SSD install in to OMEN 17-AN012DX

[MrRedWhiteBlue]

I am trying to clone my HDD image to an SSD, but after tries with 3 or 4 different cloning programs. No joy. It appears the image is there and when I pull the HDD out and try to boot for the first time, I get the new windows 10 blue screen. 

I've even tried the Aoemi Backupper when you create a backup and then a bootable image and clone from the "boot screen". After shutdown, remove the HDD and it sees the SSD in the boot options screen, but same blue screen.

The SSD is an SM961 like recommended.

Can someone tell what would be a different way to try and clone my HDD so I don't have to start all over?

Tomorrow I am going to install the HP one time use factory image and then restore from the Aomei back up I already have. 

Hopefully Huffer will chime in. I've read most of his posting and followed exactly.  

[CherylG]

Not sure what you mean by "HP one time use factory image". If you make your HP Recovery USB it can be used numerous times. Not sure why the cloning isn't working but I will tag @Huffer for you.

[MrRedWhiteBlue]

I just meant that I would use the HP Recovery USB for a fresh install then try to restore. 

[Huffer]

OK I am engaged now. Please describe what you have tried to do so far. We seem to be having a rash of Users having trouble cloning from a hard drive to an NVME M.2 disk. 

[MrRedWhiteBlue]

First, I tried Aomei, the disk clone after installing the SSD and booting off HDD.  I made sure to check "align partition to optimize..." as in these instructions. (https://www.backup-utility.com/clone/clone-nvme-to-nvme-3889.html). Turn off the laptop after clone was complete, pulled HDD and started up to F9 and seen the Samsung drive, enter to boot and it loads the omen screen and the circle spends for a little bit and then widows oops screen. 

Next try, I did the 2nd set of instruction listed above. Complete back up on external drive and bootable media thumb drive. Shut down, removed HDD. Booted to thumb drive and did restore to SSD.  Same Omen then oops screen. 

Put HDD back in and booted off it. 

I then diskpart and "clean" the SSD and tried using MiniTool Partition Wizard. I followed instructions A. from (https://www.partitionwizard.com/help/migrate-os-to-ssd-hd.html) because I'm removing my HDD and keeping it as a factory backup. 

Same as before.

I read somewhere that maybe the SM961 driver would help and found SP78112 and followed these instructions:

HOW TO USE: 
1. Download the Softpaq .EXE to a directory on your hard drive
2. Execute the downloaded file to extract the files to your hard drive
3. Open Device Manager
4. Expand the "Storage controllers" group
5. Right click on "Samsung NVMe Controller" and select "Update Driver Software"
6. Select ""Browse my computer for driver software"
7. Browse to the directory where to where the driver files were extracted
8. Complete the process to update the driver

Shut down and pulled HDD, booted to ESC, F9, selected Samsung, enter, same thing....

Held power button till off, removed SSD and reinstalled HDD and booted off it. 

I then read somewhere that my bios may need updated. 

Followed instructions here (https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00042629) and bios here (https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/omen-by-hp-17-an000-laptop-pc/15551440/model/171063...)

Shut down, reinstalled SSD, booted off HDD and recloned again. Shut down, removed HDD and then tried to boot off SSD. Same thing...

This was the website where I was looking are reasons why it wouldn't boot off SSD. (https://www.easeus.com/backup-utility/cloned-ssd-wont-boot.html)

I'm pretty sure I diskpart and clean again to the SSD and tried using EaseUS Todo Backup to clone.. Same issue.

I have the HP recovery thumb drive I made and when I get a little bit on Thursday, I'll see if that will work. 

I attached some screen images, that you should be able to tell what they are of. 

Any more questions, let me know and I'll update soon as I try something else. 

[Huffer]

This is likely a problem purely with the clone as the system is seeing the SSD. I suspect the issue lies with trying to exact copy a 1 TB drive down to a 256 gig drive. Although I see you are keeping the system partitions at the same size. The HP restore disk may not work as the 256 gig disk many be smaller than anything HP offered as the bootdisk from the factory. I would suggest trying a clean Windows 10 install onto the SSD with the HDD removed from the laptop just to make sure there is no basic issue with getting a bootable OS image onto the SSD. The last clone I did I used Macrium Reflect Free but I was cloning a 1 TB to a 512 gig and it worked well. 

[MrRedWhiteBlue]

Ok, so the fresh install off of the HP recovery USB seemed to work just fine. However, it brings up a question maybe you can see if it matters or not. When cloning it appears there is 5 partitions with minitool and  4 with aoemi that get cloned (reference old pics) and with the fresh install there is only 3. 

Could this be an issues? and is it possible to select the 3 partitions that are used in the HP recovery process when cloning or could i know just clone over the C drive to go back to my old setup? or should I try to do a restore over the fresh install?

I'll try whichever or everyway to help out the community, but want to approach it in a logical process. 

[MrRedWhiteBlue]

Any ideas

[Huffer]

The extra partition in the cloning is the HP restore partition I believe. The disk manager screenshot you show us after a clean install looks great. My best advice is to finish up that installation then make an image of the disk once you get it just the way you want it with drivers, apps, settings, etc. and use that image as your recovery source so you do not need the HP F11 restore function.