Encountering a message on your computer that says, “No boot device found. Press any key to reboot” can be a disconcerting experience, but it doesn’t always indicate a serious issue.
The severity of the problem depends on the underlying cause of the error message. However, there’s no need to panic when you see this error, especially if the issue is not related to physical damage like dropping the computer from a considerable height while it was still on.
Understanding the cause of the error is crucial for troubleshooting and resolving the issue. It could be due to various reasons, such as a disconnected or faulty hard drive, misconfigured BIOS/UEFI settings, or issues with the operating system.
This article is going to guide you on your problems such as fixing:
- No boot device found on Windows 7
- No boot device found on window 8
- No boot device found on window 10
We are also going to cover what no boot device found on Windows 10, 8, or 7 means and also cover the causes and how to fix this no boot device found on Windows 7, windows 8 and Windows 10.
Several things can cause your computer to display this error message. The bootable device that the computer is talking about is the storage hardware which is the hard disk in the computer, which contains all the relevant files and drivers that your computer needs to boot and load the operating system.
Table of Contents
What Does Boot Device Not Found Mean?
When you see a boot device not found on your computer, it means the hard disk that contains the Windows installation can not be found during booting.
There is something called BIOS, which is used by the computer to load the operating system and then execute the booting of the computer.
Whenever you see the error message on your computer, it is the BIOS that is trying to tell you that it cannot locate the hardware containing the boot files so it cannot load the operating system. It can also mean that there is a problem with the boot files.
Causes
Just like every error that happens in a computer, several causes make the BIOS display the booting error on the screen. Here are some of those causes.
- Incorrect boot order
- System partition not being set as active
- Corrupted hard disk
- Computer boot MBR sector damage
- Damaged hard disk (which is serious)
How To Fix ‘no boot device found error’
- Removal and reconnection of all hardware components
- Checking the boot order of the computer
- Resetting the primary partition as active
- Check to see if the hard disk is not damaged
Now let us look at the solutions in a bit more detail.
Removal And Reconnection Of Hardware
Now reconnect all the hardware devices properly. Doing this helps to see whether the BIOS was not able to detect the boot hardware due to a loose connection which caused it to display the error message.
If this solution doesn’t work, well, just proceed to the next one below.
Checking The Boot Order Of The Computer
Another problem that could cause the BIOS to display the error message is an incorrect boot order.
To correct this, you must make sure that the hard disk is the first place that the BIOS has to look for boot files when you turn the computer on. Follow the steps below to set the boot order.
Restart the computer and then press the relevant key to enter the BIOS setup
Navigate with the arrow keys on the keyboard and go to the boot tab. Now move the system hard disk to the top of the boot order list
Resetting Primary Partition As Active
The part of the partition which has the operating system installed is known as the primary partition. This partition always needs to be set as active for the system booting to be successful.
So in case, it has been set to ‘inactive’ you will likely receive the error message on your computer. Follow the steps below to set it back to action in case it was set to inactive.
Insert the Windows installation CD into the computer and then boot from it. You will then select the language and keyboard layout. After that, click on ‘repair computer’
Users of the Windows 8 and 10 installation disks should click on Troubleshoot and then on the command prompt. Those using Windows 7 installation CD will have to go to system recovery options and then select ‘Use recovery tools that can help’ and then click on next. Click on the command prompt in the next window that comes
Now enter these commands one after another in the elevated command prompt and then press enter when you are done.
- List disk
- Select disk 0
- List partition
- Select partition 1
- Active
Check To See If The Hard Disk Is Not Damaged
If the hard disk has some errors, then the ‘no boot device found’ error will appear. You can check the status of the hard disk by using the command prompt again. Execute ‘chkdsk c: /f /x /r’ this will then check to see if there are any errors on the hard disk.
However, it could also be that the hard disk has been damaged. This can happen if the computer was dropped from the high ground while it is working.
It is easy for the hard disk to get damaged while it is working when the computer is dropped. This is because the hard disk would hit the spinning platters due to the impact of the drop.
However, if the drop was not from high ground and there was some cushioning, then it could be that the hard disk has come loose.
You will need to open the back where the hard disk is and check to see. It is advisable to let a technician do this for you. If the hard disk has come loose, then fit it back in and screw it tight. Then switch it on to see if it works.
If it is not loose, gently remove it and shake the hard disk slightly for any rattling sound. If there is any, then it is likely destroyed and you will need a new one. If there is no sound, then insert it in again and switch the computer on to see if it works or not
A damaged hard disk is one of the most serious problems you can encounter with your computer. It is always advisable to take good care of your computer. Never leave it in edgy places as it might drop.
We hope this article was really helpful. Let us know if there is anything else you would like to know about.
