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If you turn on your PC and see the message Windows “no bootable device” error, you might feel scared. It could mean that your hard drive has failed, but it could also mean that your boot order is wrong or that your system files are damaged. These problems can be fixed with Windows commands like the System File Checker (SFC).
An error that says “no bootable device” can be a problem, but it can also be fixed by taking some common ways to fix problems. If you get this error and don’t know how to fix it on Windows 11, the ways below should help you do so. For further information regarding this error, you can also visit official Microsoft support website.
Most of the time, if a virus gets into your computer and hurts important files, When trying to start their computer, many people have seen an error that says “No bootable device.” Most of the time, they get this error after restarting their computer to fix a problem or after adding a new hard drive. This error can be caused by a wrong boot order, a broken MBR, a hard drive or partition that wasn’t found, or other things.
Ways to Fix Windows “No Bootable Device” Error
Check the Boot Order of the System Hard Drive
In the boot order, the system hard drive should come first. So, check to see if the boot order on the desktop computer is wrong. To do this, do the following:
Step 1: To get into BIOS, restart your computer and press Esc, Del, F2, F10, or F8. This may be different for each system. It will help you get into the BIOS.
Step 2: Use the arrow keys to move the system hard drive to the top of the list of hard drives to boot from.
Step 3: Save your changes, get out of BIOS, and turn on your computer again.
Fix Corrupted MBR
If the Master Boot Record (MBR) on your system drive is broken, you might get the “No bootable devices found” error. It’s usually one of the main reasons why this problem happens, and it’s easy to fix. Follow these steps to fix your device’s bad MBR:
Step 1: Turn on your computer after putting the Windows installation disc in. When the Install now window comes up, choose the language and region, and then click Repair your computer.
Step 2: On the screen with the Advanced options, click on Troubleshoot. Command Prompt comes next.
Step 3: Type the following lines of code into the Command Prompt and hit Enter after each one.
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Step 4: Close the Command Prompt window and turn your computer back on.
Reset Primary Partition as Active
The operating system is put on the partition of the hard drive that is called the “primary partition.” It needs to be running for the operating system to work. If the system partition is not active, you will get an error message that says “No bootable devices were found.” So, it’s important to make sure it’s set to “active.” To do this, do the following:
Step 1: Put the Windows installation DVD in the computer and turn it on. Then, choose your language and keyboard layout, and click Repair your computer.
Step 2: If you have an installation DVD for Windows 11 or Windows 10, choose Troubleshoot and Command Prompt. If you are installing Windows from the DVD, choose Use recovery tools that can help… Windows OS. Click the Next button. Click Command Prompt in the next window.
Step 3: Type each of the following commands one at a time into the Command Prompt window, then press Enter:
lit disk
select disk 0: 0 is the disk number of the system hard disk.
list partition
select partition 1: 1 represents the number of your system partition.
active
Try Removing and Reconnecting All Hardware Components
If the computer can’t find your installed bootable device, try taking it all apart and putting it back together. Start by turning off the computer and unplugging the power cord. Then, you can take out everything connected to the computer, like the hard drive, USB drives, mouse, etc., and put everything back in the right way to see if that fixes the problem.
It can help figure out if the “No bootable device” error is caused by the BIOS not being able to find the system hard drive because of a loose connection. But if all of these things are plugged in correctly and you still get the error, you should try the next method.
Check the Internal Hard Disk Status
If the internal hard disc is broken because of disc errors or bad sectors, your computer or laptop may say “no bootable device.” To do this, you can use the CHKDSK command.
Step 1: To run the CHKDSK command by hand, go to Troubleshoot > Command Prompt on the Windows Installation disc.
Step 2: Now, type this into the black window:
chkdsk c: /f /x /r
Recover Data From Computer With Booting Issues
You may also get the “No bootable devices found” message if your bootable media are broken or corrupted. Your computer stops working. Follow these easy steps to make a bootable USB, which you can use to get your important files back when your computer says “No bootable devices found.” A video tutorial is also available.
Step 1: Put Recoverit on a computer that works and get a blank USB drive ready. To start the recovery process, click Start and then choose System Crashed Computer.
Step 2: Make bootable media that can be used to start up a computer that won’t start up on its own. Make sure that a computer that is working can find a blank USB device and connect to it. When you’ve chosen the USB drive, click Create.
Step 3: When you decide to make a USB bootable drive, a message will pop up telling you how to format a USB flash drive. So, make a copy of any important data before formatting the media.
Step 4. Once you’ve formatted the USB drive, Recoverit will start making the bootable drive you’ll use to get your computer to work again after it has crashed. Just wait a minute or two.
Step 5: Now, connect the bootable USB drive to your computer or laptop that says “no bootable device.” Next, turn on the crashed computer and, on the first screen, press the BIOS enter key to boot the BIOS from the USB drive.
Step 6: When you’re done with the steps, the computer that wouldn’t start will now be able to. Then, you can choose either Hard Disk Copy or Data Recovery to start getting your files back to a safe place.
FAQ
What causes no bootable device found?
When the computer can’t find the device or file that starts the system up, it will say “No bootable device.” Some possible causes of this problem could be: The hard drive or partition that can start up is not found. The computer is set to start up from a device that can’t start up.
How do I fix no bootable device Please restart system?
- Make the computer shut down twice until you see Windows Troubleshooting > Advanced Options: A start-up fix….
- If that didn’t work, try starting up your computer in Safe Mode:
- If that didn’t work, make a Windows 11 bootable USB and start your computer from that.
Can a virus cause no bootable device?
Most of the time, if a virus infects your computer and damages important system files and folders, the computer will still be able to see the hard drive, but it may have trouble starting up. This can also happen if you accidentally delete some system files.