windows 10 to 7 with new ssd

[overbet]

This question is actually for a work desktop machine. I bought a Dell XPS desktop that came with windows 10 pro. It is a work computer and I need to get windows 7 pro on it instead. The machine came with a HDD. I want to put windows 7 pro on a new ssd and use the hdd that came with the xps as backup storage.

I bought a new SSD and cloned a copy of the machine this one is to replace onto the new SSD. I am struggling to get the machine to boot the cloned drive. The clone drive booted in other machines without issue and I tested a lot of programs and everything worked perfect. The new xps is reading the cloned drive in the bios, but it wont boot to it. I am unsure what settings I need to apply in the bios such as Legacy or UEFI, AHCI or raid, secure boot or load legacy boot?

When I try different settings I get an error that says "Boot failure on device, press any key to reboot"

Anybody have any idea what I need to do here?

 

[SkyNetRising]

You cloned windows 10 from old HDD to SSD and it doesn't boot. Did I understand it right?
Can you post screenshot from Disk Management, when booted from HDD and with SSD in the system?

 

[dorsai]

You will need to select the new SSD drive on the boot menu in the BIOS so it knows which drive to boot from.

If that doesn't work then read through this link and follow the instructions to rebuild the boot menu on the new disk...

http/www.disk-partition.com/windows-10/fix-mbr-windows-10-0708.html

 

[13thmonkey]

when you cloned it, what precisely did you clone, how many partitions and which ones?

 

[overbet]

Hi sorry if I lacked clarification. I have an old windows 7 pro machine. I cloned that onto a new ssd. I put that cloned copy into a couple other like machines including the one it was cloned from and it ran fine without any issues. I pointed this out to show I am pretty sure its nothing to do with the new cloned ssd. The clone crated an exact copy with 2 partitions one being the small disk space used for system files that is automatically created by windows when you do a clean install.

I am trying to get that clone to be the primary operating system and boot drive for a new xps that came with windows 10 pro. I disconnected the factory hdd that came with the xps and installed only the cloned ssd. I cant get it to boot the cloned ssd even though I was able to get it to boot in a couple other machines that are already similarly configured.

I could be wrong, but I assume it has something to do with the bios settings configuration and changing that from telling the system to boot the the new ssd, but the only option shown to choose is windows boot manage when I choose the UEFI option from the boot list option or if I choose Legacy as the boot list option I can choose hard drive as the boot option, but I couldnt get either option to not give the boot error.

 

[13thmonkey]

what were the CPU's of each of the machines involved in this. It is very rare to simply move a hdd to a new machine and have windows just work.

 

[overbet]

The older machine is i7 4770K and the newer machine is i7 7700. I have done this before, but only on same operating systems, windows 7, and only on ssd to ssd thats why I was thinking it had something to do with the bios settings.

You will need to select the new SSD drive on the boot menu in the BIOS so it knows which drive to boot from.

The problem is it doesnt allow me to select the new ssd. I can see it in the overall settings in the bios listed as the primary hdd, but the only option to select in the boot preferences is windows boot manager. If I hook both the factory hdd and the new ssd it boots the factory hdd with windows 10 and I am able to use the new ssd as storage.

I am pretty familiar with windows 7, but have no experience with windows 10. I have a lot of custom software that I need to use for work that was written to run on windows 7 so I am not ready to get into having everything converted over.

 

[13thmonkey]

The older machine is i7 4770K and the newer machine is i7 7700. I have done this before, but only on same operating systems, windows 7, and only on ssd to ssd.

There is no reason that it should work without issues, never mind the licensing concerns. You are moving between chipsets, between architectures of cpus, it won't work.

 

[overbet]

I have purchased new licenses already. I need to do 3 machines like this and I got a 4 pack of licenses on ebay. Are you saying it is not possible? I would just like to get it to boot. I can work out the driver issues later. I should be able to get it to boot no?

 

[13thmonkey]

I have purchased new licenses already. I need to do 3 machines like this and I got a 4 pack of licenses on ebay. Are you saying it is not possible? I would just like to get it to boot. I can work out the driver issues later. I should be able to get it to boot no?

Just make the installation media and install from scratch on the target machine.

 

[overbet]

I wish I could do a clean install, but the problem is my programmer is back at college and I dont have access to him. I have a lot of programs that he created for me over the years that are path dependent and only run on the older machines.

I ordered these computers a month ago and they were supposed to arrive while he was still here and he was going to transition everything over for me, but the machines got delayed and didnt arrive until yesterday when he was already gone. So cloning them is the only solution I currently have.

 

[13thmonkey]

I wish I could do a clean install, but the problem is my programmer is back at college and I dont have access to him. I have a lot of programs that he created for me over the years that are path dependent and only run on the older machines.

I ordered these computers a month ago and they were supposed to arrive while he was still here and he was going to transition everything over for me, but the machines got delayed and didnt arrive until yesterday when he was already gone. So cloning them is the only solution I currently have.

Make a backup, try sysprep.

 

[overbet]

I dont know what that is, but I will read up on it now. Pretty desperate. Thank you for the suggestions.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Can you get that Disk Management screenshot (with both drives in the system)?

 

[overbet]

Can you get that Disk Management screenshot (with both drives in the system)?

The ssd clone are drives G & H

 

[SkyNetRising]

OS on HDD is installed in UEFI mode.
OS on SSD is in legacy mode.

Remove HDD from system,
change BIOS to legacy boot (it might also be called CSM),
set boot priority - SSD first,
set sata controller mode to same value that worked on other PCs.

 

[overbet]

OS on HDD is installed in UEFI mode.
OS on SSD is in legacy mode.

Remove HDD from system,
change BIOS to legacy boot (it might also be called CSM),
set boot priority - SSD first,
set sata controller mode to same value that worked on other PCs.

I tried those things. I cant select the ssd by name like I have done in the past. I can only select hard drive as an option when in Legacy mode. When I try booting this way I get the other pic posted.

 

[overbet]

The bios settings on the machine where the cloned drive originated is ACHI and for os type it is set to windows UEFI in the secure boot menu.

 

[SkyNetRising]

There has to be another setting in BIOS, that specifies which HDD is used, when booting from a hard drive.

If you can't make it boot in legacy mode, you can redo the cloning so it becomes UEFI bootable.
To do that:
1. clean SSD;
2. convert it to GPT;
3. make EFI system partition 100MB fat32;
4. clone OS partition to SSD (partition to partition clone mode);
5. use bcdboot command to fix bootloader on EFI system partition.

 

[overbet]

Thank you. I will give it a try in the morning. Surrendering for tonight. It won the first round. I just read this and think I might be screwed.

http/www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3346553/intel-7th-gen-support-windows.html