Prerequisite |
Description |
Computer used: |
UEFI-only laptop with Startup Manager (boot volume can be selected on boot) |
Clone source: |
Laptop's internal AHCI SSD (soldered to motherboard), 500 GB |
Clone destination: |
Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1 TB connected to laptop via 2.5” SSD USB 3.0 Enclosure (USB to ATA/ATAPI Bridge) |
Cloning software: |
Macrium Reflect 8 Workstation run via Windows PE Recovery USB (created by Macrium Reflect 8) |
Special conditions: |
Since internal SSD is non-removable and source Windows 10 installation is required to be kept, it's required that cloned Windows 10 boots from external SSD while the clone source is still present |
Steps taken
- Prepare clone destination disk's volumes by connecting destination disk to souce disk running Windows 10 and executing (can be done via Disk Management, I'll keep it simple since it requires less explanation):
DISKPART
LIST DISK
External SSD disk number is 1
SELECT DISK 1
CLEAN
CONVERT GPT
CREATE PARTITION EFI SIZE=100
LIST PARTITION
SELECT PARTITION 2
Select EFI partiton
FORMAT FS=FAT32 QUICK
SELECT DISK 1
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
SELECT PARTITION 3
Select Windows partition
FORMAT QUICK
ASSIGN LETTER Z:
EXIT
- Boot to Macrium Reflet 8 and clone only Windows partiton from source to destination, don't change partiton size upon cloning
- Boot back to souce disk running Windows 10, reassign letters to clone destination volumes
DISKPART
LIST DISK
External SSD disk number is 1
SELECT DISK 1
LIST PARTITION
SELECT PARTITION 2
Select EFI partition
ASSIGN LETTER Y:
SELECT PARTITION 3
Select Windows partition
ASSIGN LETTER Z:
EXIT
- Apply boot data to EFI volume of clone destination drive by
BCDBOOT Z:\Windows /S Y: /F ALL
- Boot to Startup Manager and select clone destination volume to boot from
Result
- Windows 10 boot logo appears
- LED indicator on SSD enclosure starts blinking
- Then loading Windows indicator (cirlce of animated circles) appears
- LED indicator on SSD enclosure stops blinking and turns off while Windows loading indicator keeps animating for extra minute or so
- Then computer reboots without any error screens
- Loop
I've attempted to use all
bcdedit.exe
fixes (like /fixboot
, etc.) on the clone destination volume from Windows PE, didn't help. I've also attempted to fix this by using DISM /RestoreHealth
on external SSD volume with specifying clone source volume as source (complete command is DISM /Image:D:\ /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:\Windows
executed in Windows PE, volumes are correct). All commands complete successfully but the result is still a boot loop.
Further testing steps taken
The destination drive has been prepared as in steps 1 & 3. Then same Windows 10 version as clone source was installed to SSD in enclosure using DISM executed from clone source running Windows 10 using DISM /Apply-Image /ImageFile:install.wim /Index:1 /ApplyDir:Z:
. After that EFI boot data was added to external SSD using the same command from step 4, BCDBOOT Z:\Windows /S Y: /F ALL
. Upon booting from external SSD the Windows Setup finalization starts and after completing OOBE quiz the new installation runs perfectly from external SSD. No additional drivers added, no additional steps taken.
Question
According to this forum thread, normal internal SATA install, that was cloned to a USB device, will not boot. My experimentation results comply to forum thread warning. However since it's been a while and there's not much information I could find, I'd like to make it clear if it's totally impossible or I'm missing something.
P.S. In case somebody dug into this matter, my ultimate goal will be cloning Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 the same way. I just happen to have everything Windows 10 (Windows PE, ISO, etc.) up and running for testing.