Windows 10: Restoring Windows PC with a failed SSD boot drive

How do I rescue a PC with a failed SSD boot drive. Windows 10 Pro was the System and PC comes up in BIOS. Have the original Disk. Supplier gone out of business just before it happened.

:)

 

Cloning to SSD then swapping drive letters


@SamHobbs
What you want done is very simple and can be done in short period of time. Here's my suggestion:
There's 2 modes that Windows can be installed: UEFI and the old legacy MBR. Open Disk Management, look at the disk where your C drive is, if there's a

1. EFI System Partition, your Windows was installed using UEFI.
2. System Reserved partition, your Windows was installed using MBR

Next, Connect your SSD to an available Sata port (no need to format or do anything). Download: Macrium Reflect Free . Install and run. Follow the steps below:

1. From Macrium, click on image this disk under your C drive and save it to either an Internal or External Drive. This will create a single backup image of the whole disk containing your C drive.
2. Again, from Macrium, click on Restore tab and select the image created from step 1, Select your SSD as the destination drive, click Next->Finish
3. Exit Macrium. If your Windows was installed using MBR, Open disk management and make sure the SSD is marked "Active" else go to next step.
4. Shutdown your PC. Disconnect the HD containing Windows C drive then connect your SSD to it.
5. Reboot. Your PC should boot and the Windows should have C as the drive letter.

NOTE: The procedure above is to backup your Windows to an image file then copy it back to the SSD. This ensures proper cluster size aligment for the SSD. In addition, Macrium also perform Trimming for the SSD. This is more preferable than cloning.

 

SSD as Boot Drive? How?

Well, I have Windows installed on the SSD, along with the drivers and browser. Now, I'm trying to install other stuff (Steam, games, etc.), but the mechanical drive isn't showing. I'm sure I missed a step?

 

Win 10, no boot, no safe mode, no system restore, Status_Wait_3 error, 0x80070003 , bootrec commands successful, but still no boot, what else?

Agreed. Don't know where that "windows.old" is coming from. I only have the one SSD drive currently attached to the PC, which should hold my one Windows 10 installation. I thought perhaps the second installation was referring to the ISO on the USB drive?
Anyhow, I chose the "All" option at the "Add installation to boot list prompt" and then proceeded to try another system restore, which ultimately failed at the restore registry step.