I replaced a failing C: drive with a Samsung 870 EVO. The old drive was cloned, and Windows 10 was reportedly reinstalled before my files and applications were copied over. Since the replacement, every boot displays "Scanning and repairing drive C:." Windows also says the drive has errors and repeatedly asks me to restart after running the repair from the drive properties and maintenance settings. The scan completes, but the warning returns after every restart. Could errors from the old failing drive have been carried over, and would reinstalling Windows from scratch fix this?
1 Answer
If the original drive was already failing, cloning it may have copied corrupted files or filesystem problems to the SSD. Even if Windows was reinstalled afterward, some damaged data or disk metadata could still be involved. First back up anything important and check the SSD’s health with Samsung Magician or another SMART diagnostic tool. If the SSD reports healthy, the most reliable fix is a clean Windows installation from a USB installer, then copy back only your personal files rather than cloning the old system. A clean install is usually manageable, but important data should be backed up before starting.
The shop said they reinstalled Windows and then copied over my games, documents, and apps, so I’m not sure whether the old system was actually cloned. I’m not very experienced with computers—would doing a clean installation myself be difficult?