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Cannot clone or install Windows 7

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4K views 39 replies 5 participants last post by  spunk.funk 
#1 ·
I have an Alienware M18x R2 running Windows 7 Professional SP1 and would like to clone my mSata SSD to a new higher capacity HHD. Currently my boot drive is an mSata SSD 120GB. I basically have only AutoCad, BlueBeam PDF editor & MS Office installed. However, I am out of space. I have a newer 1TB HDD installed that I have been using to as backup, that I have formatted and would like to clone my drive to this drive. I actually have 2 smaller HDDs as well and did successfully clone my drive to a 150 GB drive. I wanted to use my newer drive however. I have tried with partitioning to 200GB and also partitioning the whole drive. Every time I try to boot I get various different boot errors.

0xc0000221
oxc000007b
0xc00000e9
0xc000014c

I had this computer built for me about a year ago in another state. I dont have the windows CD, but I do have a bootable USB with Windows 7 Professional that I've used in the past with a different product key. I tried installing from this ISO file and still get the same errors.

I have formatted the drive various times and also did a disk check with no errors. Also check all my sata connections and everything is connected correctly.

I'm still using Windows 7 because its required for an Add-on that I use with AutoCad. I was hoping clone this drive to a partition on the 1TB HDD, then 1 more partition for Windows 10 for personal use.

Please help me troubleshoot. I've been working on this for a week now to no avail. :sad:
 
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#2 ·
What utility are you using for your cloning operations? Have you tried something like Clonezilla?
 
#4 ·
No you don't, it's a downloadable utility that runs by itself as a bootable disk.
 
#7 ·
ok, can someone take a look before I move forward, just to make sure I'm not going to screw something up.

I should use the MBR partition, correct?

Text Font Technology Electronic device


Text Font Screenshot Technology Computer program


Also, since I've unsuccessfully installed Windows a few times, I now have to choose from 3 Windows 7 when I boot up.

Should I go ahead and delete {e4eb6052-9b61-11e6-abe0-9f37218947e3} and {default}? That would leave {current} and {bootmgr}. Am I supposed to have 2 or should I just have {current}?

Text Font Screenshot Technology Computer program


This wouldn't be the cause of my error would it?
 
#10 ·
Ok well. Any suggestions on that because that was another point in my OP. I have tried to install it to the 1TB HDD about 3 times in addition to attempting the clone. I've been getting basically the same result with either procedure. The 1TB HDD is the newest drive and is about 3 months old only. I have also checked that the SATA is connected firmly.
 
#11 ·
Remove any drives, internal or external, other then the drive you are going to be installing Windows to and the Boot install media. Boot into Setup (Bios) go to HDD Mode, and make sure it is set to AHCI and not Legacy or IDE. Go to the Boot Tab, select which boot drive you are going to use and move it to First Boot Device (ie) CD/DVD or USB Flash. Save and Exit..
Boot from the Windows Media, choose your Language, choose Custom Install, in Where to Install Windows, select Drive Options. Delete All Partitions so the drive is Unallocated Space, go next. Windows will automatically create partitions and format them during the Windows install.
If this fails, then run Diagnostics on the HDD and RAM (memory)
 
#12 ·
Ok. Thank you for the detailed instructions.

I got through a few restarts during the install then got the error 0xc00000e9.
So I tried the memory test. It got about 90% then came to the same error.
I inserted the USB back in and chose repair windows. Then chose memory diagnostic tool. This time it made it all the way through then booted up windows for the first time.

Now the problem is that it now says that it is missing a network driver. I connect it to LAN and it still won't connect to the network, so I'm not able to run windows update. My router doesn't even recognize that a device is plugged into that port when connected.

If I restart I get the same error but I can enter through it and choose to start windows normally.

How do I find out what driver I need to download please?
 

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#27 ·
I just read this again. You failed on Win7's memory test while booting from the USB drive, but passed the memory test when booting from a CD/DVD. Now I wonder if it's the USB that's the problem, either the drive itself, the USB port(s), or perhaps the PSU is not delivering consistent/adequate power.

Maybe try a different USB drive and see if that's the problem? I've never heard of a USB being "partially" bad, but maybe.

I wonder if there is a utility that will boot from USB and report voltages and temps?
 
#14 ·
1) Your system feels buggy. Most common cause of memory errors is low voltage i.e. bad power supply. Post manufacturer & model & rated power output of PSU. Assuming this is not a laptop.

2) Try XXClone. It might fail, but it might not. It's cloning method is different than most others. They call it "logical cloning" vs. something else, IDK what. Sector-by-sector, I guess. It's also freeware.

