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0ptiplex 3050 SFF usb drive can't boot
I have a win 10 system clone for disaster backup. It is seen in the one time boot menu as the UEFI boot disk that it is but it never boots and repair of the boot never works though I have made the clone via AOMEI, Minitool and Paragon. All the GPT disks look good with the boot files in the proper places. This is important because the Optiflex SFF has only 1 internal hard disk bay.
I have two differing opinions from paid tech support at Dell. One (whom I didn't pay to pursue with) is there are some magic parameters in the bios that need changing (why would they need changing with a clone and USB boot enabled and all the other parameters the same as for the internal original disk that boots fine ??). Another tech said that it's a bug and they are working on it).
Anyone have ideas on this problem?
ieee488
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December 26th, 2017 18:00
How did you create this "clone"?
herman7072
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December 27th, 2017 08:00
I made the clones with the built in cloning functions of the software mentioned. Also used 'migtate os' functions, where offered, copying all files. All of these efforts produced nearly identical results in the size and contents of the clones including the boot files.
I used variously two external drives, as large or slightly larger than the original's 500 GB, in enclosures connected via USB in enclosures with SATA connections. The drives were formatted NTFS and the GPT partitions were created by the various software doing the cloning and were all identical with each other and the original.
Ivy li
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December 28th, 2017 01:00
sorry to answer your question with a question. what is the partition tyle (mbr or gpt) of your destination disk? as you mentioned above, I think your original disk is a gpt disk. if you clone gpt disk to mbr, you cannot boot your computer even if this option is shown in the boot menu. you need to change boot order from uefi to bios. or you can convert mbr to gpt ( www.disk-partition.com/.../convert-mbr-to-gpt-without-data-loss.html )first, then clone your disk again.
herman7072
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December 28th, 2017 07:00
Since a clone is an exact copy (one hopes!) of the original disk, all the partition info etc. is the same, so the GPT partitions remain intact on the clone. My goal was NOT to alter anything either on the clone disk or the bios settings of the computer.
I guess my next task is to prove the validity of the clone by swapping it out in the computer for the original disk and booting that way - again with no changes to the bios settings. If it boots that way, then there is a bug in the bios preventing a USB boot from a hard disk. I'll let you know if the clone disk boots internally.
Interestingly, the computer boots to the USB Microsoft Win 10 distribution flash drive in a USB 3.1 slot.
ieee488
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December 28th, 2017 08:00
A USB boot from a hard disk? What does that mean?
herman7072
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December 28th, 2017 11:00
UPDATE:
I opened the case for the first time. I discovered that despite Dell's site specs, there was not a 3.5" disk in a bay 'convertible to two 2.5" disks'. There was one 2.5" disk in an undescribed plastic tray holding it without screws. So I am unable to test my 3.5" clone out internally.
Back to square one!
herman7072
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December 28th, 2017 11:00
I means boot from an external hard disk in a case via a usb connection.
ieee488
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December 28th, 2017 13:00
It should not matter if your 3.5" hard drive that was cloned is connected internally or externally through USB.
You may need to turn off Secure Boot in UEFI though.
herman7072
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December 28th, 2017 18:00
Unfortunately it does matter when booting Windows. Microsoft has deliberately made this difficult.