Error code 0xc000000e is a common blue screen error when booting the system from the cloned drive. What if you meet error code 0xc000000e after clone in Windows 11/10? MiniTool will walk you through several solutions in the comprehensive guide, as well as another cloning software for disk cloning in a breeze.
Error Code 0xc000000e After Clone Windows 11/10
On Windows 11/10, you may encounter some boot errors and the error 0xc000000e on a blue screen is one of the most common situations. It indicates the system fails to load the critical boot files. According to reports, the error code often appears after cloning an HDD/SSD to an SSD and booting the PC from that cloned drive.
In detail, a blue screen displays the message:
“Your PC needs to be repaired.
A required device isn’t connected or can’t be accessed.
Error code: 0xc000000e”.
Before we jump into the troubleshooting tips, let’s take a deep delve into some main causes behind the error code 0xc000000e after clone, as shown below:
- Incorrect BIOS settings: Windows may fail to recognize your cloned drive when BIOS settings are not set properly, for example, boot order, boot mode, etc.
- Cloning software issues: The software you used may have bugs or compatibility issues, triggering the error code 0xc000000e after clone in Windows 11/10.
- Issues with peripherals: External devices may interfere with your machine and bring the blue screen error.
- Corrupt BCD (Boot Configuration Data) files: BCD is where Windows boot options are stored, which plays an important role in Windows boot. If it is corrupted, it will cause unbootable situations and prompt a BCD error like 0xc000000e.
After knowing possible factors, you better understand the issue, and below let’s focus on how to fix the boot error 0xc000000e after clone.
Fixes for 0xc000000e After Clone Windows 11/10
We outline 4 solutions to address your issue and try them one by one to find the one that works for you.
Check Physical Device Connections
It is important to check the connection between your external devices and the computer while handling the error 0xc000000e when booting from cloned drive. This is because Windows determines the boot priority depending on the connected devices. Boot issues may happen once peripherals take precedence over your system drive.
In this case, disconnect your unnecessary external devices:
Step 1: Shut down your computer.
Step 2: Unplug any external hard drives, USB flash drives, CDs, printers, scanners, headphones, etc. Only connect the essential keyboard and mouse, and make sure the connection is secure.
Step 3: Turn on the PC and check if you still meet the error code 0xc000000e after clone.
Reset BIOS Configuration
In case you make some incorrect changes to the BIOS/UEFI settings before encountering the Windows 11/10 boot error 0xc000000e, you can revert the BIOS configuration to its default values. By resetting, all the incompatible configurations will be removed.
Step 1: Restart your computer and press a boot key when seeing the Windows logo or manufacturer logo to enter BIOS. Note that the boot key can be Del, Esc, F2, F10, etc.
Step 2: Find the setup defaults option in BIOS. It may show Load Default, Load Setup Default, Load Default Settings, Load BIOS Defaults, or a similar one.
Step 3: Select it and press Enter to begin resetting BIOS to default settings.
Step 4: In addition, access the boot tab and make sure you set the cloned SSD as the first boot device.
Step 5: Save the changes and proceed. You won’t face error code 0xc000000e after clone.
Run Windows Startup Repair
Windows 11/10 offers a built-in tool called Startup Repair to fix various Windows boot errors and issues. Hence, give it a try by taking these steps.
Step 1: Restart the system and power it off when you see the Windows logo to interrupt the boot process. Repeat this three times and the operating system will enter the Automatic Repair screen. Just hit Advanced options to access Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
Alternatively, you can prepare a bootable USB drive or CD/DVD, boot the machine from it, and hit Repair your computer in Windows Setup to enter WinRE.
Step 2: Move to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
Step 3: This tool will diagnose your computer and it will start up if issues are fixed. If not, continue the following troubleshooting tips.
Rebuild BCD File
As stated above, a corrupt Boot Configuration Data (BCD) file potentially brings about 0xc000000e after cloning HDD/SSD to SSD in Windows 11/10. To tackle this issue, repair the BCD file. Then, do the following:
Step 1: Go to access WinRE by using a bootable drive or force restart.
Step 2: Head to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
Step 3: In the CMD window, type the following commands in order and press Enter after each command.
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrect /fixboot
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Once done, boot your PC from the cloned SSD and Windows should load properly, without the 0xc000000e error code.
Clean Install Windows on an SSD
As a last resort, you can attempt to clean install Windows 11/10 on the cloned SSD and boot the system from that drive.
To do this thing, prepare an ISO file, run Rufus to burn BIOS to a USB drive, boot the machine from a bootable USB, and enter the Windows Setup interface. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete installing Windows to your SSD. Here is a related post – How to Clean Install Windows 11 24H2 – a Full Guide to Follow.
