To eliminate the need to reinstall Windows 11 or Windows 10 on a new drive, most PC users prefer to directly clone the HDD and then migrate the installation to the SSD – but in some cases, after transferring the Windows installation to the SSD, the drive may fail to boot entirely or the error code 0xc000000f appears upon startup. This post identifies the potential causes, as well as provides the most suitable solutions to resolve the issue.
Below are several possible reasons you may encounter this issue:
- The source disk you cloned has bad sectors.
- You connect the SSD to a computer with a USB.
- Lack of specific drivers for the SSD to boot.
- Unexpected errors occur during the cloning process.
- There is a GPT/MBR partition style conflict.
- You have set the wrong drive to boot from.
- The “system reserved” partition is missing when cloning.
- System Partition not set as Active Partition
Cloned SSD or Hard Disk won’t boot Windows 10 or Windows 11
If your Cloned SSD or HDD won’t boot Windows 11/10 operating system on your computer, you can try our recommended solutions below in no particular order and see if that helps to resolve the issue.
- Disconnect other external bootable devices
- Ensure the SSD/HDD is properly connected to the computer
- Set the correct boot mode (from UEFI or Legacy)
- Change the boot order to boot from the cloned SSD/HDD
- Rebuild MBR for the SSD/Hard Disk
- Set System Partition as Active Partition
- Redo the cloning process
- Clean Install Windows on the SSD/Hard Disk
Let’s take a look at the description of the process involved concerning each of the listed solutions.
1] Disconnect other external bootable devices
The first troubleshooting you can try to fix the Cloned SSD won’t boot Windows 11/10 on your PC is to disconnect other external bootable devices – because in some cases, if there are other external connected bootable devices such as USB boot drive or CD/DVD bootable disc, these devices may interfere with your cloned SSD to boot.
Proceed with the next solution if this scenario is not applicable to you.
2] Ensure the SSD/HDD is properly connected to computer
Your next line of action is to make sure the cloned SSD is properly connected to the computer. You need to check whether the SSD is connected to your computer correctly – if not, that’s why the cloned SSD won’t boot. In this case, disconnect the drive and then carefully reconnect it to your computer. In addition, use a SATA cable instead of USB to connect the SSD to the computer.
3] Set the correct boot mode (from UEFI or Legacy)
The MBR works with the startup mode Legacy, while the GPT works with UEFI. If the partition style is not compatible with the boot mode, you’ll encounter this issue. The cloned SSD won’t boot with the wrong boot mode – MBR or GPT. In this case, to resolve the issue in hand, you need to change the boot mode according to your preset partition style.
To change the boot mode on your Windows 11/10 PC, do the following:
- Boot into BIOS.
- Use the arrow key to select the Boot tab.
- Use the arrow key to select UEFI/ BIOS Boot Mode.
- Press Enter.
- Now, select Legacy or UEFI according to your preset partition style.
- Press F10 to save the settings.
- Restart your PC.
Check if the issue is resolved, otherwise try the next solution.
4] Change boot order to boot from the cloned SSD/HDD
This solution requires you to change the Boot order to boot from the cloned SSD.
5] Rebuild MBR for the SSD/Hard Disk
If MBR (Master Boot Record) on the cloned SSD is damaged, the system cannot be booted. In this case, you can rebuild MBR and see if that helps.
6] Set System Partition as Active Partition
Generally, an active partition should be a primary partition. The boot files of the Windows 11/10 operating system is located in a primary partition. So, if the system partition is not set as an active partition, Windows won’t boot after cloning to SSD. In this case, to resolve the issue, you need to change the active partition by following the instructions in the guide on how to fix The drive where Windows is installed is locked – to do this, since the cloned SSD won’t boot, you’ll have to boot from the old hard drive, then insert the SSD in the hard drive enclosure and connect the case to the PC.
7] Redo the cloning process
It’s likely some errors may have occurred during the cloning process but you don’t know. To rule out this possibility, you can try to resolve the issue in hand by redoing the cloning process – but make sure to use professional and reliable cloning tools so that the cloned SSD can work properly. You can also install, reinstall, clone Windows without DVD/USB using WinToHDD on your computer.
8] Clean Install Windows on the SSD/Hard Disk
As a last resort, if nothing else works, you can back up your files and then clean install Windows 11/10 on the SSD.
Hope this helps!
How do I make my SSD bootable after cloning?
To make your SSD bootable after cloning or to boot from the cloned SSD, do the following:
- Restart the PC, and press the F2 or F8 or F11, or Del keys to enter the BIOS environment.
- Go to the boot section.
- Set the cloned SSD as the boot drive in BIOS.
- Save the changes and restart the PC.
You should now be able to boot the computer from the SSD successfully.
How do I fix cloned SSD not booting?
If you have a cloned SSD that is not booting, there are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue. First, check that the SSD is properly connected to your computer and that all power cables are securely connected. If the connections are good and the SSD still doesn’t boot, you can try accessing the BIOS settings to check if the computer is detecting the SSD. You may also need to check if the partition on the SSD is set as active, and you may need to configure your boot order settings to ensure that the SSD is listed as the primary boot device. If you still cannot get the SSD to boot, you may need to use a partitioning tool to ensure the partition is properly.
