Cloned SSD Won't Boot? Make Cloned SSD Bootable [6 Ways]

Don't worry if the cloned SSD won't boot on Windows 11/10/8/7. On this page, you'll learn the symptoms of a cloned SSD that won't boot, the reasons why SSD is not booting, and how to make SSD bootable in 6 powerful ways.

Don't worry if you tried all means to upgrade and clone old HDD to SSD, but it turned out the cloned SSD won't boot on your computer. Here we've collected 6 effective ways that will make SSD bootable again in Windows 11/10/8/7: 

Causes - Why Is Cloned SSD Not Booting

Here is a list of all possible reasons that can explain why the SSD won't boot after cloning. If you have any one of them, stay here and follow the fixes below to get rid of this error immediately :

• The SSD is connected to the PC as an external disk. 
• The cloned SSD is not set as the boot disk.
• BIOS boot mode is incompatible with the SSD.
• The disk cloning process was corrupted or interrupted.
• Incomplete clones, missing boot partitions, or boot components.
• The source disk is unbootable.
• The SSD needs specific drivers, etc.

🔥Further Reading: No Operating System Found After Cloning| Samsung SSD Clone Not Booting

Solutions - How to Fix Cloned SSD Won't Boot Issue, Make SSD Bootable

The following methods are bound to resolve SSD not working after cloning for particular reasons. Follow the step-by-step guides to make the cloned SSD boot normally.

Method 1️⃣. Correctly Install the Cloned SSD with a SATA Cable

The disk clone software does not guarantee that the external disk can boot smoothly when using a USB cable. It is best to connect devices to a computer via SATA.

Step 1. Use a SATA cable instead of a USB connection cable.

Step 2. Install the SSD to the computer correctly via the SATA cable.

Step 3. Close the computer case and restart the computer.

If the SSD boots up, congratulations. Your problem gets resolved. If not, continue with Method 2. 

📌Extend reading: Clone SATA TO NVMe Won't Boot

Method 2️⃣. Change Boot Order in BIOS, Make SSD Bootable as the Boot Disk

If the cloned SSD is not set to be the first boot option in BIOS, your computer won't boot from it. Therefore, you need to access BIOS and change the boot order to set SSD as the boot disk. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Restart the PC. When the startup screen appears, constantly press F2/F12/DEL to enter BIOS.

Step 2. Next, use the arrow key to choose the Boot tap and select the cloned SSD as the first boot option. 

Step 3. Press F10 to save and exit BIOS. And restart your computer. 

Wait patiently, and if your computer boots up, congratulations. The problem gets resolved. 

Note that, if your original boot disk is MBR, you'll need to set the partition active to make the SSD bootable after clone. And you can fix this issue in the next Method.

Method 3️⃣. Set the System Partition as an Active Partition

The system partition should be set as the active partition. If the system partition is not set as an active partition, Windows 10 can't boot from cloned SSD. You can set the system partition as an active partition with an easy-to-use partition manager in the WinPE environment. Here is how to do it:

#1. Create a bootable disk and boot PC from it

Reboot PC > Press F2/F8/Del to enter BIOS > Set PC to boot from EaseUS bootable Disk > Reboot PC.

#2. Set SSD system drive as active

Step 1. Run EaseUS partition manager software. On the disk map, right-click the target partition and choose "Advanced".

Step 2. Then, select "Set Active" from the drop-down menu. Click "Yes".  And choose "Execute 1 Task(s)" and click "Apply".

#3. Set PC to boot from cloned SSD

Reboot PC > Press F2/F8/Del to enter BIOS > Set PC to boot from the cloned SSD > Reboot PC

After this, your computer should be able to boot up from the cloned SSD and you can make use of all cloned files on the new disk again.

Method 4️⃣. Re-Clone HDD to SSD

An incomplete clone or clone failure will cause the cloned SSD to not boot. Besides, if you haven't cloned the boot partition, the cloned hard drive will not be able to boot either.

