What Is a Boot Device [Everything You Need to Know]

When you turn on your computer, the boot process starts up your operating system. The first set of operations that your computer runs after you turn it on is called the boot sequence. Every computer has a boot process, and while your average computer doesn't understand it, it's important to know for customizing and troubleshooting your machine.

A computer boots up through a boot device. So, in this article, you can read and learn more about boot devices and what can be used as a boot device.

What is a boot device?

A boot device is a permanent storage device that contains an operating system and all the necessary information and files needed to start a computer. Since hard disks are the primary boot devices for most computers, that's where most users store their operating systems. In modern computers, solid-state drives (SSDs) can also be used as boot drives for permanent storage. Advanced computer users may opt to boot their PCs over a network, from a device, or via a remote connection. While these allow you to run an operating system, a hard disk or SSD is generally the better choice.

Though slow, an external drive can be used to boot an operating system for diagnostic and repair purposes in an emergency.

What can be used as a boot device?

Bootable devices include hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, CD-ROM drives, DVD drives, and USB flash drives. However, a computer can't boot from them unless they contain the necessary boot files.

The hard drive is the most common boot device or boot drive. When an operating system is installed on it, it copies the necessary boot data and drivers to run Windows. For example, you can click here to see how to copy an installed Windows 11 to a USB drive: How to Copy Installed Windows 11 to USB.

Bootable CDs are inserted into the drive when installing a new operating system, troubleshooting a computer, or booting from another disk, such as a CD-ROM drive.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bootable Devices

How to choose a startup?

Press the “Windows + R” keys on your keyboard to open the Run command. Type in msconfig, then press “Enter.” Click on the “Boot” tab in the window, and look for the drives with your operating systems installed. Click “Set as default” next to the OS you want to boot into. Then click “Apply” and “OK.” Restart your computer and see if that resolved the issue.

2. Why does my computer show no bootable device?

When your computer can't find or identify the hard drive it needs to boot Windows, you'll see a “No Boot Device” message.

Hardware needs access to the operating system and boot files in order to successfully start up Windows; without them, the computer won't start.

3. What can cause a boot device not found error?

The "No Boot Device Found" error occurs when the hard drive fails to support the boot process. As the name suggests, the Windows operating system is unable to locate a bootable device. Typically, this could be a network adapter, an external USB drive, a CD/DVD-ROM drive, or an internal hard disk.

4. How can I fix the problem of my boot device not being found?

Check your computer's settings to make sure the BIOS is searching the correct boot drive. If your computer has multiple disks installed, configure the BIOS to load from the appropriate one. Lastly, ensure that a bootable device is connected to your computer – otherwise, you'll encounter an error stating that no boot device is found.

Conclusions

In summary, dedicated boot devices contain the software that allows a computer to start up. Without this component, a computer will not turn on. When you power up your computer, the boot device tells the BIOS which device to boot from. Hopefully, you now understand what a boot device is and what can serve as a boot device for your computer. Always remember that the hard drive is the most commonly used boot device.