I sense there are other symptoms besides the fact that a memory test fails. You should run chkdsk and post here if it reports errors. Also PSU data. Check BIOS for reported voltages and post them here also. Usually memory wants 1.8 Volts but some want more, such as 2.0 if higher-end gaming memory. If voltage looks good then compare memory voltage specs to what BIOS says it's getting. Sometimes BIOS SPD? doesn't give memory what it says it wants and you have to set the voltage manually. That will cause lots of buggy problems like failed O/S installs and memory tests that won't complete.

Or, your memory could be bona-fide bad, meaning you'll need to replace it.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Yes when you said "Alienware" I assumed desktop. Let me read the rest of your posts...

I saw your pics. Navigate around the BIOS and see if you can find a place where it reports temps and voltages. Laptops power is integrated into the computer and not a separate component like a desktop, but as long as you are in the BIOS, we can look for heat and/or voltage issues. What concerns me is that it failed a memory test. That usually means memory. I note from your BIOS pic that you have 4 X 4 Gbyte of RAM.

Edit***

Have you taken the option #3 "Repair your computer"? You have system file corruption. Possible causes: Bad power/voltage, heat, sudden shut-downs, failing hard drive. Your HD is a Western Digital 1 Tbyte Hard Drive. Do you have your data backed-up? If not, and you are able to boot the computer, you should do that immediately. At least copy the most important files to a USB thumb drive. Documents, Videos, images, etc...
 
#18 ·
The error message relates to a hardware error pertaining to your computer's BIOS. Basically it is telling you that the computer is not able to reliably communicate with the hard drive.
The 1TB WD HDD may be bad. Download WD's DataLifeGuard for DOS. In my signature Click on the Spoiler button for instructions on how to burn to CD or USB.
Boot off of the newly created media and run the Short and Extended Diagnostic tests on the HDD. If either test fails, the HDD needs to be replaced with a known Good drive.
 
#19 ·
Have you taken the option #3 "Repair your computer"? You have system file corruption. Possible causes: Bad power/voltage, heat, sudden shut-downs, failing hard drive. Your HD is a Western Digital 1 Tbyte Hard Drive. Do you have your data backed-up? If not, and you are able to boot the computer, you should do that immediately. At least copy the most important files to a USB thumb drive. Documents, Videos, images, etc...
Yes I did option 3 previously. I think the first option under "Repair you computer" was to startup recovery - no issues found. Yes I have all my files backed up on other drives. AutoCAD and MS Office take up a lot of space so I never really saved files to my primary drive. Basically the primary drive that I was originally trying to clone only had programs installed on it and everything else was being stored on my other drives. What gets me is that I have been using this 1TB drive for storage since I bought it with no issues. The only issue arose when I tried to install Win7. I did mention before that I was able to clone the drive to a 150GB HDD that was installed, but I didn't feel it very beneficial in moving to a drive only about 30GB larger plus I didn't trust it as much being that its an older drive from another laptop that I had sitting around.

Navigate around the BIOS and see if you can find a place where it reports temps and voltages. Laptops power is integrated into the computer and not a separate component like a desktop, but as long as you are in the BIOS, we can look for heat and/or voltage issues.
I looked through my BIOS and I'm not able to find anything about heat or voltage. I could post more pics of the various screens in my BIOS if that would assist in analyzing my issue.

You should run chkdsk and post here if it reports errors.
I did this last night as well. It ran and then closed on its own. I assume this means that there were no issues found. Results attached.
View attachment chkdsk.txt

I will be downloading and running DataLifeGuard next and will report my findings.
 
#20 ·
I did this (chkdsk) last night as well. It ran and then closed on its own. I assume this means that there were no issues found. Results attached.
I read the chkdsk log and it found no errors. One option to try is to run the "extended" chkdsk with the /r ("repair") switch enabled, like this:

Code:
chkdsk /r
However best to follow SpunkFunk's suggestions first as the cranium in his profile pic is oversized for a reason. If you run out of things to do, you can do my suggestion as it won't hurt and it might fix something.
 
#23 ·
Well We've had two utilities bless your HD so we should believe them. We still can't rule-out voltages or temps as causes, but we DO know you failed a memory test so I vote to focus on that, and rule in/out memory as problem.

Do you have bootable media (cd, dvd or USB drive) with memtest that you can run?

Meanwhile I'll try to research your system and see if the voltages and temps are in a specially difficult place to find. I don't think I've ever seen a system that had NO information like this, but you never know. Alienware is it's own kind of special.
 
#28 ·
Ummm. My only memory test was via USB. The first screen shot was after the first pass and the 2nd was after was after it ran all night long (over 12 hrs) but still the same test. Actually before this I was also having issues burning CDs /DVD so all my trouble shooting has been via USB.
 
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