Migrate OS to SSD - partitions missing
I plugged the SSD into the laptop via USB. Followed the Mirgate procedure and got error code 5. So I rebooted to windows to "unlock" the partition as suggested. Sure enough it shows up in windows, but 3 partitions are missing.
Just to see what would happen I switched out the HDD with the SSD and the laptop boots and runs despite these partitions being missing, but something is clearly not right because I got the error code 5... and 3 partitions are missing.
What causes error code 5?
Why didn't all the partitions get copied?
Perhaps most importantly, how do I do this migration so that all partitions are on the SSD as they should be?
Thanks a lot
Stu
Note that in this screenshot the SSD is now disk1 as I'm running windows on it now... and the original laptop HDD is now disk 2.
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"At minimum if you have EFI you need 2 partitions - An ESP containing your boot files as that is where EFI system looks, and your OS partition. MS recommends a 128MB MSR (Microsoft Reserved) partition as well before the OS partition but it will boot and run fine without."
It appears the 128 mb MSR and the 13.03Gb Recovery partition (which you don't need nor really want unless you want to restore to factory state) were not copied. The 973mb partition appears to be the MS recovery partition, which again, you don't need. A MS rescue boot disk (USB), if you made one provides the same functions. I don't know why they didn't migrate nor what the error code means but if its working you should be fine. Did you unlock all those partitions? The only one you might want is the 128mb partition if you try the migration again.
I recently finished building a new PC for my wife. I'm using the old system as a test bed to play around with. And it is a really old system... built in 2011. Anyway, I took a current System backup of her PC and restored it to a spare SSD in that system. It booted up fine and had 1 partition, the OS partition. A long time ago, a system restore using Ghost 15 deleted the System Reserve partition and Aomei System restore does not restore the Recovery Partition. But I knew all this. This disk was an MBR disk and I wanted to see if Aomei Partition Asst Pro could convert it to GPT. I used it's boot disk to have it start in a Pre Windows Environment. I then selected the disk and selected to convert MBR/GPT. It performed the operation is just a few seconds. I rebooted and it did show a UEFI drive in the BIOS. I selected it as the first to boot and restarted. It booted right up into Win 10 with everything intact. I then looked at the disk structure in disk management. It was GPT and the EFI partition came AFTER the OS partition and there was no MSR partition there either. In any case, what I'm trying to say is that with those 2 partitions everything is working fine and it is a GPT disk. So as long as what you have is working, I'd be happy and let it be.
Tomorrow, I may play around and see if I can move the EFI partition in front of the OS partition so it looks like what you have. But in any case, it's working fine for me the way it is and I think it will for you also.
I have to agree you. A "clone" should be what it says, a "clone". It should not have to ask you if you want or need it, it should just make the new disk a clone of the original. I don't know if the backupper version would do anything different but I doubt it.
The first time I used a SYSTEM restore (testing), I was surprised not see the Recovery Partition copied but after reading the Aomei "help" pages, it states it's not copied to allow you to extend the C partition if going to a larger disk. Again, they are not allowing you the option to copy it if you want. The more I read about that MSR partition, it's just there as a "place holder" for Microsoft in the event they have a need for something later. But that's still no excuse why it's not cloned.
Basically, I think what Aomei is doing is "dumbing down" their program to make it as simple as possible for all users. I doubt 95% of users even know what disk management is or how to use it (or know about this forum). That doesn't make it right, but it keeps it functional. There seem to be complaints about all the Backup and Restore programs out there (except for the more expensive ones). All have problems crop up or complaints about some function. I've used the Samsung Migration program and think it's great. But some think it's junk. Nothing is perfect. I'm not defending Aomei, but as long as they keep trying to improve it, I'm willing to stick with it. It has been a decent backup and recovery program for me.