Cloning Windows 11 and Getting it to Boot: Difference between revisions

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**Switching between RAID (Intel or other software based RAID), AHCI, IDE for SATA (or IDE / PATA) is much easier in Windows 11 (see below)

== BCDBoot Command ==

==BCDBoot Command==

It seems like cloning software lives to not be able to clone the Boot Folder properly. Or Microsoft has done something to make it very difficult to clone the Boot (or EFI) Folder properly.

To fix a Partition's 'boot information' (not just the BCD File): '''bcdboot c:\Windows /l en-us /s c: /f ALL /v''' (choose the language of your choice, just to make sure the bcdboot command gets it right.)

* ...right after the bcdboot command is the C:\Windows: This is where the 'source' files are (IE, what the bcdboot command copies to the destination)

*...right after the bcdboot command is the C:\Windows: This is where the 'source' files are (IE, what the bcdboot command copies to the destination)

* /s: The Partition / Volume where the information is to be written, as identified by a drive letter (If a Volume / Partition hasn't been assigned a drive letter, use the DISKPART command to assign a drive letter: https://winaero.com/change-drive-letter-windows-10/, or any other number of websites with a how to on the subject )

*/s: The Partition / Volume where the information is to be written, as identified by a drive letter (If a Volume / Partition hasn't been assigned a drive letter, use the DISKPART command to assign a drive letter: https://winaero.com/change-drive-letter-windows-10/, or any other number of websites with a how to on the subject )

* /f: What BCD information to create / write (IE, MBR or UEFI or both (ALL))

*/f: What BCD information to create / write (IE, MBR or UEFI or both (ALL))

* /v: Verbose, IE display the 'log file' as it's doing things. Don't worry about errors it displays, as long as at the end it says 'succeeded'.

*/v: Verbose, IE display the 'log file' as it's doing things. Don't worry about errors it displays, as long as at the end it says 'succeeded'.

...from: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/bcdboot-command-line-options-techref-di?view=windows-11

==Fast Boot (not to be confused with Ready Boost)==

==Fast Boot (not to be confused with Ready Boost) and HiberFile==

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-disable-windows-10-fast-startup

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==Metro Boot Menu (from Windows 8)==

Instead of the clunky Text based boot menu, you can have a cool Windows 8 "tile looking" boot menu. The down side is that it comes up later in the boot process than the text menu. So if there's an issue with any partitions on a disk drive, you might never make it to that menu to select an option before the computer crashes. Play it safe and keep the text based menu.

==Other Stop You in Your Track Issues and their Solutions==

There are many, many reasons Windows will find not to boot. Here are just a couple of odd solutions;

==== MBR and UEFI Motherboards ====

If you've got a BOOT and EFI Folder / Directory on a Partition, watch out for a common hole to fall into for systems that boot MBR and UEFI. Remember, both the BOOT (for MBR) and EFI (for UEFI booting) have BCD files. If you're trying to boot via MBR and haven't modified the EFI BCD File, a system might fool you into a frustrating situation if it's booting from the EFI BCD file instead of the BOOT (MBR) BCD file. Manually select the boot device (F12 key on many systems), just to make sure.

====Plain Cloning via Acronis (or some other software) or using USB Duplicator Bay====

If Windows won't boot, use a boot CD to re-build / re-create the BSD information (MBR or U'EFI). The Windows installation DVD / ISO can be used. OR, one of several WinPE boot CDs out there (descendants of BartPE) like Hirem's Boot CD with a visual BCD Utility like EasyBSD or BootIce.

====Scenario: Multiple Windows installations on multiple Partitions on a single Disk (HDD / SSD / etc.)====

After Windows is imaged or installed on a 2nd, 3rd, whatever partition (IE, it isn't the only, nor the first Windows installation on a disk), and the BCD stuff has been taken care of to allow one to select any partition to boot from, it still might not boot. Solution? Edit and / or rebuild the BCD stuff on the partition of the Windows install that won't boot, then set that partition as active, see if it boots. If it does, go back to the original partition that was active, re-edit the BCD stuff, then set the original partition as active, reboot and see if selecting the new Windows install works then.

