Removing "duplicate" Drive entries from the BIOS.

[BroMama]

I have been struggling for about one month to migrate my W10Pro64 O/S from an:

HP EliteDesk 8300 Mini SFF PC to an HP ProDesk, the lowest level version that complies with the dreaded October Suprise.

I have tried "many" suggested solutions, some taking "me" hours to understand and attempt to put into effect. All to no avail.

Then I decided that I should try migrating to a different HP Platform and used my HP EliteDesk 8300 SFF.

Guess what, the same negative results.

However, I still had the itch and opened its BIOS.

There it was, staring me in the face, TWO entries for the same Drive, identical.

So, I attempted to boot from the first entry, and it failed.

Then I tried the second entry and "thank GOD" it worked perfectly.

I then moved the Drive to my ProDesk and tried to boot. It failed as it has in the past.

I figured if I went into the BIOS, I'd find the same TWO entries and I'd boot from the second.

I did and you guessed it, there was no second entry, BUMMER.

Might ant Forum Member, know how to delete a BIOS Entry on an HP EliteDesk 8300?

If so, I would try it, expecting the Drive now only having ONE entry, the job would be done.

Thank you in advance for your input.

Mike Lynch

[TejaswiniM]

Hi @BroMama , Welcome to HP Support Community!

Since your cloned drive boots correctly on the original HP EliteDesk 8300 (using the second BIOS entry) but not the HP ProDesk, the issue isn't with a corrupted clone but with fundamental differences between the motherboards. The problem is a hardware compatibility issue, not a simple matter of deleting a BIOS boot entry.
The duplicate BIOS boot entry on your EliteDesk is a symptom of this problem, likely caused by repeated cloning attempts or issues with how the system's UEFI firmware detected the drive. Deleting it is possible, but it will not fix the core problem with the ProDesk.
Here are the reasons your migration failed and the correct approach to fix it.

Why direct migration fails
A direct disk clone from one computer to another, especially across different generations and chipsets (like the 8300 to a ProDesk), is almost always unreliable. The Windows installation is tightly tied to the original hardware.
Differing drivers: The motherboard, chipset, and other hardware components in the ProDesk are different from the EliteDesk. The cloned Windows install is configured with the EliteDesk's specific drivers, which are incompatible with the ProDesk. This typically causes startup crashes and boot failures.
Legacy vs. UEFI: Your older EliteDesk 8300 may be using a Legacy BIOS boot mode, while the newer ProDesk likely defaults to UEFI mode. An MBR-partitioned drive (used for Legacy boot) will not boot on a UEFI system.
System activation: The Windows license on the EliteDesk is for that specific machine. Moving the installation to a new PC can invalidate the license and lead to activation errors

Correct approach: How to migrate properly
Method 1: Perform a clean installation (Recommended)
This is the most stable and reliable way to move to a new PC.
Backup your data: Copy all your personal files (documents, pictures, music, etc.) from the drive to an external hard drive or USB stick.
Get installation media: Use the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft to create a bootable USB installer for Windows 10.
Install on the ProDesk: Boot the ProDesk from the USB drive and perform a clean installation of Windows.
Transfer data and apps: After Windows is installed, copy your backed-up files and re-install all your applications.

Method 2: Attempt a universal restore with specialized software
If you want to try and salvage your existing application installations, you can use specialized tools that can adapt a cloned image to new hardware.
Create a backup image: Use software like Macrium Reflect or Acronis True Image to create a full backup image of your EliteDesk's drive.
Restore to the ProDesk: Use the same software's bootable recovery media to restore that image onto the ProDesk's drive.
Perform "Universal Restore": The key step is to use the software's "Universal Restore" or "ReDeploy" feature. This process injects the correct storage and chipset drivers for the ProDesk before the first boot, allowing the system to start correctly.

How to delete a duplicate boot entry in the EliteDesk BIOS
While this won't solve your migration problem, you can clean up your EliteDesk's BIOS.
Enter BIOS Setup: Restart the EliteDesk and repeatedly press the F10 key to enter the BIOS setup utility.
Navigate to Boot Options: Look for a menu labeled Boot Options or UEFI Boot Settings under the Storage or System Configuration tab.
Delete a Boot Option: If your system uses UEFI, you may find a menu option to "Delete Boot Option". Select the failed entry and remove it.
Save and Exit: When done, save your changes and exit the BIOS.

If the BIOS lacks this option, you can reset all settings to their factory defaults, which will clear the duplicate entry.
In the BIOS: Navigate to the File or Exit tab.
Apply defaults: Choose Apply Defaults and Exit or Load Setup Defaults.
Configure boot order: After the restart, go back into the BIOS and set your working drive as the primary boot device.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted.

[Mike-Lynch]

@TejaswiniM

Good morning,

While we have never met, after reading your Reply to my Post for help, I consider you a friend!

Good morning, friend!

Thank you for the time you invested in developing and documenting your reply.

I have hoped and prayed for some sort of assistance with my dilemma and your reply was overwhelming.

Today, I will attempt to begin implementing it and will report back on my progress.

Best regards,

Mike Lynch