Can't start Windows 7 after cloning HDD
- by Paul
Brief description:
cloned HDD1 - HDD2
HDD1 partition 1 boots
HDD1 partition 2 boots
HDD2 partition 1 boots
HDD2 partition 2 doesn't boot Windows, but is bootable in general
Now verbosely:
In all the cases computer is the same.
I have two Windows 7 installations on HDD1 - both are booting fine. I choose between them using standard Windows 7 boot loader menu. Technically there are 4 partitions: 100 MB Boot loader partition (active), Windows 7 copy 1 (25 GB), Windows 7 copy 2 (150 GB) and Working partition. All are primary.
In past few days I tried to clone the whole HDD1 to HDD2 of the same size (but 2,5 inch form factor) as is using Minitool Partition wizard. Everything has been copied, all files are accessible, no faults in file system structure, even boot loader wasn't damaged and I hadn't to repair it.
But I can boot only first installation of Windows 7 (it boots without issues). When I choose the second installation, I get immediately a completely black screen without any texts, cursors and other data. HDD isn't accessed after that. This black screen is sensitive to Ctrl-Alt-Delete which causes computer reboot.
I did some experimenting: Installed Windows 7 to that partition - it booted fine. Then I renamed "Windows" to "Windows.old" and copied Windows directory from HDD1 as it was, using Far Manager, and got the same troubles - black screen. (Of course I performed renaming and copying from other copy of Windows). So, it seems that problems are inside this installation of Windows, somewhere in its files.
