Booting from SSD

  • Thread starter Thread starter ElJerid
  • Start date Start date
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ElJerid

I have a HD with 2 partitions: C for system (XP Pro) and programs, and D for
data. I installed an 80 GB Intel SSD and copied the partition C to the SSD
using Acronis. Checked the SSD partition and all files from the C disk are
present. Went to bios and changed boot priority from C to SSD. When I
reboot however, I get the message " no valid OS detected..."
What am I doing wrong? Any idea? I searched the net, but didn' t find a
solution.
Thanks for help.
 
ElJerid said:
I have a HD with 2 partitions: C for system (XP Pro) and
programs, and D for data. I installed an 80 GB Intel SSD
and copied the partition C to the SSD using Acronis.
Checked the SSD partition and all files from the C disk
are present. Went to bios and changed boot priority from C
to SSD. When I reboot however, I get the message " no
valid OS detected..." What am I doing wrong? Any idea? I
searched the net, but didn' t find a solution. Thanks for
help.
Click to expand...

Did you create a master boot record on the SSD? Something
like fixmbr or fixboot should do it.
 
Grinder said:
It sounds like you may not have the master boot record copied over. Boot
with an XP disk, and get a command line by using the Repair option. Use
fixmbr to write a suitable mbr on on your SSD.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your help!
MBR could indeed be the problem. Acronis offers the option to copy the mbr,
but doing so resulted in an error while creating the image file. So I
created the image file without this option, but then got the warning: "You
are about to recover a partition containing OS files to an existing
non-active dynamic volume. Activation of dynamic volumes is not supported.
System will be unbootable."
Tomorrow I will try to fix the mbr with the Repair option.
 
In message <[email protected]> "ElJerid"
I have a HD with 2 partitions: C for system (XP Pro) and programs, and D for
data. I installed an 80 GB Intel SSD and copied the partition C to the SSD
using Acronis. Checked the SSD partition and all files from the C disk are
present. Went to bios and changed boot priority from C to SSD. When I
reboot however, I get the message " no valid OS detected..."
What am I doing wrong? Any idea? I searched the net, but didn' t find a
solution.
Click to expand...

One other note, research sector alignment, when you're cloning drives
you're likely to end up with less than ideal sector alignment for a SSD
unless you take special precautions.
 
philo said:
Won't work from a dynamic drive

Do NOT use the dynamic drive option and it should work
as long as the mbr is copied
Click to expand...

I found an option in XP's disk management to convert the (SSD) dynamic drive
to normal active drive.
I reformatted the drive and with Acronis I created a new image of the C on
the SSD. This time I got no warnings during the process. Thus, I thought
things were going better...
But when trying to boot from the SSD, now I receive a BSOD...
Acronis offers the option of copying the mbr or not, and I tried both
options, with the same bsod result.
Still one possibility left: fix the mbr with the recover option, which I
will try next...
 
ElJerid said:
I found an option in XP's disk management to convert the (SSD)
dynamic drive to normal active drive.
I reformatted the drive and with Acronis I created a new image of the
C on the SSD. This time I got no warnings during the process. Thus, I
thought things were going better...
But when trying to boot from the SSD, now I receive a BSOD...
Acronis offers the option of copying the mbr or not, and I tried both
options, with the same bsod result.
Still one possibility left: fix the mbr with the recover option,
which I will try next...
Click to expand...

One other option might be to give the freeware version of XXClone a try. It
too does not work with a dynamic formatted drive like you have already run
into with your current program.

It has the options to make the copy bootable and even copying the Volume ID
if you need to. It can also be told to modify the boot.ini file in the
original drive so the option to boot from the new copy is offered with out
first removing the original hard drive.

You can download or read about it at www.xxclone.com.
 
GlowingBlueMist said:
One other option might be to give the freeware version of XXClone a try.
It
too does not work with a dynamic formatted drive like you have already run
into with your current program.

It has the options to make the copy bootable and even copying the Volume
ID
if you need to. It can also be told to modify the boot.ini file in the
original drive so the option to boot from the new copy is offered with out
first removing the original hard drive.

You can download or read about it at www.xxclone.com.
Click to expand...
Fantastic tip, GlowingBlueMist, this worked at the first trial !!!
The program is very easy to use, fast, and has the required settings to copy
a system disk to a new one. And... it's free.
I spent two days trying to do with Acronis and Ghost what I successfully
achieved here in only 10 minutes !!!
1000 x thanks !
 
ElJerid said:
Fantastic tip, GlowingBlueMist, this worked at the first trial !!!
The program is very easy to use, fast, and has the required settings
to copy a system disk to a new one. And... it's free.
I spent two days trying to do with Acronis and Ghost what I
successfully achieved here in only 10 minutes !!!
1000 x thanks !
Click to expand...

Glad to be of help.

I have been able to use XXClone to copy my "installed" W7 from my laptop and
XP Pro base unit over to what have now become bootable USB backup images of
them. If or rather when the internal hard drive becomes corrupt it will be
much faster restoring things after booting the USB version and reversing the
process. No need to restore to factory and then go through the process of
decrapafying and updating things until it's back to normal.

I plan to upgrade to the purchased version of the program real soon so I
will have the added ability to do incremental backups rather than having the
only option of image copying that the freeware allows.

I use a Thermolake USB/SATA docking station (looks like a toaster) which
allows me to make and keep more than one backup version in storage quite
easily. Pop in "bare" drive and let the program do it's thing then eject it
or leave it depending on what it is being used for. No more installing a
drive into an external chassis just for temporary usage.

Acronis has it's place in the scheme of things, and I have purchased it in
the past for some machines but it looks like XXClone is a real strong
contender for doing the job as well.
 
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