Windows 10: How to make an SSD the exclusive boot device?

Post #3

 

I appreciate the help, so this will be my last question, from there I will figure it out hopefully. Now, it appears that the 400mb is raw and needs to be set as unallocated. Since it is 100% free, and that 400mb is on the SSD, will formatting do any damage, or no since it is all free space anyway. Thanks!

 

In order to make the 400mb unallocated you need to delete the raw partition that is there, not format it. If you install and run MiniTool Partition Wizard you can right click on any partition and select explore and it will show you any files/folders on that partition, even if they don't show up in Windows.

Unallocated = no partition at all in that space, formatted or not.

 

Okay I deleted the raw volume and it is now unallocated, I also have the D drive as disk 1 now. I WAS now able to copy the 350mb to the 400mb as you suggested. I just do not know how to mark it as active. I do not see that in the minotool application, but in disk management I have the option to make ative on the C drive, and that is the one I am currently booting to with windows 8.1 on it. Which is confusing me, wouldn't already be active since I am currently using it and have an OS on it? Not sure why it is basically saying the D drive is already active, but I cannot boot to it.

 

Not sure if this helps, but when I explore the D drive (the SSD) I see a folder called "ESD" and inside there is a windows folder with this in it. Can this be of help, booting to this disk exclusively?

 

Now that you have a system reserved partition on the SSD, disconnect the second HDD and boot from the Macrium Reflect Rescue USB/DVD. Now you should be able to run the repair windows startup utility.

 

Yes, I did that and I was able to, although I still cannot boot directly to the SSD when the HDD is disnconnected for some reason. I get to choose when it starts which OS, 8.1 or 10 so that is a start. I just have no idea why I can no longer boot to the SSD. I do not want to format the HDD to use for storage, as I am nervous this will happen again, since I cannot boot right to the SSD. I am using the SSD right now, but still get the boot mager missing when the SSD is connected by itself

 

Let's start with a complete disk management screenshot again to see where we are at, please:
Disk Management - How to Post a Screenshot of - Windows 10 Forums

 

Here you go.


The reason I wasn't posting screen shots before is because the fresh install of windows I was running, for some reason, IE wouldn't show to "browse" button when I wanted to insert. Installed chrome now it is good, plus on my old OS which is updated and drivers, etc.

 

According to that screenshot, your system is currently booting from the 931.7GB partition on what I assume is the HDD (Disk 0). The 350mb system reserved partition should contain boot files, but your system is not booting from it. Also, the SSD (Disk 1) has no active partition set, that is the first reason you can't boot from it. Also, it may not have any boot files on it because the system reserved partition never got copied over to it.

Now, first we will try the easy way to get the SSD to boot. Have you installed EasyBCD?
EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies

If not install it. Run EasyBCD and copy the current boot setup to C: drive:
Changing the Boot Partition

If you successfully copy the boot files to C: drive, post another screenshot of disk management, please.

 

Got it. I wasn't able to do the copy with EASYBCD, but was with the MiniTool that allowed me to copy successfully. This is what I see now.

 

Now we need to make sure the system reserved partition had the boot files/configuration that you want. So, go to Windows disk management and do two things. First right click on the Disk 1 350mb system reserved partition and assign it a drive letter - let's use S: for system reserved. Then also right click on it and select "Mark partition as active".

Now open Windows explorer, click View, go over to the right of the tool bar that opens and click options. In the folder options window that opens, click the view tab. Scroll down and uncheck the option "Hide protected Operating System files". Accept the change.

Now open EasyBCD. Click File, Select BCD store, OK, Browse to the S: drive we just created, double click the boot folder to open it, select the BCD file. Does the boot menu that EasyBCD shows look like the options you want?

If everything is successful up to this point, you are ready to either set the SSD as the boot device in BIOS and boot from it, or disconnect the HDD and boot from the SSD.