zip

 

[Candoo]

My son originally had this machine (some years ago) and he just mentioned that he had it set up to dual boot with Win XP. I never noticed as it has only booted into Win7 for me. Even with making an image of the original HD, the problem (if that is the problem) is probably still going to be inherent. Surely there must be a good utility or way for repairing the BCD files. I have a number of programs that I've uninstalled and others that I have installed since having the SSD, and it was quite time consuming.

 

[Candoo]

1. admin command prompt:


Or you can use Bootice to do the same job
View attachment 404476

For Bootice, download the 32 or the 64 bit version ?

 

[SIW2]

way for repairing the BCD files

You can also load the bcd hive in bootice and delete errant entries ( such as an ntldr (xp) entry if it is there)


Bootice
If you are using x64 operating system, you can use either version. If you are using x86, then only the x86 version will run.



You need to do the commands listed in 1.


Bootice can be used instead of the bootsect command listed in 2.