Activating a machine with two storage devices running two separate operating systems
Activating a machine with two storage devices running two separate operating systems
I've encountered this issue before, and I'm trying to understand what's going on to prevent it from happening again. Here are the two situations that occurred.
First, some time ago, after upgrading my computer, I passed my old one to my nephew. Not remembering that the original machine still had Windows installed, I attempted to install it on his new system using a USB drive. When I connected both drives, Windows would only boot when both were present simultaneously. Eventually, I removed his SSD, wiped it, and used the Windows 10 installation media to set it up.
Second, about a month prior, my old SSD ran out of space. I replaced it with a larger one and cloned everything using Macrium Reflect. Everything functioned perfectly afterward. Recently, while installing a fresh Windows on my new SSD, I realized it still retained all the data from the cloned files. I thought removing it would be unnecessary, but then I reformatted it and restarted. The computer blue-screened and failed to boot. Attempts to repair Windows were unsuccessful. I ended up creating a clean Windows installation on the old SSD, which now runs in its own fresh setup. I have access to my previous files and programs, but I'm unsure what steps to take next.
I'm seeking guidance on how this might be resolved safely. System details: Windows 10 64-bit, AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, Asus ROG Strix X570-E, 32 GB RAM, 16 GB SSD, RTX 3080 Ti, and a few other components.
You verified the boot sequence in your BIOS settings? If you can access BIOS, it might be attempting to start from a device with missing or corrupted files and becoming stuck. Prioritizing the boot drive at the top in BIOS could resolve this issue. This is my current thought.