SSD boot problem

Stonelesscutter · March 18, 2021

Help!

I recently installed an M.2 SATA SSD in an empty slot in a laptop. Before that it only had a HDD with Windows 10 installed on it. After failing to clone the HDD to the SSD, I downloaded the Microsoft tool to create a USB Windows installation stick and used it to install Windows 10 on the SSD. Thereafter, upon starting the computer, it would ask to choose between the two Windows installations. Choosing either one worked fine. When choosing the SSD option it would boot up real fast.

The old HDD had 5 partitions, one big one and four tiny ones. I formatted the main partition which had the Windows installation on it. I tried getting rid of the other partitions but couldn't due to restrictions. Still, when starting the computer, it would present the option to choose between the two Windows installations and it would still boot up fine when choosing to boot the SSD version.

Today, I decided I wanted to get rid of those remaining tiny partitions on the HDD. I was hoping it would then no longer present the choice while booting and just boot straight to the SSD Windows installation. When I tried previously, I had already found that using "diskpart" wouldn't do the trick. But now I had found information that if I would boot the computer from the Windows installation USB stick I could get to the command prompt from there and there I COULD use diskpart on the partitions I wanted to get rid of. Sure enough, it worked. Using the "clean" command it erased all remaining partitions on the HDD. This is when shit hit the fan.

Now, when starting the laptop, it no longer finds any boot options at all. The SSD does show in the BIOS as does the HDD. When I go to command prompt all the files are on the SSD.

I've tried messing around in the BIOS settings following suggestions I found on countless threads on the web. Before it was set to UEFI. After disabling PTT I was able to set the boot sequence to legacy instead. Even when I disable everything but the SSD it doesn't see it as a boot device. I've tried every option in the repair section of the Windows USB stick. I've even reinstalled Windows 10 on the empty HDD. (and of course enabled the HDD in the BIOS boot sequence menu) Still I keep getting the same message. "No boot device found. Press any key to reboot the machine".

Now I've put every setting in the BIOS back to the way they were before I started messing with them. Currently it's on UEFI and the only option in the boot sequence menu is "Windows Boot Manager". Suddenly it's booting Windows again, but only on the HDD. It doesn't present the option to choose between the 2 Windows installations anymore.

I am getting a strong vibe that there simply isn't a boot record on the SSD and I don't understand why. I've been searching for answers and haven't found much. I did try using the various "bootrec" commands but either they didn't have any effect (despite giving a success message) or I'm not using them the right way.

Where did I go wrong? What can I do to fix this? All I want is a single Windows install on the SSD that boots.

bmx6454 · March 18, 2021

try reinstalling windows on the ssd with the hdd not connected. if you have both connected when you install windows, it will put some of the files on the hdd, and the install won't work without both connected(at least that's how it is on pc). i'm guessing that when you formatted the hdd, you removed some needed files to boot from the ssd.

Stonelesscutter · March 18, 2021

Just now, bmx6454 said:

try reinstalling windows on the ssd with the hdd not connected. if you have both connected when you install windows, it will put some of the files on the hdd, and the install won't work without both connected(at least that's how it is on pc). i'm guessing that when you formatted the hdd, you removed some needed files to boot from the ssd.

Thanks for this suggestion. I will give this a try as soon as I'm done copying files to an external hard drive for safe keeping.

Stonelesscutter · March 18, 2021

15 hours ago, bmx6454 said:

try reinstalling windows on the ssd with the hdd not connected. if you have both connected when you install windows, it will put some of the files on the hdd, and the install won't work without both connected(at least that's how it is on pc). i'm guessing that when you formatted the hdd, you removed some needed files to boot from the ssd.

Thanks man! This fixed it.