Macrium Support Forum

Windows is not bootable after cloning using version 8.1.7638, tried multiple computers/SSDs but same issue.

https://forum.macrium.com/Topic73932.aspx

By ahmadmob - 17 September 2023 2:19 PM

Hello,
I've been cloning SSDs and HDDs for years with Macrium and since I updated to version 8.1.7638, the SSD/HDD isn't bootable at all and the PC doesn't see Windows at all after using the clone feature. I've tried from different computers to clone to and from. The only way for me to fix the issue is to go to a previous version (8.0.6036).
I even tried as a test to install fresh Windows (legacy CSM) on a brand new SSD and then cloned it to another SSD with version 8.1.7638 and the cloned SSD didn't boot at all. Cloning with v8.0.6036 works fine. I am not sure in which version the issue started happening since I updated directly from 8.0.6036 to 8.1.7638. The issue isn't with the PC I am using to clone as I temporarily installed 8.1.7638 on a brand new Windows and the same issue happens after cloning.

I tried on two licenses, Workstation (mine) and Server Plus (my friend's) and with both Windows doesn't boot at all after cloning using 8.1.7638.

You can easily re-produce the issue, just clone any non-UEFI SSD/HDD that has Windows 10 on it to any other empty SSD/HDD using v.8.1.7638, it won't be bootable. Just make sure the windows you're cloning is not UEFI (legacy).
By DanDanz - 17 September 2023 3:37 PM

Boot into Rescue Media (RM)  on the system that won't boot from the disk and use the RM menu option Fix Boot Problems.  4
This article in the UserGuide/Knowledge Base explains it.  BE SURE TO BOOT RM IN MBR MODE if you're fixing a NON-UEFI disk.
By ahmadmob - 17 September 2023 4:29 PM

Thanks Dan Danz for the reply. I know it's possible to fix Windows after this cloning issue but I am here reporting a serious problem with 8.1.7638 that renders cloning Windows with MBR not bootable, which is something that was working flawlessly with the previous 8.0.6036 (and possibly newer versions except 8.1.7638). I clone a lot of HDDs/SSDs and this would be very time consuming to fix Windows with rescue media every time after cloning.
After cloning the layout perfectly matches with the source but Windows won't boot at all (it's like booting from an empty, new SSD).

I will be sticking to 8.0.6036 for now until this issue is fixed.
By DanDanz - 17 September 2023 4:45 PM

 
ahmad - 17 September 2023 4:29 PM
Thanks Dan Danz for the reply. I know it's possible to fix Windows after this cloning issue but I am here reporting a serious problem with 8.1.7638 that renders cloning Windows with MBR not bootable, which is something that was working flawlessly with the previous 8.0.6036 (and possibly newer versions except 8.1.7638). I clone a lot of HDDs/SSDs and this would be very time consuming to fix Windows with rescue media every time after cloning.
After cloning the layout perfectly matches with the source but Windows won't boot at all (it's like booting from an empty, new SSD).

I will be sticking to 8.0.6036 for now until this issue is fixed.

Then you should report the problem to support at https://helpme.macrium.com -- the support site login is different than this USER forum. Be prepared to give them more information than "not bootable".  The results of an attempt at Fix Boot Problems would be a good start, Good luck.
By ahmadmob - 17 September 2023 5:25 PM

I already did the moment I made this post, I will be giving them more info once they reply and depending on what info they ask me to provide. Thanks again.
By ahmadmob - 18 September 2023 10:41 AM

I just let my friend test again and he's having the same issue cloning MBR Windows with 8.1.7638, it really is easy to see the issue and reproduce, no need for me to even provide any additional information for the issue; just clone any MBR disk that has Windows 7 or 10 using the clone feature within the app to any other HDD/SSD and it won't boot at all despite the partition layout is perfectly identical after the clone. Cloning any Windows UEFI with GPT works fine, only cloning MBR disks is affected.

And yes, the MR "Fix Windows boot problems" fixed it after cloning, I only had to check ""Replace the Master Boot Record", here's the log:



Looks like 8.1.7638 for some reason fails to write the MBR correctly after cloning.

Here's one of the failed clones log:

Clone ID - B4A221230A78CA09

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dismounting drives


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Clone - Sunday, September 17, 2023 4:46 PM


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Creating volume snapshots
Volume Snapshots Created
H:\ \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy3
J:\ \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy4


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source Disk: Disk 6 MBR [6F42844D] - ASMT 2115 0 <111.80 GB>
Geometry: 14594\63\512
BPB: 255\63\512
Destination Disk: Disk 5 [00000000] - ASMT 2115 0 <476.94 GB>

Clone Type: Intelligent sector copy
Verify: Y
Delta: N
SSD Trim: Y
Power Saving: N
Email On Success: N
Email On Failure: N


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operation 1 of 3
Copy Partition: 1 - System Reserved (HSmile
NTFS 30.3 MB / 50.0 MB
Destination
Start Sector: 2,048
End Sector: 104,447
Partition Type: Active


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Processing: \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy3
Clone completed successfully


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operation 2 of 3
Copy Partition: 2 - <NO NAME> (JSmile
NTFS 19.09 GB / 111.25 GB
Destination
Start Sector: 104,448
End Sector: 999,172,095
Partition Type: Primary


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Processing: \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy4
Clone completed successfully


