Windows 11 clone drive boots from USB but not as internal drive

This is so frustrating. I do not understand how in recovery mode, I can access all drives and partitions. However while booting i see this inaccessible boot device error, without provide any more details. I even tried to reset the installation, but it fails with error.

When I install llinux on the remaining space, it works fine and shows all partitions (including windows). Can't believe how microsoft cannot get this right.

Hi kapildverma,

Thank you for sharing the detailed information.

Based on the symptoms described, the cloned Windows 11 drive appears structurally intact and correctly partitioned. The behavior you’re seeing (where the system boots successfully when the drive is connected via USB but not when installed internally) typically indicates a boot-time storage controller compatibility issue, rather than missing files or damaged partitions.

When installed internally, the system relies on the laptop’s onboard storage controller. If the required controller driver is not active at startup, Windows may be unable to access the boot device and enter recovery mode.

Here are some recommended solutions that you can try in order:

1, Adjust BIOS storage setting

• Restart the laptop and enter BIOS (usually F1).
• Go to Config > Storage.
• Disable Intel VMD (if enabled).
• Save changes and reboot.

2, Add the correct storage driver to Windows

• Download the storage controller (Intel RST/VMD) driver for your ThinkPad model from Lenovo Support.
• Boot using Windows Recovery Media.
• Open Command Prompt and run: dism /Image:C:\ /Add-Driver /Driver:<driver_folder> /Recurse
• Restart the system.

3, Verify boot configuration consistency

• Ensure BIOS is set to UEFI only
• Confirm storage mode matches the original system configuration (no change between AHCI/VMD after cloning)

These steps address the most common causes of this behavior after cloning and should help Windows properly recognize the internal drive during startup.

Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

The cloned disk layout looks correct, so the 0x7B “Inaccessible_Boot_Device” is most likely caused by boot configuration or storage‑stack issues after moving the SSD from USB to the internal controller.

Follow these steps from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) on the internal SSD:

1. Verify the OS disk and volumes
   In WinRE Command Prompt:

      diskpart
      list disk
      select disk 0
      list vol
   

   Ensure the internal disk that contains Windows is listed and that the Windows volume has a drive letter (for example, C:) and the EFI/System partition has a letter (for example, S:). If the OS disk is not listed, this indicates a hardware or controller issue and requires OEM support.
2. Check and repair the Boot Configuration Database (BCD)
   Still in WinRE, exit DiskPart and run:

      bcdedit
   

   Confirm that:
   • In Windows Boot Manager ({bootmgr}), device and path point to the correct EFI partition and \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi on a UEFI system.
   • In Windows Boot Loader ({default}), device, osdevice, and systemroot point to the correct Windows partition and \Windows folder.
   If entries are wrong or missing:
   1. Back up the current BCD:

            bcdedit /export C:\temp\bcdbackup
      

   2. Correct entries, for example (adjust drive letters as needed):

            bcdedit /set {bootmgr} device partition=S:
            bcdedit /set {bootmgr} path \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi
            bcdedit /set {default} device partition=C:
            bcdedit /set {default} osdevice partition=C:
            bcdedit /set {default} systemroot \Windows
      

   3. If the BCD store is missing or cannot be opened, rebuild it:

            bootrec /rebuildbcd
      

3. Confirm boot files on the EFI/System partition
   On UEFI systems the boot files must be present on the EFI (FAT32) partition. If Windows still does not boot and you see errors such as “Bootmgr not found,” recopy the boot files using bcdboot (adjust letters):

      bcdboot C:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI
   

   Then reboot and test.
4. Check for storage filter drivers and services causing 0x7B
   If the system still shows INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE, from WinRE load the offline registry and remove problematic filter drivers:
   1. Determine the Windows drive letter in WinRE (for example, C:).
   2. Run regedit and load the offline SYSTEM hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE → File → Load Hive → open C:\Windows\System32\config\SYSTEM and name it OfflineSystemHive.
   3. Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\OfflineSystemHive\ControlSet001\Control\Class, inspect these keys:
      • {4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
      • {4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
      • {4D36E97B-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
      • {71A27CDD-812A-11D0-BEC7-08002BE2092F}
   4. In each key, check UpperFilters and LowerFilters. Remove any non‑standard entries (anything other than default Windows filter drivers such as PartMgr) by editing the value and deleting only the unwanted entries.
   5. Still in the offline SYSTEM hive, review services whose Start type is 0 or 1 and that correspond to removed filter drivers; these should not remain enabled.
   6. Unload the hive (File → Unload Hive) and close Registry Editor.
5. Run disk and system file checks on the internal SSD
   Back in WinRE Command Prompt, run:

      chkdsk /f /r C:
      sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows
   

   This repairs file system corruption and restores missing or corrupted system files that can also lead to 0x7B.
6. If the issue persists
   • Verify in firmware (UEFI/BIOS) that the internal SSD is the first boot device and that the controller mode (for example, AHCI) matches the mode used when Windows was installed. Changing controller mode without the proper drivers can cause INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE.
   • If the OS disk does not appear correctly in diskpart or continues to fail after these steps, this can indicate a faulty storage controller, motherboard, or SSD and requires hardware diagnostics from the device manufacturer.

These steps align with the documented troubleshooting for Stop error 0x7B after storage or disk changes such as cloning or moving a system disk.

References:

• Advanced troubleshooting for Stop error 7B or Inaccessible_Boot_Device
• Bug check 0x7B: INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
• Capture and apply Windows, system, and recovery partitions