Resolved trying to clone WIN10 to a new computer.

I gave up on the loser computer (wasn't the PS after all - still no idea what) and got myself a nice refurb'd HP Elite Desk 800 G1 TWR MONSTER case which comes with WIn10Pro 64 but it is installed on a 120GB SSD (for faster startup per vendor) and a 4TB 7200rpm HDD for (I suppose) storage. The ad said a 2TB but I guess they ran out. (?)

THEN I wanted to:
a) take out the SSD and replace with the HDD which came from HER now defunct computer, a 2TB Seagate with WIN10Pro installed and a fair number of her programs and data, all of which were working fine until "Der Tag". I was sure that the new computer would read the "working" 2TB HDD and gae merrily along.

...... Well, that didn't work. The monitor upon restart simply gave me a blinking hash mark in upper left corner, followed by a message, "Looking for media", then a final message, "no option to boot to". All of which took about a minute.

Just to be sure, I put the OEM 120GB back into new computerand it booted right up for me.

Hmmm....

SO

b) Took the 120GB OEM drive and cloned it into a new 2TB SSD from Lever using a Sabrent two-bay docking/cloning unit. Once all the little lights stopped blinking, took the NEW 2TB Lever drive, installed it and... same deal. "No option to boot to".

c) Just to check, took the cloned SSD and installed it im my trusty Toshiba Satellite laptop (from about 2009) which is chugging right along except it has a funky fan which allows overheating, but I can usually get fifteen minutes of use out of it. Installed the cloned SSD in there and it had a conniption, giving me only a blinking hash-mark in upper left hand corner, and making a loud beep (or beep-beep) when ANY keys were touched. (I used to know what that meant, but...)

d) (Genius thought) Took OEM SSD from new computer and installed in laptop but with no success. I got the blinking cursor, but no messages or screaming keys.

ONE of the myriad of questions rambling around my cranium is: WHY send the OS installed on the 120GB SSD (now drive c:\) and then a 4 TB behemoth HDD in sequence after it? My concern here is that when SWMBO finally fills up the C:\ drive, what's the normal sequence of events?

In the past, (FAR past), when getting close to a full drive (that 250GB in the P4 box?), one got a larger drive (500? 750?) GB and copied the whole drive over using any one of a number of decent "moving" programmes like Macrium or Partition Magic or something that F.O.S.I. was currently touting and no problem... Bob's yer Uncle!

Things is got much more complexified to the point where I'm beginning to feel kindly towards Geek Squad. (kinneherra!)

I know there are several thinngs other I could do but my brain just won't dredge 'em out for me.

help?

 

Hi frayedknotarts, Your new Desktop PC is constructed internally as normal in late model computers.
The OE (Win 10 Pro 64 bit operating system) installed on the 120GB SSD for quick start.
The 4TB HDD is for your Data to be stored on (as you stated above).

I assume that the 120GB SSD is 2.5" size mounted in a cradle?
The Data you want to "Clone" from your wife's 2TB to the 4TB HDD in the new comp is the job to do.

If your wife's old comp operated with W10 Pro 64bit OS on the 2TB HDD, I don't think it will work in your new comp, as the "Hardware" will not be compatible.
Simply, when you Start your comp, Windows is checking with the BIOS that all the Hardware is correct.
That is why it wont Boot (Start up). The Hardware between the comps is different.
You will need to "Clone" or "Transfer" your 2TB HDD Data from an external adapter to the 4TB in your new comp.
Disk Management will probably show that as D: drive.

The type of Software you use for Transfer, should allow you to transfer data without the OS.

To read to and from this D: storage, there usually needs to be an instruction from your C: drive (the OS) to enable transfer of info between the drives.
You may need to "Google" for better explanations for this process.

 

I will 'giggle' and let you know. Thanks again (as usual) for the frying-pan save and wading thru my loony verbiage.

Will mark solved if it works!

Ha' Zissen Pesach, everybody!

