AOMEI Partition Assistant
6 Methods to Fix No Bootable Device on Windows 11, 10, 8, 7
If your computer pops out error message "No bootable devices found", no need to worry about that since this article shows how to fix no bootable device error via 6 different methods in Windows PC.
By Emily / Updated on October 18, 2023
What does it mean by "no bootable device"?
A bootable device is a kind of storage hardware, such as hard drive, USB flash drive floppy disk drive, DVD, CD-ROM drive, which contains necessary boot files and drivers for loading the operating system. BIOS is a program in computers used to load the operating system and execute the boot operation. The “no bootable device found” error is actually reported by BIOS. It means BIOS cannot find or locate the boot device or the boot files on the boot device are incorrect.
Why does PC say no bootable device?
When a PC displays the error message "No bootable device," it means that the computer is unable to find a valid operating system to load and start up from the storage device (e.g., hard drive, solid-state drive, or external storage). This can happen for several reasons, and here are some common causes:
▶ An incorrect boot order.
The boot order determines the sequence in which the computer looks for a bootable operating system. If the boot order is incorrect, the computer might be trying to boot from a non-bootable device, such as a USB drive or a CD/DVD, before attempting to boot from the internal hard disk where the operating system is installed. By adjusting the boot order in the BIOS/UEFI settings, you can ensure the computer checks the correct device first and allows the operating system to load properly.
▶ System partition is not set as active.
The system partition is a specific partition on the hard disk that contains the essential files needed to start the operating system. If this partition is not set as active, the computer won't know where to find the necessary boot files, leading to the "No bootable device" error. By setting the system partition as active using the "diskpart" command in the Windows Recovery Environment, you can instruct the computer where to look for the boot files, resolving the issue.
▶ Internal hard disk is corrupted due to disk errors/bad sectors.
Disk errors and bad sectors on the internal hard disk can prevent the operating system from being read or accessed correctly. This corruption can occur due to sudden power outages, physical damage to the disk, or age-related wear and tear. By running the "chkdsk" (Check Disk) command in the Windows Recovery Environment, you can scan the disk for errors and attempt to repair them. Fixing these disk errors can restore the functionality of the operating system and resolve the "No bootable device" problem.
▶ Computer's boot hard disk MBR sector is damaged.
The Master Boot Record (MBR) is a crucial component of the disk that contains the information about the computer's partitions and the code to start the boot process. If the MBR sector becomes damaged or corrupted, the computer won't be able to locate the operating system and will display the "No bootable device" error. Using the "bootrec" command in the Windows Recovery Environment, you can attempt to repair or rebuild the MBR, which can often fix the problem and allow the computer to boot properly.
So, "how to fix no bootable device found" issue, you can try the following troubleshooting steps.
How to fix no bootable device on Windows 10, 8, 7, and 11
Now, you can try the below-listed methods to check if the "no bootable device found" problem can be fixed.
▌Method 1. Remove and connect back all hardware components
At first, you can completely power off your computer, remove all hardware devices, then put them back all properly. That can help check whether the BIOS did not detect the system hard drive due to loose connection and led to "no bootable device" issue. If this does not work for your situation, proceed to the next method.
▌Method 2. Check boot order
An incorrect boot order could mislead your computer to boot from an unbootable hard drive, then the "no bootable device found" will occur. So make sure your system hard drive is in the first place of the boot order.
Step 1. Restart your computer and press a specific key (Del, F2, F10…) to enter BIOS setup.
Step 2. Access the "Boot" tab using the right arrow keys on your keyboard. And move your system hard drive to the top of the boot order list.
▌Method 3. Reset primary partition as active
The partition where the operating system is installed is called as primary partition. It needs to be set as active for an OS boot success. So if it is set as inactive by mistake, the "no boot device found" issue will be triggered. Thus, please set it back as active.
Step 1. Insert the Windows installation DVD into your computer and boot from it. Select the language and keyboard layout, and click on "Repair your computer".
Step 2. If you are using Windows 10 and 8 installation DVD, click "Troubleshoot" and then "Command Prompt". If you are using Windows 7 installation DVD, in the "System Recovery Options" screen, select the first choice "Use recovery tools that can help…", Windows 7 OS and click "Next". Select "Command Prompt" on the subsequent window.
