Cloned SSD won't boot? Make Cloned SSD Bootable [5 Ways]

If you've tried every method to upgrade and clone your old HDD to SSD but find the cloned SSD won't boot on your computer, don't worry. Here, we've collected 5 effective ways to make the SSD bootable again in Windows 10/8/7:

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If you're also encountering the same issue and wondering how to fix the SSD won't boot error, then you've come to the right place. This article will explain why a cloned SSD won't boot and provide 5 effective solutions to fix the SSD won't boot after cloning error. Read on.

Reasons - Why won't the cloned SSD boot?

Here's a list of all possible reasons that might explain why your cloned SSD won't boot. If you have any of these, stick around and fix the error immediately with the solutions below:

• The SSD is connected to the computer as an external drive.
• The cloned SSD is not set as the boot disk.
• The BIOS boot mode is incompatible with the SSD.
• The cloning process was damaged or interrupted.
• Incomplete clone, missing boot partition, or boot components.
• The source disk is unbootable.
• The SSD requires specific drivers or firmware.

?More reads: How to Clone Hard Drive with Bootable USB | Samsung SSD Clone Not Booting

Solution - How to Solve the Problem of a Cloned SSD Not Booting and Make the SSD Bootable

The following methods address SSD cloning issues that occur due to specific reasons. Follow the step-by-step guide to get your cloned SSD up and running.

Method 1️⃣: Properly Install the Cloned SSD Using a SATA Cable

Disk cloning software doesn't reliably create bootable external drives over USB; connect the drive to your computer via SATA if possible.

Step 1. Use a SATA cable, not a USB cable.

Step 2: Install the SSD in your computer using a SATA cable, correctly.

Connect the SSD to the motherboard using a SATA cable, like this:

Step Three: Close the case and restart the computer.

If it boots up, congratulations – you're done. If not, proceed to Method 2.

?Read Also:SATA to NVMe Clone Won't Boot

Method 2️⃣: Change the Boot Order in BIOS to Boot from the SSD

If the cloned SSD isn't set as the first boot option in BIOS, your computer won't boot from it. Therefore, you'll need to enter BIOS and change the boot order to set the SSD as the boot disk. Here's how:

Step 1. Restart your computer. While the startup screen is displayed, press F2/F12/DEL repeatedly to enter BIOS.

Step 2: Next, use the arrow keys to select “Boot,” and then choose your cloned SSD as the first boot device.

Step 3: Press F10 to save and exit the BIOS, then restart your computer.

If your computer starts up, congratulations: You've probably fixed the problem.

Note: If your original boot drive is MBR, you will need to set the partition active so that it can boot after cloning. You can fix this in the next method.

Method 3️⃣: Set the System Partition as Active

The system partition needs to be set as active. If the system partition is not set as active, Windows 10 won't boot from the cloned SSD. You can use an easy-to-use Disk Partition Manager in the WinPE environment to set the system partition as active. Here's how:

Step 1: Create a bootable disk, and then boot the computer from it

Restart the computer > Press F2/F8/DEL to enter BIOS > Set the computer to boot from the recovery drive > Restart the computer.

#2. Set the SSD system drive as active

Step 1: Run the partition manager software. Right-click the target partition on the disk map and choose “Advanced”.

Step 2: Then, from the drop-down menu, select “Set as Active.” Click “Yes.” Then choose “Run 1 Task” and click “Apply.”

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Step 3: Set your computer to boot from the cloned SSD

Restart the computer > Press F2/F8/Del to enter BIOS > Set the computer to boot from the cloned SSD > Restart the computer

Your computer should then boot from the cloned SSD, and you can carry on as if all your files had been cloned onto the new drive.

Method 4️⃣: Clone the hard drive to an SSD

An incomplete clone or a failed clone can result in an unbootable SSD. Also, if the boot partition is not cloned, the cloned hard drive will not boot.

A reliable disk cloning software, such as the Disk Copy Tool, can redo the disk cloning process to ensure that the cloned drive is bootable after the HDD to SSD clone.

The main features of the utility Disk Copy are:

• Supports intelligent and automatic disk layout.
• Supports cloning of USB drives, external hard drives, HDDs, and SSDs.
• Compatible with almost all types of HDD and SSD brands.
• Create a portable USB to carry your Windows wherever you go.
• Automatically resize partitions during cloning process.
• Clone a hard drive with bad sectors.
• Supports sector-by-sector cloning.

Advance notice:

• Sector-by-sector clone requires the target disk to be the same size or larger than the source disk. Uncheck this option if you want to clone a larger hard drive to a smaller one. • All data on the target disk will be erased. Proceed with caution.

Step 1: To start copying/ cloning the entire disk to another disk, select the disk in this Disk Mode, and click “Next”.

Step 2: Select another disk as the target disk.

Step 3: Check the partition layout on both disks. You can choose to "Adapt to target disk", "Same as source disk", or "Edit partition layout" to customize the partition layout on the target disk.

• "Auto-Adjust for Disk" makes some modifications to the target disk layout by default to optimize it. • "Copy as on Source Disk" doesn't change anything on the target disk, and its layout remains the same as the source disk. • "Edit Disk Layout" allows you to manually adjust/move the partition layout on the target disk.

Check Optimize for SSD if your target drive is an SSD to ensure best performance.

A warning message appears, telling you that your data will be lost. Confirm this by clicking OK, and then click Next.

Step 4: Click “Proceed” to actually carry out the task.

After that, you can:

4. Repeat Method 1 or Method 2 to install the cloned SSD correctly in your computer and set it as the boot drive. 5. Restart your computer, and the SSD should boot up successfully.

Method 5️⃣: Customize one-on-one service to make the cloned SSD bootable

If you've tried all four methods above, but your SSD still won't boot, or the cloned SSD black screens and won't start up, you may have a more serious problem on your hands.

You can reach out to the support team of the tool as soon as possible, and they can assist you through one-on-one remote support.

If the cloned SSD fails to boot, stay calm and follow the solutions to make it bootable.

On this page, we've rounded up 5 reliable methods to help you fix the cloned SSD won't boot issue. Which method is the best to make the cloned SSD bootable again?

Editor's note:

4. Install the SSD correctly using Method 1 or Method 2, and set it as the boot drive. 5. If your operating system disk is in MBR format, activate the SSD system drive as described in Method 3. 6. After this, your computer should boot from the new SSD. 7. If it still fails to start up properly, try cloning again using a disk cloning tool.

FAQs on Cloning SSD and Unable to Boot

1. Can a cloned hard drive boot?

If you made an image backup of your entire hard drive, you can clone the hard drive to another and it will still boot. Remember that the target disk must be the same size or larger than the source disk. If you only cloned the partition that held the operating system, it may not boot unless special software was used or extra steps were taken.

2. How to make my SSD bootable after cloning?

After cloning, you'll need to do a couple of things to make your SSD bootable. Restart your computer and press the key to open the boot device selection menu. Choose the drive you want to boot from, which should be your SSD in this case. If your BIOS doesn't have such a menu, consult its documentation to find out which key to press. After selecting the drive, it should boot from your SSD.