 

Well, actually I think I understood all that and it made sense, BUT:
In the middle of all this, I had some sort of power blitz and lost all juice to the house. It appears to have eaten my Belkin "mighty strip and breaker set" as well, (I have several others N.I.B. I keep for spares) but my WIN10 64PRO box died on me and would not reboot. This is really odd, as I have the rescue disk (albeit five or more years old) but the computer will not boot up at all, not from the rescue disk or from another "boot" proggie I have. I can only access the disk by inserting in the "D" drive and THEN powering up. Unless I do that, the startup menu does not recognize either a USB or Disk Drive.
Once the Rescue Disk is recognized and runs, I get a header box:

"Emergency Boot Kit version 1.6q (64 bit UEFI)
Registered to (ME)
Email (my standard email)
Giveaway campaign: SharewareOnSale-2023"

with the following:

File Manger--------------------------------------F1
Windows Password Wizard----------------F2
Registry Defrag---------------------------------F3
Registry Editor----------------------------------F4
Mount and boot center---------------------F5
Partition Manager----------------------------F6
REBOOT--------------------------------------F10

The only one I've tried was F5 but that tells me,
ERROR
Can't run Mount & Boot Center
Emergency Boot Kit could not find any fixed disks on this PC
Mount and Boot Center cannot run
CONTINUE

Engaging the "continue" button returns us to the Emergency Boot Kit menu (above), and results in my making yet MORE head-sized dents in my drywall. I really don't know what the other five tabs do, so haven't futzed with them other than to look into F6 , which may offer a solution?

I still have the disk for WIN10 which came with computer (Tiger Direct, as I recall) and I see in the F6 Partition Manager the following:

Existing Partitions:
Disk of Partition size type Filesystem Active
Disk 1 - HDS723020ALA640 RSD HUA 1863 G (no entry)

 

(OOOPS hit wrong button!)

The F6 button gives me

EmBootKit Partition Manager
Existing Partitions:

Disk or Partition SIZE TYPE FILESYSTEM ACTIVE
Disk 1 - HDS723020ALA640 RSD HUA 1863 G (no entry) (no entry) (no entry)

What would you like to do?
Initialize partition table (MBR/GPT)..............................Crtl +F1
Create partition................................................................Ctrl&F2
Format partition...............................................................Ctrl&F3
Back-up partition/disk to image file..............................Ctrl&F4
Restore partition/disk from image file.........................Ctrl&F5
Direct copY: partition to partition or disk to disk........Ctrl&F6
Edit partition metadata (MBR type, active flag, etc)/..Ctrl&F7
Wipe partition/disk or free space..................................Ctrl&F8
Delete partition................................................................Ctrl&F9
Quit....................................................................................Ctrl&f10

Now, I learned a long time ago that you dass'n't go messing around with that sort of stuff unless you know what you're doing... and I don't, so I'm a bit confused here but wonder if I can't snag the missing or defective data here and replace it with the same data from Momma's old 2gb HDD windows. Question there is, I got the newer confuzer 'cause she was running WIN 10 32bit PRO and getting only 3.8GB of 8GB available for use. Heck, I donno what I'm saying any more.

I also have WIN1064PRO on the laptop's 500GB 2.5 HDD. I should probably clone that over to a 1TB SSD, 'd'ya think?

 

[In the middle of all this, I had some sort of power blitz and lost all juice to the house. It appears to have eaten my Belkin "mighty strip and breaker set" as well, (I have several others N.I.B. I keep for spares) but my WIN10 64PRO box died on me and would not reboot.]
Is this your new Refurbished HP Elite Desktop?
Does the comp start, fans go, any activity LED's?

You didn't state whether the 120GB SSD was 2.5" SATA.
It seems you have a corrupted MBR or did not "clone" fully.
Can you get into Safe Mode?
If you Start the comp, then hold the Start button for 6 or 7 seconds till it Shuts down and repeat this 3 times, the comp should go to Advanced screen.

https://www.clnet-solution.my/knowledgebase/how-to-access-advanced-startup-boot-option-on-window-10/
This link gives you many ways to get into the Advanced Recovery area.
If you can't "Boot" or get to your Lock screen, the above process of 3 times will probably be your best bet.
By the way, Please explain in English rather than your acronyms which may have many different meanings. i.e. SWMBO, F.O.S.I. and N.I.B.
Thanks.

