Problems Cloning Sata Ssd To Nvme Ssd

I have a Dell Inspiron 7373 13" laptop which is fitted with a 256GB SATA M.2 SSD. The Dell spec for the laptop states that it can use either SATA M.2 SSD's or NVMe M.2 SSD's. So I ordered a Samsung 970 Evo Plus NVMe M.2 500GB SSD.

I used Macrium Reflect 7 to first create a Rescue USB then created an image of my existing 256GB SATA drive.

I removed the 256GB SATA SSD from the laptop and installed the new 500GB NVMe SSD. I rebooted the laptop using the rescue USB and copied the image onto the new NVMe SSD. This all went perfectly.

Finally I shut down the laptop, removed the rescue USB and restarted the laptop but it would not boot into Windows. I tried a boot repair using Macrium and it reported that all was good but the laptop will still not boot from the new drive. I also tried a Windows boot repair but this also failed to solve the problem.

In the bios the new drive is visable and I have checked all the BIOS setting and I cannot see anything that will prevent it booting.

The only thing I can think of is that the boot partition does not have the NVMe SSD drivers because previously it was a SATA SSD with the SATA drivers.

I have checked Samsung's website and they have an exe file download for installing the NVMe drivers. So I put back my old SATA SSD into my laptop and booted into windows. I checked the device manager for installed drivers and sure enough there was no NVMe driver installed under disk controllers, only SATA driver. So I tried to install the Samsung NVMe driver before taking another image but it will not install the drivers unless a Samsung NVMe SSD is present.

I am now struck, I cannot install the NVMe driver unless the drive is installed but if I install the drive it will not let me boot into windows to install the driver! One thought was to purchase a NVMe external enclosure so I can connect the NVMe SSD via the USB3.1 port, this may then enable me to install the NVMe drivers before I cone the SATA SSD.

Has anyone had the same problem and solved it or can anyone suggest a work around for this problem? I am starting to lose the will to live!!!!

Thanks.

Steve

 

I have never used an NVMe drive but will offer the following suggestions

Why not wipe the NVme drive and put it in the laptop with the 256Gb SSD. Is that not possible?

If it is, then boot from SSD as normal and then install needed drivers with NVMe drive present

 

I came across this and thought you might find it useful.
Good luck,
s.

 

GOOD NEWS!!!!!

I watched the video link provided by Stephen_c16 and the presenter had exactly the same problem as me but in a desktop computer.

He solved it by mounting the NVMe SSD onto a PCIe card with a M.2 slot built-in. He then mounted it into a spare PCIe slot in his desktop before doing a clone. But I have a laptop with no spare slots so not a solution for me.

But, I then read the comments below the video and one guy solved it by booting the laptop in safe mode. This allowed windows to load and then find the NVMe SSD and load the PCIe NVMe drivers.

I TRIED THIS AND IT WORKED !!!!!!!!

Laptop now fully working and very fast!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to help solve this issue, especially Stephen_c16, you are a star!

 

Thank you and well done.
NVMe technology is all too much for me to understand.
I came across the link a couple of weeks ago. In the process of learning...
I am very happy to have provided it.
Best wishes,
s.

 

Thanks for the tip.

I also watched that video and wondered how applicable it would be to you as the video dealt with a desktop pc where the solution was to use a pci-e x4 adapter whereas you had a laptop. Good spot with the comments