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Question

Having trouble cloneing new ssd

Jul 16, 2017 2:27PM PDT

Tried Macrium Reflect - failed. Tried EaseusTodo - said to many partitions - failed. Tried Aomei Backup - failed. Since it was a Western Digital SSD, went to their site and downloaded and installed Acronis True Image - seemed to work at first but then I got a message Direct r/w operation has failed Ox59000. Wants me to run check dist utility - don't really want to do that. Also, "no" letter drive for the ssd so don't know how to run it on just the ssd.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Is check dist utility CHKDSK?
Jul 16, 2017 2:45PM PDT

A corrupted or NTFS volume in need of CHKDSK might not clone. Can you reveal why you don't want to CHKDSK?

Post was last edited on July 16, 2017 3:12 PM PDT

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O.K. - I'll run it, but that's
Jul 16, 2017 3:26PM PDT

what started this in the first place. That's when I found out that the hard drive was failing, via CHKDSK, dell support and seagate. So, after words if I still have a problem, what's my next step to replace my hard drive.

thanks for replying.

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That tells us a bit more.
Jul 16, 2017 3:29PM PDT
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Could use a little more help, please
Jul 16, 2017 6:42PM PDT

Ran chkdsk /f /r /x – Unusual result – only took 20 minutes. Event Viewer did not show any errors. Process usually takes an hour and a half.

Installed program, selected “Clone” feature.

Selected ‘source’ disk – Hard Disk 0 = 465.76 GB, Basic, GPT … I guess you can say there were “7” partitions, so I selected = OS C: (NTFS) = 405.45 gb free of 456.67 GB

Click “next”
Select destination disk – Disk 1 = 232.89 GB, Basic, GPT, USB … – Selected - Unallocated = Capacity 231.75 GB – EDIT – popped up but couldn’t figure out how to adjust or should I adjust? - Used size was 51.47 GB

Clicked ‘advanced options’ - Optimize for SSD – Clicked “Proceed”

Problem - message = There are some errors on the partition, please reset the disk layout?

Obviously my new Western Digital SSD is an 250 GB, smaller then hard drive, but was only using less the 100 GB at any one time.

Thanks in advance

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CHKDSK only checks one drive letter.
Jul 16, 2017 9:15PM PDT

If you have others you do that on the others. And last week I had a really banged up HDD. Had to load W10 from scratch and salvage files from the fortunately still working drive.

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If I understand you correctly, do the following
Jul 16, 2017 11:32PM PDT

Using the Media Creation Tool, download a windows 10 ISO

Use a program like Aomei Partition Assistant to install windows 10 onto the SSD

Power down PC, remove internal hard drive and replace with SSD

Power back up, PC “should” SEE my SSD as the hard drive and I would then “start” the process as if this were a “clean” installation. ( Been there, done that.)

And then be able to reinstall all my previous programs, etc., from my backups. Drivers might be needed!

Since it appears that my ‘internal hard drive’ is failing, and ‘cloning’ isn’t working for me, looks like this might be the solution.

Thanks for replying,

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While the first step is what I used.
Jul 17, 2017 5:06AM PDT

"Use a program like Aomei Partition Assistant to install windows 10 onto the SSD" is something I've never used in hundreds of installs. Can you share your success rate using such a method?

What I'm using when cloning is not an option is to create the W10 installation media (99.99% of the time it's the USB stick) then boot that stick and install to a blank SSD or HDD. After that, create TWO local login accounts, make them admin capable and then create the user account which could be the email version or local.

Then the usual drivers, machine specific apps then the user/owner's apps and files.

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Replacing Failing Hard Drive with SSD
Jul 17, 2017 9:52AM PDT

was supposed to be easy. Well that hasn’t worked out.

Need to restate ‘goal’ - Replace failing internal hard drive with SSD

Regarding: Use a program like Aomei Partition Assistant to install windows 10 onto the SSD - never done that. Just looking for a way to replace hard drive. I have done many a "clean installations" in the past on "my" computer, that's what I meant to state.

“What I'm using when cloning is not an option is to create the W10 installation media (99.99% of the time it's the USB stick) then boot that stick and install to a blank SSD or HDD. After that, create TWO local login accounts, make them admin capable and then create the user account which could be the email version or local”

Baby steps please, senior citizen moving kind of slow these days.

Step A: Downloaded and installed Windows 10 with media creation tool to usb – Done
1. Do I now need to go into “BIOS”, change boot order so that USB is “first” boot. Reboot computer. Computer will “see” windows 10 setup in USB and start the process of installing windows 10 on the USB. – “OR”
2. Simply click the “setup” file on the USB and it will start the process of installing Windows 10 on the USB
3. After #1 “OR” #2 is done, then “copy” contents of USB to SSD. Then turn off PC, replace internal hard drive with SSD. Reboot and I should be good to go. That is to say, from here will need to reinstall “my” programs and maybe some “drivers”.

“OR”

Step B: With windows 10 on USB, copy contents to SSD. Turn off PC, replace internal hard drive with SSD. Start PC, Windows will see the setup file on the SSD and start a “clean installation”. "OR" will this process cause Windows to see that 'setup' file after every reboot in the future?