 

"SWMBO" (She Who Must Be Obeyed)*
F.O.S.I. (group of 1990's Russians who always had free programs available)
N.I.B. (new in box)
*From H Ryder Haggard's novel, "She".
Sorry ..
I'll follow your directions ASAP I get power back on this time
(Sending from my cheap phone.)
Thanks!

 

Yah, that was a 120gb 2.5" SSD. SATA4..

Working on rest of instructions...

So: None of the above seem to offer any solution to the problem (providing I'm reading things correctly).

Most seem to be concerned with entering the Advanced Option area, and then going to "TROUBLESHOOT", but that gives you either "reset this PC" (tried it but computer can't find a system image) and Advanced Options,, which gives me six start boxes, none of which allow me to repair or even explore the defective boot system.

There's a box for Startup Settings, among which are "Enter Safe Mode", and a bunch I don't understand. No matter, one can't select any of them as the arrow keys do not impact any of the choices shown, the only selectable option is to restart.

Something new! I now have a larger screen with "Startup Settings", only three of which I remotely recognise; "Enable Safe Mode", the same 'with networking', and the same 'with command Prompt', plus an F10 "for more options", which gives me "Launch Recovery Environment", which takes us back to a previous screen in what seems like a viscous circle, at any rate I'm sure stuck in it.

SO, I have a WIN 10 installation disk that won't let me repair, a Repair disk that won't play either and I think that what I'm gonna try is to boot up with the 500GB HDD from the laptop and, failing that, get another 2TB SSD, stick it in the unit and install windows on that, then just shift any programs/files I really need onto it and act like a normal person again.

Vielen Danke for all your help and especially patience with my nonsense.

I'm goin' ter bed.

 

If the answer is yes, then I would tend to think that your "Power Surge" has corrupted the W10 OS.

If the comp is running okay, without any funny noises or burnt smells, I would use MS Download to reinstall a Fresh copy of W10 Pro 64bit OS.
I would use the MCT (Media Creation Tool) with either a USB thumb drive or DVD as you then have a new spare copy to keep.
This should restore your HP comp as to when you purchased it.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=microsoft+software+download+w10

You may have to sign in to your MS account to proceed with a Download.
Thanks for explaining your acronyms.

 

Alas, the "New -refurb-wonderful-HP Elite" has it own problem(s), the biggest one at present a very noisy main cooling fan which screams intermittently like an out-of-balance bearing or summat. I don't know anything about magnetic induction fans so really can't identify... I digress. I sent off a missive to the vendor who requested pictures of the fan and serial, came back twice to recheck the information and then took seven days to send me... the wrong fan. I'm sure the FAN is correct, but it sits on a confection of aluminium fins (for cooling) spring mounted to the mainboard. Now waiting for these guys to get back with what they want to do. Can't use computer when it's howling at me and still have almost a month left on a "no questions" return, so...

Now, as to d/l the ISO in the (Firefox? Been thinking of going there instead of Chrome) link given, for rehabbing the 2TB drive in my older HP Elite (the one which no longer will boot or admit of any diagnostics), I shall do so (as soon as repair the confuser with a DVD attached) and give that a shot. { I'm learning SOOO many things I really didn't want to in this adventure... I was always proud of my amateur status of LUSER... Those were the days... }

Another "askit"... I did make an SSD clone (using Sabrent) of the working laptop 2.5" 500GB HDD onto a 2.5 SSD 1TB (what I had) and... surprize, the darn thing fired up in the non-booting unit. I disconnected the non-booting drive and then, when the unit booted up with the little drive, I then reconnected the 2TB in what I thought was a serial (used to be "slave") position, figuring I would then bypass the "system" files and then be able to cherry-pick the majority of the data in what would now be an "E\" or "F\" drive, but no luck. I must not understand how that works, as the bad drive jumped right out and tried to boot with the usual results. Something somewhere is telling me that If I could eliminate the System partition on the problem drive, I should be able to do that, but I dunno...

 

1. Does Sabrent have software installed on your comp?

2. If so, do you have to set the parameters that it "clones"?

3. When you said it fired up in the "non-booting" unit, I assume this is your original "older HP Elite" computer?

4. When you put your 2TB SSD with the "cloned" W10 OS in your old HP, you connected it into a SATA connection on the motherboard?

