Boot from Nvme Aspire XC-885

Johnfortune
Johnfortune Member Posts: 7

Tinkerer
edited October 2021 in Aspire and Veriton Desktops
I have an Aspire XC-885 with the latest BIOS installed. I cloned Windows from a working SSD onto a Nvme but cannot boot from this cloned Nvme drive.
I get a blue screen giving me options to repair., but nothing works. The BIOS is set to boot from the Nvme.
Any ideas?

Answers

  • ttttt
    ttttt Member Posts: 1,947 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    @Johnfortune

    Please tell us in more details how and what you used to clone the NVMe drive. 

    Were you cloning a drive with higher capacity to a smaller capacity NVMe dive?

    You can try the Win 10 Create System Image method with an external or another internal HDD/SSD, since your first clone failed.
  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,680 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    If the Windows was cloned from another computer then it may come up with a blue screen as the keys won't match. 
  • Johnfortune
    Johnfortune Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer
    Interesting replies, thank you.
    I have been using Easyus Partition Master to carry out the OS migration.
    After migrating the OS from a hard drive onto an Nvme I could not see it (the Nvme) in the Boot list.
    I could see the OS on the Nvme using File Manager - the file size was identical so I assumed the migration had worked.
    I then cloned the OS onto an SSD. That worked without any problems and I am now using the SSD as the boot drive. Everything works as expected.
    After updating to the latest BIOS the Nvme appeared in the Boot list and can be set as the Boot drive.
    However. when the Nvme is set as the boot drive I get the Blue Screen offering me 3 options - none of which work.
  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,680 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    I wonder if you unhook all other internal hard drives to see what happens ?

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,219 Trailblazer
    edited October 2021
    My guess is the clone process didn't go right. With the cloned drive connected as a second drive, boot to the original drive and fire up Disk Management. Let's compare the partitions on the two drives. If cloned correctly the all partitions will be there and only the system partition (C: drive) will have changed in size. Share the appropriate portions of a screen shot.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • Johnfortune
    Johnfortune Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer

    This is a screen shot of the two drives now. When first cloned the Nvme was exacly the same size but had the difference as unalocated space.
    When the Nvme would not boot I resized the partition to include the unalocated portion - hence the different size now.
    The file sizes on the two disks are also now different because I have added to the working SSD.
    One other thing I have remembered - althoguh the DVD drive works in both read and write the pc will not boot from it.
    The drive appears in the boot menu but I've tried several bootable disks - none work.
    I've also tried to boot from USB, but there is no USB in the Boot menu and "Removable" does nothing.
  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,680 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    This is an old link but I've seen this lately . "The NVMe M.2 drive should be the only storage drive connected"

    https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/cant-boot-from-m-2-nvme-ssd.3365143/
  • ttttt
    ttttt Member Posts: 1,947 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    @Johnfortune

    I have nothing to add other than advising to only leaving the new NVMe SSD intact or trying to clone again, this time with the Win 10 Create System Image method or other cloning software.

    Don't forget to load optimized defaults (F9) then save and exit (F10) in BIOS before booting to the newly cloned NVMe drive.
  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,680 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-installation-media-for-windows-99a58364-8c02-206f-aa6f-40c3b507420d

    Creating an USB Windows Installation Disk is the simplest in my opinion. Then copy your data files to the NVME SSD but you will have to re-install store bought programs and add on apps.. 
    Note that the internet has to be operable and it takes an hour or so to create but it is a MUST HAVE in your desk drawer.  
  • Johnfortune
    Johnfortune Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer
    Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. Each one made sense against my (limited) pc knowledge, but nothing worked.
    I have concluded that there is something wrong with the motherboard because 1) the front USB port does not work and 2) it will not boot from iether the DVD drive or any of the USB ports (all of the others work and I have a card in the PCIe 1 slot to a USB 3 socket).
    Thanks again to everyone, but I give up. Boot time from the SSD is under a minute anyway.

  • lubu
    lubu Member Posts: 29 Enthusiast WiFi Icon
    I use Samsung clone software, it is 100% no problem
    you have remove the OLD SSD from your PC, after you clone it.
    it cannot BOTH plugged in the system and boot after cloned.
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,219 Trailblazer
    Those partitions aren't the stock ones, but the missing ones are just the recovery environment and image, so it should be OK. The EFI should be 100MB instead of 102MB, but again I don't see an issue with that. It should be able to boot from USB or ODD, but the source needs to be a UEFI image, so no old Hiren's CD or such. If you have Secure Boot disabled and F12 Boot Menu enabled in the BIOS then you just hit F12 at the start and you should be presented with all bootable devices.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • Johnfortune
    Johnfortune Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer
    Thanks for all the advice.
    I did eventually succeed.
    The sequence of events was
    1) I tried three different clone apps, Each time I used EaseUS Partition to completely clear the Nvme and each time after the clone the pc displayed the blue screen.
    2) I upgraded Windows 10 to a beta version of Wndows 11.
    3) I used EasyUs again, cleared the Nvme and cloned what was now Windows 11.
    4) The pc booted from the Nvme and has worked flawlessly since.
    I now must decide what to do next, because as the XC-885 does not have TPM I cannot use the final version of Windows 11.
    "bloody computers eh!"
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,219 Trailblazer
    There is no reason to clear the new drive before the cloning process. The clone wipes it and replaces everything with what's on the source drive.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • Johnfortune
    Johnfortune Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer
    I'm sure you are right, but in the past I have often ended up with several hidden partitions on the drive. I assumed some of them were from previous OS instalations.
    Anyway, I am pleased to report that I have been able to bypass the "No TPM" restriction and now have a full version of Windows 11 running perfectly on the Acer from the Nvme.
    One final note - my personal view on Windows 11 is "go for it". I have enjoyed using the beta version of Windows 11 on my main computer for some time. so when it was updated to the final version I wanted it on my Acer ---   so



  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,219 Trailblazer
    The issue is that currently if you do any of the hacks that allow W11 to run without a TPM, they disable your ability to download any updates. That's OK for testing an OS (which is what they created the hack for) but no good for running in a live environment.
    And the cloning process writes a clone of the original drive, so if you ended up with extra partitions on the new drive it means the original drive also had extra partitions. A typical Windows install creates four partitions...
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • Johnfortune
    Johnfortune Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer
    I am no expert, and I have read that updates are disabled without TPM, but for now at least, updates are comming through and are installing.

    As for cloning, all I know is that in the pastI I have ended up with six hidden partitiions instead of the usual three, not sure why but I do know if I clear all of the partitions befoe the clone it clones accurately.

  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,680 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    Do you think that I should get WIN 11 now or wait till some bugs are exposed ?
    I have a TC-895-UA92 that is supposedly ready. 
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,219 Trailblazer
    Unless you want to be the first on your block to have it I'd just wait for Microsoft to push it out to your model. They gate the delivery on access to stable W11 drivers, so it can sometimes takes weeks before they offer it to you. I've updated four of my machines here, and three of them are running great. The fourth, on the other hand...
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.

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