How To Fix the "No Bootable Devices Found" Error

The six methods to fix Windows computers' "No boot device found" error is presented here.

"How can I fix the 'No boot device found' error in Windows 10?" - Quora

One common PC issue is a "No Bootable Devices Found" error. There is no telling when your PC will encounter this error, and it will destroy whatever work you are doing at the time. The most important thing is to stay prepared and know how to fix the problem.

This article focuses on resolving the "No Bootable Devices Found" error. You will learn what this error is, what causes it, and all possible methods you can do to solve it quickly. So, let's get started!

no bootable devices found

[Video Tutorial] How To Fix the No Bootable Devices Found Error

Part 1: What Does "No Bootable Devices Found" Mean?

A bootable device is a type of storage hardware, such as a hard drive, USB flash drive, floppy drive, CD/DVD, that contains the boot files and drivers required to load the operating system.

The BIOS is primarily to blame for the "No Bootable Devices Found" error. The BIOS contains the boot process, which necessitates the need for bootable media to start the computer. This computer's boot device is often found on the system partition. The error appears when the BIOS cannot recognize the bootable device because of a boot device error.

Part 2: What Causes the "No Bootable Device Found" Error?

There are several possible causes for your laptop saying, "No Bootable Device Found". Some of the reasons are as follows:

  • The computer cannot recognize your installed bootable device.
  • The computer's boot order is incorrect.
  • The system partition is inactive.
  • The internal hard disk is corrupted because of disk errors/bad sectors.
  • The MBR sector of your device's boot disk is damaged.
  • The bootable media have been damaged or corrupted.

Part 3: How To Fix No Bootable Device on Windows 11/10/8/7?

The "No bootable devices found" error is a troubling issue many encounters. After determining the root cause, it is much easier to take the necessary steps to resolve the problem. These can be fixed with the various methods outlined below. Here's a video troubleshooting guide for quick fixes.

Free Download

For Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10/11

Free Download

For macOS X 10.10 or later

Method 1: Try Removing and Reconnecting All Hardware Components

If the computer cannot recognize your installed bootable device, try removing and reconnecting all hardware components. To begin, turn off the computer and unplug the power cable. Then, you can remove anything connected to the computer, such as the hard drive, USB drives, mouse, and so on, and replace all hardware properly to see if you can resolve the problem.

It can assist in determining whether the BIOS failed to detect the system hard drive due to a loose connection, resulting in the "No bootable device" error.

However, if all of these devices are properly plugged in and you still receive the error, you should continue to move on to the next method.

Method 2: Check the Boot Order of the System Hard Drive

The system hard drive should be in the first place of the boot order. So, check if the computer's boot order is incorrect. To do so, follow these steps:

Step 1. To enter BIOS differs from system to system, restart your computer and press Esc, Del, F2, F10, or F8. It will assist you with the BIOS entry.

go to the bios entry

Step 2. Select the Boot tab with the arrow keys and move the system hard drive to the first place of the boot order list.

*Note that you can also follow the instructions at the bottom or right pane.

select system hard drive on the top

Step 3. Save your changes, exit BIOS, and restart the computer.

restart after saving changes and exiting

Method 3: Reset Primary Partition as Active

The primary partition is the hard disk partition on which the operating system is installed. It must be active for the operating system to boot successfully. If the system partition is inactive., you will encounter a "No bootable devices found" error. As a result, it is essential to ensure it is set to active. To do so, follow these steps:

Step 1. Insert the Windows installation DVD and start your computer. Then, click Repair your computer after choosing your language and keyboard layout.

repair computer to reset primary partition

Step 2. If you have a Windows 10/8 installation DVD, select Troubleshoot and Command Prompt. If you are using the Windows 7 installation DVD, select Use recovery tools that can help.... Windows 7 OS. Then, click Next. On the following window, click Command Prompt.

repair computer to reset primary partition

Step 3. Write the following commands in the displayed Command Prompt window one at a time, 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

Method 4: Check the Internal Hard Disk Status

If the internal hard disk is corrupted because of disk errors or bad sectors, your computer/laptop may say no bootable device. You can use the CHKDSK command to accomplish this.

Step 1. To run the CHKDSK command manually, use the Windows Installation disk > Troubleshoot > Command Prompt.

select troubleshoot and open command prompt

Step 2. Now, in the black window, type:

chkdsk c: /f /x /r

Allow the command to run and fix any errors.

run the command in command prompt

Method 5: Fix Corrupted MBR

If your system drive's MBR (Master Boot Record) is damaged, it can result in the "No bootable devices found" error. It is usually one of the main causes of this problem and is simple to fix. To repair your device's corrupt MBR, follow these steps:

Step 1. Boot your computer after inserting the Windows installation media. When the Install now window appears, select the language and region, and then click Repair your computer.

click the repair your computer option

Step 2. On the Advanced options screen, select Troubleshoot. followed by Command Prompt.

choose troubleshoot and command prompt

Step 3. Enter the following command lines into Command Prompt and press Enter after each.

*If prompted to add a new installation to the boot list, enter "Y" and press Enter.

bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd
enter commands in the command prompt

Step 4. Exit Command Prompt and restart your computer.

exit command prompt and restart computer

Method 6: Recover Data From Computer With Booting Issues

You may also receive the "No bootable devices found" message if your bootable media have been damaged or corrupted. Your computer becomes unbootable Fortunately, here's the Wondershare Recoverit to help you. Recoverit is an excellent tool for recovering data from an unbootable computer by creating USB bootable media.

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Apart from computer, Recoverit can also recover data from USB flash drives, SD cards, digital cameras, drones, and other 2000+ storage media.

Follow these easy steps to use Recoverit to recover your important files when the computer displays the "No bootable devices found" message by creating a bootable USB. A video tutorial is also available.

Free Download

For Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10/11

Free Download

For macOS X 10.10 or later

Step 1. Install Recoverit on a working computer, get a blank USB drive ready and attach it. To start the recovery procedure, choose System Crashed Computer and click Start.

start recovering deleted partition with recoverit

Step 2. You must first produce bootable media on which you can boot an unbootable computer to retrieve data from it. Confirm that a working computer can detect and connect to a blank USB device. Click Create after choosing the USB drive.

choose drive to create bootable media

Step 3. An alert message regarding formatting a USB flash drive will appear when you decide to create a USB bootable drive. So, before formatting the media, make a backup of any essential data.

begin formatting the usb flash drive

Step 4. After formatting the USB drive, Recoverit will start creating the bootable drive you'll use to restart your crashed computer. Just wait a few minutes.

creating bootable usb drive with recoverit

Step 5. Now, Connect the bootable USB drive to your computer/laptop that says "no bootable device". Next, start the crashed computer and press the BIOS enter key on the first screen to boot the BIOS from the USB drive.

reboot the crashed computer

Step 6. Upon completing the steps, the unbootable computer will now be bootable. Then, you can pick between Hard Disk Copy and Data Recovery to begin restoring your files to a safe location.

pick hard disk copy/data recovery
Free Download

For Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10/11

Free Download

For macOS X 10.10 or later

Read More: How to Create Bootable USB Drive?

Conclusion

There you have it: the 6 most effective methods for fixing the "No bootable devices found" error on Windows 11/10/8/7. You can solve the error by removing and reconnecting all hardware components, checking the boot's order, resetting the primary partition as active, checking the internal hard disk status, and fixing corrupted MBR.

We hope you find the best solution for your situation. Aside from the methods listed above, Wondershare Recoverit includes many valuable features, including recovering data from crashed computers, such as being unbootable, black screen of death, and blue screen of death, by creating bootable media.

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