==Google Tirade==

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 **Switching between RAID (Intel or other software based RAID), AHCI, IDE for SATA (or IDE / PATA) is much easier in Windows 11 (see below)
-== BCDBoot Command ==
+==BCDBoot Command==
 It seems like cloning software lives to not be able to clone the Boot Folder properly.  Or Microsoft has done something to make it very difficult to clone the Boot (or EFI) Folder properly.
 To fix a Partition's 'boot information' (not just the BCD File): '''bcdboot c:\Windows /l en-us /s c: /f ALL /v''' (choose the language of your choice, just to make sure the bcdboot command gets it right.)
-* ...right after the bcdboot command is the  C:\Windows: This is where the 'source' files are (IE, what the bcdboot command copies to the destination)
+*...right after the bcdboot command is the  C:\Windows: This is where the 'source' files are (IE, what the bcdboot command copies to the destination)
-* /s: The Partition / Volume where the information is to be written, as identified by a drive letter (If a Volume / Partition hasn't been assigned a drive letter, use the DISKPART command to assign a drive letter: https://winaero.com/change-drive-letter-windows-10/, or any other number of websites with a how to on the subject )
+*/s: The Partition / Volume where the information is to be written, as identified by a drive letter (If a Volume / Partition hasn't been assigned a drive letter, use the DISKPART command to assign a drive letter: https://winaero.com/change-drive-letter-windows-10/, or any other number of websites with a how to on the subject )
-* /f: What BCD information to create / write (IE, MBR or UEFI or both (ALL))
+*/f: What BCD information to create / write (IE, MBR or UEFI or both (ALL))
-* /v: Verbose, IE display the 'log file' as it's doing things.  Don't worry about errors it displays, as long as at the end it says 'succeeded'.
+*/v: Verbose, IE display the 'log file' as it's doing things.  Don't worry about errors it displays, as long as at the end it says 'succeeded'.
 ...from: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/bcdboot-command-line-options-techref-di?view=windows-11
-==Fast Boot (not to be confused with Ready Boost)==
+==Fast Boot (not to be confused with Ready Boost) and HiberFile==
 https://www.windowscentral.com/how-disable-windows-10-fast-startup
@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
 ==Metro Boot Menu (from Windows 8)==
 Instead of the clunky Text based boot menu, you can have a cool Windows 8 "tile looking" boot menu.  The down side is that it comes up later in the boot process than the text menu.  So if there's an issue with any partitions on a disk drive, you might never make it to that menu to select an option before the computer crashes.  Play it safe and keep the text based menu.
+==Other Stop You in Your Track Issues and their Solutions==
+There are many, many reasons Windows will find not to boot.  Here are just a couple of odd solutions;
+==== MBR and UEFI Motherboards ====
+If you've got a BOOT and EFI Folder / Directory on a Partition, watch out for a common hole to fall into for systems that boot MBR and UEFI.  Remember, both the BOOT (for MBR) and EFI (for UEFI booting) have BCD files.  If you're trying to boot via MBR and haven't modified the EFI BCD File, a system might fool you into a frustrating situation if it's booting from the EFI BCD file instead of the BOOT (MBR) BCD file.  Manually select the boot device (F12 key on many systems), just to make sure.
+====Plain Cloning via Acronis (or some other software) or using USB Duplicator Bay====
+If Windows won't boot, use a boot CD to re-build / re-create the BSD information (MBR or U'EFI).  The Windows installation DVD / ISO can be used.  OR, one of several WinPE boot CDs out there (descendants of BartPE) like Hirem's Boot CD with a visual BCD Utility like EasyBSD or BootIce.
+====Scenario: Multiple Windows installations on multiple Partitions on a single Disk (HDD / SSD / etc.)====
+After Windows is imaged or installed on a 2nd, 3rd, whatever partition (IE, it isn't the only, nor the first Windows installation on a disk), and the BCD stuff has been taken care of to allow one to select any partition to boot from, it still might not boot.  Solution?  Edit and / or rebuild the BCD stuff on the partition of the Windows install that won't boot, then set that partition as active, see if it boots.  If it does, go back to the original partition that was active, re-edit the BCD stuff, then set the original partition as active, reboot and see if selecting the new Windows install works then.
 ==Google Tirade==