Windows fails to start due to missing SSD storage.
Windows fails to start due to missing SSD storage.
Today I cleaned my PC and planned to restart it. It’s still running Windows 10, so I thought about switching to Windows 11 for newer features. But upgrading isn’t possible because my drives aren’t UEFI. When I tried to change them, I was confused about why that wouldn’t work. A few years ago, I upgraded storage with an M.2 drive and moved the OS from my original SSD to the M.2 slot. The reserved partition stayed on the SSD, so now I can only boot from it, not from the M.2 drive. I’ve tried many solutions, mainly fixing the boot manager using this guide: https://woshub.com/how-to-rebuild-bcd-fi...s-10/#h2_4. It didn’t help, and I’m feeling stuck. In the image you can see my disk manager and the setup. I’m hoping someone can assist me.
The issue is that the bootloader stayed on the older storage device—which could have been prevented by creating a clone of the entire disk in a sector-by-sector manner. Before proceeding, it's advised to back up your drives. Here’s a suggested approach: Reduce the OS partition (on the M.2 NVME) and position it as close as possible to the 500MB partition on the same drive. Ensure there are no gaps between partitions and that the OS partition is positioned behind the 500MB one. Use Macrium Reflect to perform a sector-by-sector clone, using only the 50MB (bootloader) partition as the source and the unused space on the M.2 as the destination. Then, expand the OS partition so there’s no empty space between the 50MB bootloader and the OS partition—both should reside on the M.2 now. Once this is set up, run a test. If the bootloader functions correctly but has problems, you can use Easy BCD to modify its contents and adjust settings as needed.
What I would do is save any important files to a different storage device. Then take the device away from the computer. Take out one of the two drives, preferably the smaller or quicker one. Windows doesn’t require much space to function well. This helps the system understand its location more clearly. Installing Windows is straightforward. Turn off the computer completely. Reconnect the second drive and after restart, format it to erase any leftover data before proceeding.
It refers to ensuring that each partition has a complete boundary with no gaps or unconnected sections.
I don’t have the ability to change the drive where the system reserved its partition. That means it wouldn’t be a viable solution.
Get GParted, set it up on a USB drive, and try it out. While there are similar programs available, I know this one best.