How to Fix “No Bootable Device Found” on Windows?

Operating device and machine problems are likely to occur occasionally even though you are highly vigilant about the types of operations your computer carries out. Some users want to open Windows, but only end up looking at white text on a black background, which the error “No boot device found“, or something like “no bootable device found” on Windows or something similar to that.

It may be frightening, and you may start questioning yourself like if you can still use your computer, whether you still have your data or is it lost. However, there is little to think about, because you can solve this dilemma by yourself using some simple steps without the need of a professional.

Also see – How to fix 0x80080005 error on Windows?

Why does the no bootable device found error occur?

To start Windows 10 or macOS, all computers use a boot device. This boot device should be on the computer machine, but this error means that the program is not able to detect a boot device. And your computer is unable to access this bootable device you end up viewing the black screen of the initialization command, immediately after clicking the power button rather than loading Windows normally. The machine motherboard generates the “Boot Computer Not Found” error.

Possible reasons for error

As discussed above, we now know that this error occurs when the computer system is unable to find a bootable device. This can happen due to several reasons some of which are mentioned below.

1. Broken hard drive: this is one of the common causes for the error above. Usually, a good hard drive lasts for about 5 to 10 years depending on how much load has been put on them. So like if you hear your hard drive making weird sounds like beeping clicking or something else then it’s better if you disconnect your hard drive from your computer immediately. You don’t have to buy a new hard drive and replace the previous one to get rid of the no bootable device found error.
2. Partition table or the boot sector of the hard drive is corrupted: there is some murder data information on your hard drive that helps the system in the booting process. If this matter is lost or is not accessible then your operating system we’ll throw this error. In such cases, your data is still on the hard drive but the navigation signpost says that the target file no longer exists. In such cases, it is unlikely that you will be able to recover your data even after you reinstall your Windows operating system. It’s better to send your hard drive to data recovery professionals if you have something important in it.
3. Change in system boot priority: This is rare but it may happen that the booting order of the storage devices attached to your computer is changed. It could happen due to various reasons such as the user may have accidentally selected “restore bios default settings”, system battery faults, or configuration changes in the system. You will need to configure the settings back for your computer to access the bootable device.

Also see – How to transfer Windows 10 license to a new computer owner?

How to fix No boot device found on Windows 10?

There are some options to fix the boot device not found failure and to start Windows correctly. Some solutions can be managed by BIOS, while others require the secure running of Windows in safe mode.

Switching to Legacy BIOS Boot Mode

Since it has more security features, Windows is normally installed in UEFI mode. Switching to legacy boot mode, on the other hand, has been recorded to correct the no bootable device accessible error by some users. Follow the steps below to switch to legacy mode.

1. Restart your computer.
2. Enter the BIOS settings using the key mentioned on your computer screen when it starts.
3. Go to the “Boot” section. It will be present among the top headers on the screen.
4. Navigate to “UEFI/BIOS boot mode” and hit enter.
5. Select the “Legacy” option using the up and down arrow keys on the keyboard and hit enter.
6. Remember to save the settings in BIOS configuration and exit.

Also see – Fix “Windows preparing automatic repair” boot loop of death.

Restore BIOS settings to default

Overclocking and caching are two great solutions in BIOS that can be enabled to get more out of your device. If you or someone else changed BIOS parameters, it’s possible that it resulted in hardware failure and the No bootable device found error message popped up. To fix this you can reset BIOS settings on your computer to default factory settings. Follow the steps below to change your BIOS settings to default.

1. Restart your PC.
2. Enter BIOS settings using the key displayed on the computer screen. Usually, it’s F12 but can be different for you based on your PC settings.
3. Go to the advanced settings option.
4. You’ll see the option, “Reset Configuration Data”. It would be marked as “No”, change it to “Yes” to enable reset.
5. Save the current setting and exit.

Now restart you PC and check if your error is fixed.

Update BIOS to latest version

No device found error could occur due to incompatibility or a bug in the version. Hence, it always a good idea to keep the BIOS updated on your system. Below are the steps to update BIOS.

1. Search for “System Information” in the Windows search box.
2. Select the “System Summary” section on the left-hand side to see which is the current BIOS version on your PC. This information will be available on the right-hand side in front of the item, “BIOS Version/Date“.
3. Note the name of your BIOS manufacturer and logon to their official website for the latest BIOS version. Check the official website for the latest BIOS version based on your BIOS manufacturer. For example, if you are using an HP laptop then you can get the details of latest BIOS version for HP here.
4. Download the latest BIOS version and unzip the file to an external storage unit.
5. Reboot your computer and go to BIOS settings. Use the key displayed on your computer to visit BIOS settings.
6. Create a backup of your current BIOS version to a portable disk.
7. Start the BIOS update using the file you downloaded and follow the instructions on the screen.
8. Remember not to shut down your PC during the update and keep it connected to the power source at all times.
9. Once the update finishes restart your computer to check whether Windows is starting correctly.

Keeping the BIOS updated should keep you safe from “No boot device found” errors.

So these were some of the steps that you can follow to fix no bootable device found error on Windows 10, 8 or 7. Do let us know if these steps worked for you in the comments below. Also, check out our Windows tips and tricks to make the best of your Windows once it’s fixed.