Booting issues with HP ProBook 640 G1 and new SSD

[BraveKaiser]

So I decided to upgrade my old laptop from an HDD to an SSD, yet despite following the instructions set in this link (https://www.acronis.com/en-us/blog/posts/how-to-move-os-to-another-drive/#:~:text=Migrating%20your%2....), when I try to boot the cpu with the SSD connected, it can't locate the OS.

Now, in the part where I was supposed to open up Disk Management and get a pop-up window to Initialize Disk, I never got said window,  just got the Disk Management one up instead.

Am I doing something wrong, or am I just banging my head against the wall?

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Perhaps you should try clean installing Windows on the new SSD instead of cloning to it.

If you upgraded the PC to W10, make a bootable USB installer with the Media creation tool from the link below:

Download Windows 10 (microsoft.com)

Boot from the installation media.

When you get past the Install Now screen you will be asked what version of W10 you want to install.

Select the version you had upgraded to (10 Home or W10 Pro).

Then you will be asked to enter a product key.

Select the 'I don't have a product key' option and W10 will install and then activate after you are connected to the internet.

After W10 has completed installing, you can install the drivers and available software from your notebook's support page:

[BraveKaiser]

When you say "Boot from installation media", do you mean from the USB? Also, do I need the SSD connected when I boot?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Yes, after you use another PC to create the bootable USB installation media (or yours if you reinstalled the mechanical hard drive), you install the new SSD first.

Then boot from the W10 USB installation flash drive you created with the media creation tool.

You may be presented with a couple of USB boot options.

You want to boot from the EFI USB flash drive, not the legacy one.

To get to the boot options menu, have the flash drive in the USB port.

Turn on the PC.

Immediately tap the ESC key to get the menu of options.

Select the F9 boot options menu, and from that, select the EFI USB flash drive and press the Enter key.

The PC should boot from the USB flash drive load the Windows setup files.

Then you should get to an 'Install Now' screen...follow the on-screen instructions from there.

[BraveKaiser]

Got it done, a lot easier than I initially realized. Thanks!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.