Fixing UEFI BSOD Errors after disk clone on Windows 7 or 8

[Mercutio]

I spent a while experimenting with a proper way to clone a drive on a few Windows 8 machines that were configured to boot off UEFI. So far, exactly none of them have worked 100% properly.
The most likely error I seem to run in to is an error in the Windows startup files on the System partition, evidenced as a c0000225 BSOD on startup, which is fixed by the following:

Boot off Windows 8 install media
Get to a command Prompt

diskpart
list disk
select disk X (the one with your boot files)
list partition
select partition Y (the very small one labelled SYSTEM)
assign letter=Z
exit
BCDBoot c:\windows /s z: /f UEFI

Then re-set the firmware to boot in UEFI mode and you're probably good to go.

 

[Howell]

I forget which software you use to clone.

 

[Mercutio]

I've tried TrueImage, DriveImage XML, Clonezilla and Easus ToDo.
In my case I was swapping 250GB HDDs for 120GB SSDs in HP Probooks. The Windows backup tool disk images I tried first were puking no matter what I tried.

 

[ddrueding]

I'm using a hardware copier these days, doesn't have issues with anything except cloning to a smaller drive. It won't do that.

 

[Mercutio]

... and of course, 95% of the time that I want to clone a drive, it's a 250 or 320GB HDD to a 120 or 240GB SSD.

 

[Howell]

Paragon got a lot of love for working well on one board I was reading. Not free but pretty cheap.

 

[Stereodude]

Did you try Clonezilla?

 

[Bozo]

Instead of cloning the drive, make a backup and then install on the new drive.

 

[P5-133XL]

I've had good luck in previous difficult cloning/backup instances by making a Mirror (Raid-1), then breaking the mirror and fixing the Windows boot configuration to then permanently default to boot to the mirror.

 

[sedrosken]

I've used Macrium Reflect Free in the past, and honestly I was pretty happy with it. It cloned reasonably fast and had restore media, not that I ever got around to using it or anything... Of course, I haven't changed drives and tried to restore yet either, so I don't know how well that works, and also I have no idea how it'd react when you are trying to clone a larger hard drive image to a smaller destination (nowhere near full 320GB HDD to a 240GB SSD, for instance...).

I've never gotten around to using any of the other software listed. How satisfactory are those?

Also, Howell, when you say pretty cheap, how cheap are we talking here?

 

[Bozo]

Paragon is $39.99. About the same as some of the other backup software.
Acronis has screwed their GUI up to the point that I don't use it anymore. I switched to Macrium Relect.

 

[Howell]

I found the article. Don't hate me beacuse its from Tom's forum. Paragon Migrate OS to SSD 4.0 is $20 before discount.

 

[tslugmo]

I spent a while experimenting with a proper way to clone a drive on a few Windows 8 machines that were configured to boot off UEFI. So far, exactly none of them have worked 100% properly.
The most likely error I seem to run in to is an error in the Windows startup files on the System partition, evidenced as a c0000225 BSOD on startup, which is fixed by the following:

Boot off Windows 8 install media
Get to a command Prompt

diskpart
list disk
select disk X (the one with your boot files)
list partition
select partition Y (the very small one labelled SYSTEM)
assign letter=Z
exit
BCDBoot c:\windows /s z: /f UEFI

Then re-set the firmware to boot in UEFI mode and you're probably good to go.

Signed up for Verizon and installed internet to register in order to reply to this post and thank you. This exact problem has given me fits for months. Now we have a reliable way to clone UEFI machines. Thank you!!!

 

[CougTek]

Signed up for Verizon and installed internet to register in order to reply to this post and thank you.

I'm sure both Mercutio and Verizon are glad about this.

 

[Mercutio]

Sometimes I post stuff just because it'll be picked up and indexed for search and I guess this is one time that it really helped out. So that's pretty cool. Glad it helped.

 

[Ameris]

Clone HDD to SDD GPT

Sometimes I post stuff just because it'll be picked up and indexed for search and I guess this is one time that it really helped out. So that's pretty cool. Glad it helped.

I've registered just to respond. And 2 years afters just to help this result appear in top of google and others.
You saved my day.
After several attempts on several machines your method finaly worked. And it's so simple!

I've used Todo Easy Backup Free then Diskpart and BCDBoot. Great.
Thanks for sharing.