"Boot Device Not Found: How to Fix the Error of No Bootable Device Found"

There's nothing more frustrating than trying to work on an important task and getting an error message instead. This usually happens at the worst possible time, like when you have a deadline at work, need to finish a school project, or are in the middle of some much-needed retail therapy.

Boot errors aren't any fun, but they're some of the most common errors users run into. Of course, not all boot issues are created equal. Some, like “No Boot Device Found,” can be tricky, or merely indicate you need to tweak your settings.

This error doesn't mean that your computer has been completely taken over or that your hard drive has been erased. It does mean, however, that the boot drive can't be found, which prevents you from using your computer until the problem is fixed.

So, what is a boot device error? Why does it happen? Can you fix the no bootable device error on your own, or will you need professional assistance? The answers to these crucial questions will prepare you for the next time you encounter this problem.

What causes the "No Bootable Device Found" error?

As mentioned earlier, the “No Boot Device Found” issue occurs when a computer fails to locate the boot sector. However, let's delve deeper into what the “No Boot Device Found” error implies. Typically, when you restart your computer, the boot process proceeds smoothly until you encounter this startup error.

A boot device is a storage hardware (such as a hard disk drive or a solid-state drive) or a partition on a storage device that your laptop/BIOS computer (firmware on the motherboard) identifies as a bootable storage device. It can be defined as a boot device in two ways.

< li > A bootable storage device is identified in the BIOS as a "handshake." The motherboard checks the hardware ID of the storage device, which includes details like the manufacturer, model, and storage capacity. Essentially, the system board is integrated with the hard drive or flash drive at this point.
• The motherboard maintains a list of all connected storage devices in order of priority, called the boot order or boot sequence. The device that first identifies itself as a bootable device is the one the computer will boot from. The motherboard then executes instruction sets to find the boot sector and Master Boot Record (MBR) on the device, which then starts Windows.

That's how your computer decides which MBR boot device to use. Or, at least, tries to. If it can't boot from the first device on the list, you might see a “boot device not found” error message.

HP Laptop Says 'No Boot Device Found'? How to Fix?

If you see an error like 'No boot device found' on your HP laptop, keep reading this post, we'll show you how to solve the issue.

Now that we know the reasons behind the 'No Boot Device Found' issue, let's try fixing the No Boot Device Error.

How to Solve the "No Bootable Device Found" Issue

We know this error can be scary, but don't worry. Below, we've listed the immediate fixes for the “No Bootable Device Found” error.

Method 1: Check Your BIOS Settings and Boot Order

Starting in the wrong order can cause your computer to attempt to boot from a non-bootable hard drive, resulting in an "No Boot Device Found" error. Thus, make sure your system hard drive is first in the boot order.

Please follow these steps:

Step 1: First, restart your computer and press (Delete/F2/F10 etc.) to enter BIOS mode.

Step 2. Use the Right Arrow key on your keyboard to navigate to the Boot tab. Also, place the system hard drive at the top of the boot order list.

Method 2: Make the Primary Partition Active

A primary partition is where an operating system is installed. In order for it to boot successfully, it must be set as active. Thus, if it was accidentally set to inactive, you would get a "No Boot Device Found" error. To reactivate it, do the following:

Step 1: Insert the Windows installation disc and start your computer. Select your language and keyboard layout, and then click on “Repair your computer.”

Step 2: If you have a Windows 10 or Windows 8 install DVD, select Troubleshoot and then Command Prompt. If you're using a Windows 7 install DVD, choose the first option, “Use a device to help recover from a serious problem,” and on the System Recovery Options screen, click Next. In the next window, click Command Prompt.

Step 3. Type each of the following commands in the Elevated Command Prompt, and press “Enter” after each one.

• List disk • Select disk 0 (0 refers to the disk number of your system drive) • List partition • Select partition 1 (1 indicates the number of your system partition) • Active

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Method 3: Check the Internal Hard Drive Status

If there are any disk issues with the internal hard drive, you might get the "No Bootable Device Found" error upon starting up Windows. You can check its status using the CHKDSK.exe tool. To do this, open the Command Prompt window as described in Method 2. Then, run the command chkdsk c: /f /x /r, which will scan for problems on drive C (where Windows is usually installed) and fix them if possible.

Note: The CHKDSK command can result in permanent data loss. If your data is important to you,

Method 4: Create Windows installation media using Partition Master Tool

"How do I find a bootable partition manager to resize partitions?" This is a common question on partitioning forums. The following will guide you through using the tool Partition Master to create a bootable USB drive with a partition manager.

AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is the typical partition manager for both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows operating systems. It can create a bootable USB drive for partition management so that Windows users can boot up computer from it and manage hard disk partitions safely.

In addition to hard drives and RAID, Partition Master can also handle partitioning of external hard drives.

Step 1. To create a bootable Disk Partition Master, you'll need a storage media such as a USB drive, a flash drive, or a CD/DVD disc. Connect the drive to your computer properly.

Step 2. Launch Partition Master and find the “Bootable Media Creator” feature on the left. Click it.

Step 3: If you have a drive available, select either USB or CD/DVD. If you don't have a blank drive, you can also save the ISO to your local disk and burn it to media later. Click "Create" after making your selection to begin the process.

• Read the warning message, and then click Yes.

Step 4. When it's done, you'll see a pop-up asking whether you want to reboot your computer from the bootable USB.

• Boot now: This means you want to restart your computer immediately and enter the boot media tool to manage disk partitions without an operating system.
• Finish: This means you do not want to restart your current computer, but instead want to use the bootable USB device on a new computer.

Note: To use the bootable disk on a new computer, you need to restart the target computer and press F2/F8/Delete to enter the BIOS, then set the USB boot disk as the first boot device.

Wait patiently, and the computer will automatically boot from the USB boot media and enter the WinPE tool desktop.

If you're interested in more on the same topic from the notebook, click on the link below:

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More information: What does "No Bootable Device Found" mean?

To start Windows 10 or macOS, all computers need a boot device. Your system should have one; however, this error indicates that your computer can't recognize a bootable disk. Rather than opening Windows as usual after pressing the power button, you'll immediately see a black Boot Command Prompt screen. The “No Boot Device Found” issue is caused by your computer's motherboard. If you have an HP laptop or PC, you might instead see a 3f0 error message.

The BIOS contains the boot order for your laptop or desktop, with the system drive usually listed as the first boot device (where Windows is installed). It also holds the hardware address of your hard drive and the instruction set needed to access the Master Boot Record (MBR) or boot sector. The MBR stores the location of where the operating system boots from, which is read when you start up Windows 10 (or another version). So, some variations of this warning might display as “No boot device found; please install an operating system.”

If the BIOS cannot find any bootable hard disks, it will not be able to locate the MBR or boot sector. The computer will cycle through all known boot device configurations, and if they all fail, this message will be displayed.

A bootable device can be any storage unit connected to the computer, and advanced users can boot from a network or remote repository. Most of us, however, boot directly from a USB drive, CD/DVD, or HDD/SSD/NVMe via the motherboard.

UEFI vs BIOS: What Are the Differences and Which Is Better?

This article will help you understand the differences between UEFI and BIOS, which firmware you should use for your motherboard, and how to check whether your computer uses UEFI or BIOS.

Conclusions

The “Windows failed to start” issue can lead to abnormal functionality in your PC. If you encounter this problem, don't panic; instead, use the effective methods highlighted in this article to resolve it. If you're looking for a simpler solution, we recommend using the Partition Master tool to quickly get rid of this error!