Computer won't boot to cloned hard drive

[CF4]

Stoopid auto correct. Re Installed.

[cinebuff1]

Sorry I lost you there, CF4. What I was getting at was that F9/ESC won't have any effect if the cloned disk is already fitted inside the computer, except for a beep whenever I press a key (as the computer will only display the HD logo and will not respond to any other commands).

So I'd need to hopefully get into Command Prompt via the failing hard drive that's still in the computer, with the new hard drive connected via SAT/USB, and tell BIOS I'm changing the priority from the old hard drive to the new hard drive. Then I'd need to shut down, physically put the new hard drive in the computer, and hopefully the computer will boot to the new hard drive now.

At that point, I would find C: and type in the commands. And you're saying I shouldn't need to reinstall Windows? That would be a relief. Except EaseUS's support guy is telling me that, since the WindowsImageBackup failed to restore, he initiated the disk clone, which, according to him, only copies the files, not the system image. I asked him what was the point of that, since I already had my files backed up on a My Book external drive?

[CF4]

Fit the drive.

Use F9 if it will not boot independently.

Then run the commands.

[cinebuff1]

As expected, CF4, when I tried doing so with the cloned drive inside the computer, I can't get past the HP logo. The computer recognizes that I was tapping F9 (in the lower left of the screen it says "F9...Change Boot Device Order"), but nothing happens.

That's why I was wondering if it's possible that I can change the boot device order while the cloned HDD is attached via SATA-to-USB, then shut the computer down, put the cloned hard drive in the computer, and hopefully the computer will retain its earlier boot-change instructions to recognize the cloned hard drive that's now in it.