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operation 3 of 3
Copy Partition: 3 - <NO NAME>
NTFS 426.2 MB / 508.0 MB
Destination
Start Sector: 999,172,096
End Sector: 1,000,212,479
Partition Type: Primary


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Processing: \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE5
Writing partition table
Using existing MBR
Clone completed successfully


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BCD Update - From Disk ID - 0x6F42844D, New Disk ID - 0x009F9A17
BCD Update - Success
Registry Update - No offline hive
Closing VSS. Please Wait...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clone completed in 00:03:45

By DanDanz - 18 September 2023 11:49 AM

Hi @ahmadmob
Glad to see you have diagnosed the reason for the failure, but updating this post does not get the information to support/development folks because this is a user forum.  You said you have a ticket open on the support site.  If you haven't already done so, I suggest that you update that ticket with these findings about MBR.  Meanwhile, for benefit of others who might find this post, it would be nice if you would mark your post that contains the solution/workaround as the Answer (only you can mark your post as an answer).

My four systems all have GPT (UEFI) formatted drives, and while I clone frequently, I'm not likelly to encounter the problem with the MBR record.   But I do have a suspiscion that you might explore:  Edit Defaults and Settings -> Restore Settings has a switch for resetting the MBR record.  I realize you're doing Clones and not Restores, but I wonder if the clone code in Reflect is looking at that switch because it uses code common to restores and clones.  So, I wonder if you could check that switch setting, and if it's not on, turn it on, and see if that gets the MBR record written to the new disk during a clone.  It might not fix it, but if it does, it's a workaround.
{Just a possibility offered from an OS customer suport programmer who had access to source code in his former life working for computer manufacturers, but who is retired now, and just a user of Reflect without such access}
By ahmadmob - 18 September 2023 1:25 PM

Ya I updated the ticket and added a perma link to the ticket to my post above.

The setting you're talking about is already set to "Replace with the Master Boot Record from the backup (Recommended)".
I marked my post as the answer. Thanks for your help.
By ahmadmob - 18 September 2023 4:46 PM

They replied with this:

Thank you for contacting us.

I see from your forum post you were able to get around this by using Fix Windows Boot Problems, which is what we are currently recommending in order to get around this booting issue.

Currently, our developers are looking into a more log term solution for this issue, but for now it would be worth keeping a Rescue Media handy for the time being.



Kind regards,

Macrium Support Team


Good to know they are working on a fix for this.
By JoeA - 19 September 2023 8:17 AM

Hi @ahmadmob, 

It seems you have stumbled across a bug in the software and the developers have been made aware. We have a development build running currently which addresses this issue.

The issue at hand only happens when you clone a disk without an MBR.

If you would like to get a download link for this dev build please re-open the ticket you have requesting this build, Please also ask the agent to assign the ticket to me.
By ahmadmob - 20 September 2023 9:38 AM

@Joe Allen alright thanks, will do and test the dev build out.
By ahmadmob - 20 September 2023 11:40 AM

Joe Allen sent me the dev build in the ticket and it works fine. Issue is completely fixed. He said this fix will be included in the next release. You guys are awesome Smile

Edit: Looking at the logs it looks like before and after the fix only one log line is different:

Before the fix (8.1.7638): Using existing MBR
After the fix (dev build and previous versions): Writing Master Boot Record (MBR)

So it looks like 8.1.7638 ignored something and didn't take the MBR from the source disk during cloning.
By CHRISLAND - 22 September 2023 1:26 AM

 
ahmad - 17 September 2023 2:19 PM
Hello,
I've been cloning SSDs and HDDs for years with Macrium and since I updated to version 8.1.7638, the SSD/HDD isn't bootable at all and the PC doesn't see Windows at all after using the clone feature. I've tried from different computers to clone to and from. The only way for me to fix the issue is to go to a previous version (8.0.6036).
I even tried as a test to install fresh Windows (legacy CSM) on a brand new SSD and then cloned it to another SSD with version 8.1.7638 and the cloned SSD didn't boot at all. Cloning with v8.0.6036 works fine. I am not sure in which version the issue started happening since I updated directly from 8.0.6036 to 8.1.7638. The issue isn't with the PC I am using to clone as I temporarily installed 8.1.7638 on a brand new Windows and the same issue happens after cloning.

I tried on two licenses, Workstation (mine) and Server Plus (my friend's) and with both Windows doesn't boot at all after cloning using 8.1.7638.

You can easily re-produce the issue, just clone any non-UEFI SSD/HDD that has Windows 10 on it to any other empty SSD/HDD using v.8.1.7638, it won't be bootable. Just make sure the windows you're cloning is not UEFI (legacy).

Hello!
Ive bougth The macrium reflect 8 ver 7638 and I have had. Just The same issue. Win 11 doesnt boot.
Ive been using ver 7 free edition before and I had NO problems at all.
Since my pc
Wont boot i have NO possibility to download an earlier version.
Best regards Chris 
By Seekforever - 22 September 2023 2:41 PM

Have you tried the fix mentioned in the post (second in list) from @DanDanz to get it to boot?
By CHRISLAND - 22 September 2023 3:32 PM

 
Seekforever - 22 September 2023 2:41 PM
Have you tried the fix mentioned in the post (second in list) from @DanDanz to get it to boot?

Thankyou very much i now see there is a fix regarding The mbr issue. 
Best regards Chris