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Now Windows should be able to boot from your cloned SSD without error code 0xc000000e after applying all the ways. However, if you still run into the issue (you don’t want to clean install the OS), the root cause may be related to the cloning software you used and here we recommend another software for disk cloning.
Run MiniTool ShadowMaker to Re-Clone HDD/SSD to HDD
You may perform an incomplete cloning process or an error in software leads to an invalid transfer of boot files. As a result, you meet the error 0xc000000e when booting from cloned drive. In order to do a successful cloning task, use the professional hard drive cloning software – MiniTool ShadowMaker.
Beyond backup software for Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 focusing on file backup, folder backup, disk backup, system backup, and partition backup, MiniTool ShadowMaker is also excellent hard drive cloning software.
It comes with the Clone Disk feature that supports cloning a hard drive, USB flash drive, SD card, etc. to another one. By cloning HDD to SSD with this utility, you easily upgrade your disk. Moreover, MiniTool ShadowMaker enables you to clone SSD to larger SSD and move Windows to another drive without any effort.
With it, you won’t struggle with error code 0xc000000e after clone in Windows 11/10 as it guarantees the successful cloning process to an extreme.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
To clone HDD to SSD, take these steps:
Step 1: Plug your new SSD into the machine and make sure it is recognized by the system. Then, double-click on the icon of this software to launch it and then hit Keep Trial.
Step 2: On the Tools page, locate and click Clone Disk.
Step 3: You can make some advanced settings for the cloning task by clicking Options. By default, MiniTool ShadowMaker uses a new disk ID for the target drive to prevent disk signature collision. You had better not change it if you keep both the source and target disks. In addition, the utility supports the sector by sector cloning and you can tick Sector by sector clone under the Disk clone mode window.
Step 4: Choose your old HDD as the source disk and select the connected SSD as the target disk. As you are cloning a system disk, you will get a popup after hitting Start to ask you to register the software. Just do it with a license key and then the cloning process begins.
Depending on the data size, the cloning time you take varies, and wait patiently. If you have things to do, tick the box of Shut down the computer when the operation is completed, letting you not wait for the process to finish.
Further Tip:
Besides MiniTool ShadowMaker, another cloning software, MiniTool Partition Wizard also makes it easy to clone HDD to SSD without having to meet error code 0xc000000e after clone.
Its Migrate OS to SSD/HD Wizard and Copy Disk Wizard features are worth a shot. The former migrates the entire system disk or the only operating system from one disk to another while the second one simply clones your data disk or system disk to another one.
Download, install, and launch it to get started, then complete the cloning task. For more information on how to clone a hard drive, click the given link.
MiniTool Partition Wizard FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Once done, your cloned SSD should be bootable. In other words, you can enter the BIOS menu, set the SSD as the first boot order if you keep both of these two drives, and run Windows from it. If you only keep the SSD in a PC, you can shut down the PC, remove the old HDD, put the new SSD in the original place, and Windows can directly boot from it. You won’t meet the blue screen error 0xc000000e.
Tips to Avoid Boot Error 0xc000000e After Clone
Here we collect some useful tips to help you avoid boot errors after cloning HDD to SSD. Apply them, without spending much time and effort to seek solutions in the event of issues.
- When it comes to upgrading your disk or migrating the system to another drive, please use reliable cloning software such as MiniTool ShadowMaker or MiniTool Partition Wizard.
- Correctly configure your BIOS settings including the boot order and boot mode (Legacy BIOS or UEFI)
- Ensure all the system partitions are cloned.
- You had better disconnect unnecessary external devices when booting the machine from the cloned drive.
Final Words
That’s information on the topic of error code 0xc000000e after clone. This tutorial covers several solutions and try them until you get rid of trouble. We highly suggest running a piece of professional and robust hard drive cloning software like MiniTool ShadowMaker, sparing from many cloning issues.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Do you have any idea about our MiniTool software? If yes, don’t hesitate to contact us by sending an email to [email protected]. Thanks for your feedback to help us make progress.
Error Code 0xc000000e After Clone FAQ
2. Reset BIOS configuration
3. Use Windows Startup Repair
4. Rebuild BCD file
5. Clean install Windows
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Vera is an editor of the MiniTool Team since 2016 who has more than 7 years’ writing experiences in the field of technical articles. Her articles mainly focus on disk & partition management, PC data recovery, video conversion, as well as PC backup & restore, helping users to solve some errors and issues when using their computers. In her spare times, she likes shopping, playing games and reading some articles.