5. To bring you up to speed, SATA drives do not have "Master or Slave" modes.

6. When you inserted your 2TB SSD, you in fact had 2 SSD's with 2 MBR's and I think you had it in a lower numbered SATA connection, hence the reason it took over the operation of your comp.

Please answer my 1-4 questions in order.

If you "Google" Move files from C: drive to D: drive by changing it's Default location,
you should find the process to follow to ensure that your "new" HP comp uses the 120GB SSD as the OS C: drive and your
Data: Apps, Documents, Music, Photos and Videos, Movies and TV shows and Maps can be set to Default Storage on your
4TB 7200RPM HDD D: drive.

Does the 4TB drive show in Disk Management as a Dynamic Disk?
Sorry I haven't answered earlier, I was sorting the order of your problems and trying to set out a pattern for you to follow.
Do make sure you install the new fan correctly as it sounds like that fan is situated on the CPU!!

Once you get your new comp running okay, then we can help with transferring the Data (selective) from your wife's 2TB Seagate HDD.

 

1: No software on computer from Sabrent (https://sabrent.com/products/ec-dsk2) and while it took a while to complete, it makes a great copy... I've since tried it on another HDD and SSD and it reproduced perfectly.

2: No, it just duplicates, "Monkey See - Monkey Do" fashion. (all the news that fits, it prints.)

3: Correct. The HP unit I got back in '18 and which, until now, has weatheerd "sturm und drang" perfectly.

4: Correct. A small grey connector and a separate larger multipin connectore connected as P4, with P5 and P6 in series. (P6 is connected to Optical Disk)

5: Thanks. Showing my age!

6: Actually, I already had the 2TB SSD on P4 (first in line from MoBo) and then put the original 2TB HDD on P5, and when that didn't work, tried P6, disconnecting the Optical. No luck either time. The original 2TB HDD took right over no matter where is was located. I thought that the running "system" program would shut out the damaged one, but no such luck.

I also d/l and burned to DL DVD the .iso windows file you showed above, disconnected all but the SSD Clone of the bad drive and entered the key I had from original installation... worked fine, but I come to a page with two choices: Upgrade, install windows and keep files settings and apps, or Custom: Install Windows only.
Upgrade brings up a box with:
Compatibility Report
"Upgrade not available if you start your computer using Windows installation media.
If a copy of Windows is already installed on this computer and you want to upgrade, remove the installation media and restart your computer. After Windows has starts normally, insert the installation disk and run Windows Setup."
(Ah, so cruel! But I, did try that and (of course) had no good result since Windows wouldn't start...)

So I tried
"Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).
The files, settings and applications aren't moved to Windows with this option. If you want to make changes to partitions and drives, start the computer using the installation disk. We recommend backing up your files before you continue"
(Even yet more crueler, Silicon Valley!)

Then a page asking where I want to install windows, which presents me with
DRIVE 0 Partition 1 (1.6GB total, 1.6GB Free Type System), then
DRIVE 0 unallocated space (44.7 GB total, 44.7 GB free )
Also there are a six extras along the bottom, (Refresh, Delete, Format, New, Load driver and extend) and then a Yellow Triangle note which says "Windows can't be installed on drive 0 partition 1" (show details).

The (details) link brings up:
Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks."

So I took the SSD copy out and reinstalled the original (bad) 2TB HDD, went thru the procedures again and came up to the "Where did you think you were going to install windows?" and this time only got one line:
DRIVE 0 Partition 1 System (1.6GB total size 792.MB Free Type System).

So I really don't know where to go from here. 1.6GB showing as a total on a (nominal) 2 TB drive seems a bit odd, so I decided to stop there and throw it back over the fence to you.

...........................................

The "New Unit":


Tomorrow. (where will I find if a disk is "Dynamic"?)

 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/w...management/change-an-mbr-disk-into-a-gpt-disk

If you have a look here, you will see that your wife's Drive must be MBR and needs to be GPT for the W10 environment.
I'm not sure whether setting BIOS to Legacy mode will enable it to operate but you could try it.