Reliable disk cloning software - EaseUS Disk Copy can re-execute the disk cloning process, guaranteeing you the cloned hard disk bootable after the HDD to SSD clone.

Key Features of EaseUS Disk Copy

• Support smart and automatic disk layout.
• Support clone USB, external hard drive, HDD, and SSD.
• Compatible with almost all types and brands of HDDs and SSDs.
• Create a Portable USB to take your Windows anywhere.
• Automatically resize partitions while cloning.
• Cloning hard drive with bad sectors.
• Supports sector-by-sector cloning.

Prior Notice:

• The "Sector by sector copy" asks the size of your destination disk to be at least equal to or larger than that of the source disk. Leave this feature unchecked if you wish to clone a larger hard disk to a smaller hard disk.
• All data on the destination disk will be completely erased, so take care.

Step 1. To start copying/cloning an entire disk to another, choose this disk as the source disk under "Disk Mode" and click "Next".

Step 2. Choose the other disk as the destination disk.

Step 3. Check the disk layout of the two disks. You can manage the disk layout of the destination disk by selecting "Autofit the disk", "Copy as the source" or "Edit disk layout". 

• "Autofit the disk" makes some changes by default on the destination disk layout so that it can work at its best status.
• "Copy as the source"does not change anything on destination disk and the layout is the same as source disk.
• "Edit disk layout" allows you to manually resize/move partition layout on this destination disk.

Tick the "Check the option if the target is SSD" option to put your SSD in its best performance.

A message now appears, warning you that data will be lost. Please confirm this message by clicking "OK" and then click "Next".

Step 4. Click "Proceed" to officially execute the task.

After this, you may:

• Repeat Method 1 and Method 2 to install the cloned SSD correctly into your computer and set it as the boot drive.
• Then, reboot the PC, and the SSD will boot up successfully.

Method 5️⃣. Boot Into Safe Mode

If you have tried all the ways above, and none of them works, another way you can try is to boot into Safe Mode, which is very effective according to many users with the same issues. Now, let's see how to do it with steps:

Step 1. If you have both the source disk and cloned SSD connected to your computer, disconnect the source disk.

Step 2. Boot into the Safe Mode. (Specific Step: Restart your computer multiple times until the Automatic Repair shows up, then select Advanced Option to enter winPE. Then click Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart > Enable Safe Mode.)

Step 3. Once it boots in Safe Mode, just restart again to boot in Normal Mode. Now the problem should be fixed now.

Method 6️⃣. Customize 1-to-1 Service to Make Cloned SSD Bootable

If you've tried all the above four methods, but the SSD is still not booting, or the cloned SSD won't boot with a black screen, you are now with a really tricky problem.

You can contact EaseUS's technical support team and let them help you via 1-to-1 remote assistance as soon as possible.

Stay Calm If Cloned SSD Won't Boot, Follow Fixes to Make SSD Bootable

On this page, we collected 6 reliable methods that work to help you fix the cloned SSD won't boot error. To make the cloned SSD bootable again, which method is the best?

📖Here is Editor's Pick:

1. Follow Method 1 and Method 2 to correctly install SSD and set it as a boot drive.
2. If the OS disk was MBR, follow Method 3 to set the SSD OS drive as active.
3. After this, your computer should be able to boot up from the new SSD now.
4. If it's still not working, re-do the clone with EaseUS Disk Copy.

FAQ on Cloned SSD Won't Boot

1. Will a cloned disk be bootable?

If you have made an image backup of your entire hard drive, you can clone the drive to another one, and it will be bootable. Remember that you need to ensure the destination disk is the same size or larger than the source disk. If you only clone a drive partition containing your operating system, it probably won't be bootable unless you use special software or perform additional steps.

2. How do I make my SSD bootable after cloning?

You need to do a few things to make your SSD bootable after cloning. Restart your PC, and press the key that opens the boot-device selection menu for your computer. Select the drive you want to boot from, which in this case is probably your SSD. If your BIOS does not have such a menu, check its documentation to see which key to press. Once you've selected the drive, it should boot from your SSD.