Step 3. In the elevated Command Prompt window, write the following commands one by one and press "Enter" afterward:
● 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
▌Method 4. Check internal hard disk status
If the internal hard disk has some disk errors, the "no bootable device found" error might pop out during Windows startup. You can check its status by CHKDSK.exe tool. To do so, you can refer to the method 3 to open Command Prompt window. Then execute command "chkdsk c: /f /x /r", which will check errors on the C drive (the Windows operating system is usually installed on this drive) and fix them if possible.
▌Method 5. Fix boot information (BCD and MBR)
When the boot information including BCD or MBR is corrupted by virus attack, power outage or bad sectors, you may get an error "no bootable devices found". You can repair or rebuild such crucial information through Command Prompt commands. Also, you need to first enter Command Prompt window, then execute bellow commands in order:
▶Bootrec /fixmbr
▶Bootrec /fixboot
▶Bootrec /scanos
▶Bootrec /rebuildbcd
Then restart your computer to check if this fixes your problem.
If you cannot access Command Prompt since the Windows installation DVD is not available, you can switch to AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. With it, you can first create a bootable Windows 11/10/8/7 media, then boot your computer from it, and fix "no bootable device" problem. Besides this, you can also check disk and test disk speed with this tool.
Below are detailed steps on how to fix no bootable device via AOMEI Partition Assistant Pro.
Step 1. Plug an empty USB drive into a working computer, free download, install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard on that PC.
Step 2. Click "Tools" > "Make Bootable Media" on the main interface, and follow the Wizard to create a bootable USB drive.
Then connect this bootable USB drive to your computer with "no bootable devices found" issue, and boot computer from the bootable media. When you log in, you will be in the main interface of AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard. Now you can rebuild MBR within three steps.
Step 1. Right-click the system hard disk, and select "Rebuild MBR".
Step 2. Choose an appropriate MBR type for your operating system, and click "OK".
Step 3. Hit on "Apply" and "Proceed" to commit the pending operation.
Furthermore, you can use this freeware to check the system disk status: click the system disk and select "Test" > "Disk Surface Test" and wait for the process to be finished.
Moreover, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard also supports checking and fix partition errors: right click the system drive and select "Advanced"> "Check Partition", choose the first way to both check and repair partition errors….
▌Method 6. Recover deleted boot partition
If you deleted your system partition by mistake and BIOS cannot find the boot drive, either, Windows will also fail to find the boot device. In this case, you can try AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. It allows you to create a bootable media and recover deleted boot partition without loading up OS.
Step 1. Refer to the last method to make a bootable USB drive via the AOMEI Partition Assistant Pro. Boot the computer with no bootable device found from the created bootable media.
Step 2. In the main interface of AOMEI Partition Assistant Pro, click "Recover" >"Partition Recovery"
Step 3. Choose a proper method to search for the deleted boot partition and click "Next".
Step 4. Choose the system disk and click "Next".
Step 5. Then you can choose the deleted system drive and click on "Proceed" to recover the lost boot partition.
FAQs about how to fix no bootable device
Q: Can I fix the "No Bootable Device" error without losing my data?
A: In many cases, yes. By repairing the Master Boot Record or reinstalling the OS, you can often fix the issue without data loss.
Q: How can I access the BIOS settings on my computer?
A: When your computer starts up, press the designated key (usually Del, F2, or F12) to enter the BIOS setup.
Q: Is it essential to use antivirus software?
A: Yes, antivirus software helps protect your system from viruses, malware, and other security threats.
Q: Can a loose cable cause the "No Bootable Device" error?
A: Yes, a loose or disconnected cable between the hard drive and motherboard can prevent the system from detecting the bootable device.
Q: What is the Master Boot Record (MBR)?
A: The Master Boot Record is a critical piece of data on the hard drive that contains the information necessary to start the operating system.
Final words
As for how to fix no bootable device in Dell, Acer, HP and other computers with Windows 11/10/8/7 installed, these 6 methods are reported to be effective. I sincerely hope you will get a proper method according to your special situation. Apart from the above functions, AOMEI Partition Assistant also comes with many other great features: migrate OS to SSD, clone hard disk to another hard disk, extend system drive without reboot, etc.
