Moving boot manager

Unreal22 · 12 Apr 2025 at 11:21

Is there a way to move boot manger from one M2 SSD to another? I want to swap a 500gb for a 1T but the windows boot manger is on it, so when I take it out my PC only loads into the bios. Windows is on a different drive (not sure how that has happened).

Glanza · 12 Apr 2025 at 15:40

Clone the 500Gb to the 1TB

Mcnumpty2323 · 12 Apr 2025 at 17:13

As glanza said
Could clone it though perhaps
You want a clean install

Not at the pc right now
Somewhere i have a saved cmd prompt to do it
Other options
Easybcd
Dual boot fixer
Both are free software I have used
I also use macrium reflects bootable usb
It's got a good boot fix tool on it

Or windows repair options
With bootrec commands
Bootrec/scanos
Bootrec/fixboot
Bootrec/fixmbr
Bootrec/rebuildbcd

Unreal22 · 12 Apr 2025 at 19:43

Mcnumpty2323 said:
As glanza said
Could clone it though perhaps
You want a clean install

Not at the pc right now
Somewhere i have a saved cmd prompt to do it
Other options
Easybcd
Dual boot fixer
Both are free software I have used
I also use macrium reflects bootable usb
It's got a good boot fix tool on it

Or windows repair options
With bootrec commands
Bootrec/scanos
Bootrec/fixboot
Bootrec/fixmbr
Bootrec/rebuildbcd

Thanks, I'll give those a try

Mcnumpty2323 · 12 Apr 2025 at 20:00

Unreal22 said:
Thanks, I'll give those a try

Might be bootrec then a space
Then /
Looks like spellchecker removed the space/gap between

Edit
So
Bootrec /scanos etc

demonix · 13 Apr 2025 at 15:59

Unreal22 said:
Windows is on a different drive (not sure how that has happened).

Did you have both drives connected when installing windows?

I only ask because windows does have a habit of installing the bootloader onto a drive that windows is not being installed to if there is more then one drive connected at the time, which is why you should have only one drive connected when installing windows since it can't do that.

nlel1975 · 13 Apr 2025 at 16:47

demonix said:
Did you have both drives connected when installing windows?

I only ask because windows does have a habit of installing the bootloader onto a drive that windows is not being installed to if there is more then one drive connected at the time, which is why you should have only one drive connected when installing windows since it can't do that.

That might explain why my machine stopped booting after I removed a 2nd NVMe from the system. I just reinstalled Windows rather than trying to **** about sorting it out.

Mcnumpty2323 · 13 Apr 2025 at 18:02

Ideally you only want
The drive you're installing windows to
Connected during installation
This is relatively easy with sata drives
Just disable drives in the bios
Or pull the cable off

With m2 drives it's a different ball game
No disable in the bios
At least as far as I am aware of
And not always easy to get to
I have 5 x m2 drives 4 behind heatsinks
And full custom loop in the way
To make life harder

Unreal22 · 13 Apr 2025 at 18:57

demonix said:
Did you have both drives connected when installing windows?

I only ask because windows does have a habit of installing the bootloader onto a drive that windows is not being installed to if there is more then one drive connected at the time, which is why you should have only one drive connected when installing windows since it can't do that.

I did, infact I had 3 drives connected.