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sounds like the HDD had the Click of Death.
every time it did that, during the clone process, the transfer of data would have been interrupted, probably to the point of failing.
I would install Windows on to the SSD from scratch.
use the Windows Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB stick with the latest build on it.
then boot the PC from that stick with the only the SSD connected.
I’d then put that HDD into an external enclosure and see what can be retrieved.
sounds like the HDD had the Click of Death.
every time it did that, during the clone process, the transfer of data would have been interrupted, probably to the point of failing.
I would install Windows on to the SSD from scratch.
use the Windows Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB stick with the latest build on it.
then boot the PC from that stick with the only the SSD connected.
I’d then put that HDD into an external enclosure and see what can be retrieved.
The problem is I don’t have any hardware to do all that and I already spent 415$ for the SSD and the data transfer. I still have a windows 7 cd, but can I install windows not from scratch?
if you paid someone for the cloning, and they tried to from that faulty HDD, then they can’t have been doing this for too long! the HDD is probably dead.
you have two problems - 1) getting the SSD installed with Windows and 2) getting data off the old HDD.
to reload Windows you are going to need the installation media for Win7 or Win10.
and after it is installed, you’ll need the Product Key to activate either of those.
even if the clone process worked, when Windows would have first booted, it would have discovered the drivers already on the drive no longer matched the hardware on the new system, tried to install then and needed to be re-activated.
once the PC is working with Windows and the new SSD, then you can address how to recover data off the HDD, either via an external caddy with cost about $20, or you can plug it internally but doing so requires a reboot and sometimes the PC won’t start if a drive is unreadable.
if you paid someone for the cloning, and they tried to from that faulty HDD, then they can’t have been doing this for too long! the HDD is probably dead.
you have two problems - 1) getting the SSD installed with Windows and 2) getting data off the old HDD.
to reload Windows you are going to need the installation media for Win7 or Win10.
and after it is installed, you’ll need the Product Key to activate either of those.
even if the clone process worked, when Windows would have first booted, it would have discovered the drivers already on the drive no longer matched the hardware on the new system, tried to install then and needed to be re-activated.
once the PC is working with Windows and the new SSD, then you can address how to recover data off the HDD, either via an external caddy with cost about $20, or you can plug it internally but doing so requires a reboot and sometimes the PC won’t start if a drive is unreadable.
Ok. If I were to install windows 10 via usb, would I be able to retrieve my personal files from windows.old folder? Since he managed to transfer data using a software from a Mac.
will all depend on the status of the old drive which we know is not the best.
if windows.old is readable, and if the disk surface is intact, and if the physical unit is mechanically sound, then yes, you have a chance.
but that’s a lot of if’s.
Cloning drives seems to be hit & miss & many have found their new drive refuses to boot. As the original drive was faulty then cloning most likely would’ve also copied the problems over as well.
Can you download Macrium Reflect free On another PC, create their boot media on USB drive, insert this drive into the problem PC, boot from this USB drive then once in the recovery choose Other>Fix Boot problems. Once completed restart the PC.
If you still have the drive then the better option would be to image the old drive, then with your Macrium boot drive boot the PC & restore the image.
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