 

Will be gone 2 -3 days for eye surgery.
"I shall return"

 

{{Learner: "Whakawhetai i mua, e hoa". or something like that?}}
......................................................................
This is Vince's kid typing. We got him redeemed from hospital early last week as his eye surgery had gone totally south on him and he still can't really see very well, but asked me to put a sort of "space saver" so you all didn't think he;d croaked or given up on this problem. I'm about ready to stick cotton in his mouth so he'll shut up with theories abount this!

I had, other than listening to his grouching, stayed away from the problem, but decided that I'd look at the posts and I can't blame you all... I can't figure out the problems as he confused them, so I sat with him yesterday and wrote down what he was trying to say, which is common with semi-dementia patients of his age, and so:

I think his computer is the main problem here, it has a 2TB HDD 7200 in it but the MBR seems to have been killed and the HDD is not recognized when the computer is turned on. Result, Brick. Voltage spike? He says not, but...

His problem there is how to recover or repair the MBR and/or Boot sectors so he can read the drive and Win10 again and get a solid backup before (my recommendation) he gets a 2TB (or larger) 2.5" SSD and transfers the data to it for faster startups and more reliable storage. ( I also increased his RAM to 4 x 8 GB from 2 X 4GB DDR3 and can't wait to see if I messed that up. Like Father Like Son?) He says he'd tried all the suggestions you gave him but never got past the "unable to repair drive" notices.

As to "Mom\s Computer", (if I read everything right) the main thing there is to move the existing data and files over to the 2TB 2.5" SSD he got for it but had not yet installed. Best bet (IMO{?}) is to do a fresh install of WIN 10 PRO 64 and go from there.

Once he can see somewhat again I'll show him all this and whateever advice anyone wishes to add to it and let him have his tantrum about "cooks and broth".

 

I've just looked in to see what stage you're at and suggest you try this for MBR.

How to rebuild MBR in Windows 10?


Fix the MBR in Windows 10

1. Boot from the original installation DVD (or the recovery USB)
2. At the Welcome screen, click Repair your computer.
3. Choose Troubleshoot.
4. Choose Command Prompt.
5. When the Command Prompt loads, type the following commands: bootrec /FixMbr bootrec /FixBoot bootrec /ScanOs bootrec /RebuildBcd.

Take care to observe the spaces shown in the Command.

 

We already tried the above (He swears he tried and I just now spent the time to hit each suggestion again.)
Tried both original DVD AND recovery (as DVD and as USB), so I'm gonna go thru this step by step again and post the results here... (only using with original Windows DVD and USB rescue)

so: RECOVERY
our PC/Device needs to be repaired
The Boot Configuration Data for your PC is missing or contains errors.
File: \Boot\BCD
Error code: 0xc000000f
You'll need to use Recovery Tools. if you don't have any installation media (like a disc or usb device), contact your PC administrator or PC/Device manufacturer.


(inserted WIN10 disc, hit select boot device:
Choices: EFI Boot Sources (arrow by this line)
hp DVD-RAM GH80N
Legacy Boot Sources
Hard Drive
SATA 4
IBA GE Slot 00C8 v1376
ATAPI CD/DVD Drive
SATA 2

(note: No option for USB drive)

Hit ESC for defaults

(Right back to first RECOVERY message)

Restarted and hit the Option ROM key, went to blue window and then to Windows setup screen. ((NEXT))

(Selected the setup information and)
Selected REPAIR NOW ((NEXT))

Two options: Troubleshoot or Turn off computer. Chose troubleshoot: ((NEXT))

Command Prompt: (entered as shown)
X:\Sources>bootrec /FixMBR
The operation completed successfully.

X:\Sources>bootrec /FixBoot
Access is denied

X:\Sources>bootrec /FixBoot
Access is denied
(tried twice.. same answer both times. Most distressing)

So: that was using the installation disc. I shall wait for your advice as to whether or not to try another method tp get beyond the "Access is Denied" love note.

 

Have a look in this link as I think this may be the cause of your problem.
UEFI requires GPT
MBR " Legacy BIOS.

https://www.google.com/search?q=wil...Mi4zmAEAoAEByAEIuAEDwAEB&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

 

Another link to read and get a full explanation on Rebuild of MBR.
https://pureinfotech.com/repair-master-boot-record-mbr-windows-10/