Chosen Solution
I replaced the 256gb SSD in my macbook pro after cloning an image of it. I set the cloned image onto a 1tb Samsung SSD. I have run it through disk utility and they system appears to be fine - it is just that the machine will only get 3/4 of the way through the boot process? Running Yosemite.
Try starting first in Safe Mode by holding down the Shift key on startup. Since you cloned you probably don’t have a repair partition, to check, hold down the option key on start up and see if it is there. If it’s there boot from it and run Disk Utilities. Cloning was good years ago and a real time saver but not so today. Better to first format the drive then do an internet installation and use migration assistance to move your apps and data.