Since the ‘goal’ is to: Replace failing internal hard drive with SSD – I don’t understand the following part of your message: After that, create TWO local login accounts, make them admin capable and then create the user account which could be the email version or local”

Again, thanks very much for your assistance

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1,2,3.
Jul 17, 2017 10:01AM PDT

1. Oh, you're going to scream here. The answer is "it depends." Just last week I installed yet another W10 clean and the machine had a boot menu that had me tap F9 and I selected the USB stick I made with Microsoft's Media Creation kit. NOTE that at no time did I see the acronym ISO or image.

I worry that you are doing something non-standard here in regards to creating your W10 install stick.

2. The only time I run setup off the stick was to upgrade a machine from a prior windows or do an inplace upgrade. But we are not doing that here.

3. Copy USB contents to SSD? I've never done that. I let Microsoft's installer do its thing. If you want to try something new, do that and share what happens.

About accounts. I find some create new accounts using Microsoft's email login and that is the only account. Without a admin local account, simple things that could be repaired if you could login are not possible. You may ask why two? Because I always want a backup admin account just in case one gets blown.

Link about local admin account creation for W10 after the install: https://www.howtogeek.com/226540/how-to-create-a-new-local-user-account-in-windows-10/

Post was last edited on July 17, 2017 11:23 AM PDT

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O.K. - maybe I’m not being clear
Jul 17, 2017 11:04AM PDT

Since cloning didn't work.

Is this all I really need to do:

1) Turn off PC – Remove internal hard drive and replace with blank SSD – Yes, it has been formated.
2) Turn on PC – Upon windows start – locate my “downloaded Windows 10 ISO” and run it, and / or use the USB stick with windows 10 on it, and run “that”.

Thanks in advance,

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1. Formatted? That's not good.
Jul 17, 2017 11:26AM PDT

Installing Windows to a formatted disk has derailed many folk. We want a blank no partition unformatted drive. Partitioning and formatting will upset almost every version of Windows during install.

2. Since no PC to date can install from a .ISO file, I have to write there is an error here. We can create install media from .ISO files but in the case of Windows 10 and Microsoft's Media Creation Kit, there was no ISO mentioned ever.

You're getting closer but these 2 items have issues.

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Re: steps
Jul 17, 2017 11:52AM PDT

Step 1 is not necessarily wrong (a partitioned and formatted SSD), but it could be you have to tell the installer to delete everything (those partitions) before proceeding.

Step 2 clearly is wrong since Windows won't start from an empty SSD. You have to use the Windows Media Creation Tool to make a bootable USB-stick and boot from that to automatically start the installer.

Post was last edited on July 17, 2017 11:55 AM PDT

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Re: steps
Jul 17, 2017 12:45PM PDT

1) Burned windows 10 ISO to DVD

2) Go into BIOS and change “BOOT” order – currently: 1) Windows Boot – 2) USB – 3) Internal ODD Device – 4) USB Floppy device – 5) Onboard Nic Device

I’m thinking I should change the boot order to maybe: 1) Internal ODD Device – 2) Windows Boot – 3) USB – 4) USB Floppy device – 5) Onboard Nic Device

3) Reboot – Put DVD with windows 10 into drive

4) Turn off PC – Remove internal hard drive and replace with blank SSD

5) Start PC, DVD should start and Windows 10 installation should proceed from there. If successful, reinstall all my programs and maybe update some drivers.

*** Step 1 is not necessarily wrong (a partitioned and formatted SSD), but it could be you have to tell the installer to delete everything (those partitions) before proceeding. – O.K. I “think” I understand what you mean. Hopefully “it’s” clear somewhere.

*** Saw some ‘data’ recovery software but nothing telling me how to “unformat” an SSD. Should I not worry about this part and just keep in mind what you stated about “those partitions”?

Suggestions, please

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Going down a different path
Jul 17, 2017 2:48PM PDT
http://www.backup-utility.com/download-iso.html

I have no idea if it will work with w10 but it's free.

Download the iso and burn it to a disc.

Boot the disc and select clone OS.

Source hdd, destination ssd.

If it does work you won't need to reload all your progs.
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Saw how to delete a partition on SSD
Jul 18, 2017 7:35AM PDT

Did that - Now most of SSD is "unallocated space". So plan on doing the steps I laid out on my previous post.

Thanks in advance

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Looks good.
Jul 18, 2017 7:53AM PDT

But for #1, it depends on HOW you burned the iso-file to DVD. There's a good way (burn as image), and there's a wrong way (burn as data). Most people do it the wrong way and can't boot from it.

#2 is fine. If there's no OS on the SSD (1) and no bootable USB-stick (2), it will use the ODD device (3) automatically with these settings. So no need to change.

it should work like this!

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Success, except for a few minor issues
Jul 18, 2017 7:40PM PDT

1) I didn't think about a bracket for the SSD. I'll just buy one later and mount it properly, but it "is" a desktop so not much moving around.

2) Can't seem to start Thunderbird, but it seems its a national problem - won't accept password. Will have to wait on that.

3) While I use Firefox, I sometimes use IE 11. That being said can't seem to get the "Favorites" bar to show in IE 11. Works fine on Firefox.

4) Had a problem with "two" operating windows 10 systems at start up, but solved that.

5) PC does boot much faster now with the SSD.

6) Understand I won't be needing to do any "defrag's" what with an SSD - Good

7) Overall the reinstallation of Windows 10 went smoothly.

Any suggestions "now" that I have an SSD?

Thanks again everyone for your help