Dec 16, 2024 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions
Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors are commonly reported among Windows 8/10 users. They can be caused by third-party problematic software, by faulty drivers or hardware.
There are many types of BSOD errors with different stop codes. One of them is - stop code Inaccessible Boot Device.
It's quite common for all BSOD errors to crash your Windows 10 and restart your PC to prevent it from any damage. As the BSOD tells you that your PC has developed a problem and is restarting can help to address the said error.
Having said that, these errors usually appear during Windows startup, Windows 10 upgrade, Windows, or Windows 10 reset.
In this article, we are going to talk about the Windows stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device error and the solutions for it. Let's begin.
The first step of solving the Windows 10 stop code Inaccessible Boot Device error is to understand what caused it. We will try to analyze a situation to understand this Windows error.
So, one of the most occurrences of the Windows stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device error is observed during an official Windows upgrade. You are waiting for your Windows to reboot after the upgrade is finished but BAM! The BSOD error with stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device appears.
Here's what this means. It simply means that Windows lost access to your system's partition during the reboot process and hence the stop code - "inaccessible" boot device error.
Here are a few reasons that might have caused the Windows 10 stop code Inaccessible Boot Device error.
Now that we know the basic causes of the Windows stop code Inaccessible Boot Device error, let's know how to fix it!
If the stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device has occurred after a Windows update, you must uninstall the recently installed packages to fix it.
Follow these simple steps to uninstall recently installed packages on your PC.
Step 1: Open "Settings".
Step 2: Navigate to "Update & security" > "Recovery".
Step 3: Find "Advanced Startup" and click on "Restart Now".
Step 4: Once a blue screen appears, go to the command prompt using this path "Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt".
Step 5: Once the command prompt application opens up, type "dir c:" and hit "Enter", C being the drive your Windows is installed in.
Step 6: Type in the command "Dism /Image:c:\ /Get-Packages" and press "Enter". You will get a list of all the packages along with the date & time of their installation.
Step 7: Note down the name of the recently installed package. Type in the command "dism.exe /image:c:\ /remove-package /[package name]". Make sure to use the recently installed package name instead of "[package name]".
Step 8: Reboot your PC now.
The recently installed package has now been uninstalled from your system. If it was causing the Windows 10 stop code Inaccessible Boot Device error, your system must be fixed now!
The next step is to fix the Windows 10 stop code Inaccessible Boot Device error is to update your drivers. In most Windows stop code - Inaccessible Boot device errors, the driver "Standard SATA AHCI Controller" is the faulty one.
Follow the below step-by-step instructions below.
Step 1: Click "Windows" + "X" to open the Power User Menu.
Step 2: Choose "Device Manager".
Step 3: Click to expand on the device that is causing the problem. As mentioned earlier, the most common driver that is at fault is "Standard SATA AHCI Controller" under "IDE ATA/SATA controllers".
Step 4: Select "Update Driver Software".
Step 5: Click "Search automatically for updated driver software".
Step 6: Follow the instructions that follow on your screen to update the device driver.
Step 7: Reboot your system.
Due to continuous cases of BSOD errors in Windows, Microsoft decided to include an easy "Blue Screen Troubleshooter" button in Windows 10.
Follow the next set of simple instructions to use this feature & fix the Windows 10 stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device error in your PC.
Step 1: Go to "Settings" and click on "Update & Security".
Step 2: Click on "Troubleshoot" from the left-hand panel.
Step 3: Go to "Blue Screen" and click on "Run the troubleshooter".
Step 4: "Restart" your PC, after the process is completed.
The stop error - Inaccessible Boot Device error is not a new BSOD error. It has been for long enough for Windows users to figure out that enabling AHCI mode in BIOS instantly fixes the Windows 10 stop code Inaccessible Boot Device error.
Follow the next few steps to enter into BIOS mode to fix the said BSOD error.
Step 1: Depending on your device, the combination of keys to press during a reboot to enter BIOS mode differs. Check on your system provider's website. It usually is a combination of the "ESC" key and one of the "Function" keys.
Step 2: Once you have access to the BIOS, go to "Advanced Features".
Step 3: Change the "Set AHCI Mode" to "Enabled".
Step 4: Reboot your system.
The SFC scan can help you solve many system issues, including the BSOD error we are talking about in this blog: stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device! It fixes the Windows stop code Unmountable Boot Volume error too!
Follow these simple set of instructions to run System File Checker (SFC) and fix the Windows stop code Inaccessible Boot Device error.
Step 1: Open "Command Prompt (Admin)" from the Power User Menu ("Windows" + "X").
Step 2: Type the command "sfc /scannow" and reboot your system after the process is completed.
Running the SFC scan should fix the Windows 10 stop code Inaccessible Boot Device or Windows 10 stop code Unmountable Boot Volume error.
This troubleshooting tool we're going to use to fix the Windows stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device is Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM). It re-deploys the system image from scratch and fixes any potential conflicts or issues, in this case - the BSOD error, upon completion.
Follow these simple steps to run DISM and fix stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device
Step 1: Open the Power User Menu ("Windows" + "X"). Click on the "Command Prompt (Admin)" option.
Step 2: Type in the "DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth" command and hit Enter.
Step 3: Reboot your system once the process is completed and you are good to go.
The Windows 10 operating system can sometimes show the BSOD stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device error due to pending updates of packages.
Follow the step-by-step instructions below to get rid of "Update Pending" packages in your system.
Step 1: Follow Steps 1-4 mentioned in Solution 1.
Step 2: Type in the "reg load HKLM\temp c:\windows\system32\config\software" command and hit "Enter".
Step 3: Type in the command: "reg delete HKLM\temp\Microsoft\Current Version\Component Based Server" command and hit "Enter".
Step 4: Type the "reg unload HKLM\temp" command and hit "Enter".
Step 5: Type the "dism/image: \ /get-packages" command and note all the packages with the tag "Install Pending".
Step 6: Copy & paste this command into your command prompt: "MKDIR C:\temp\packages".
Step 7: Type the command: "dism / image : C: \ remove package / [Package Name]:/scratchdir:c:\temp|packages". Replace [Package Name] with the package name you noted in Step 4 (with tag "Install Pending").
We are identifying the "Update Pending" packages and moving them into a temporary file using the last command to get rid of them.
Once you have gotten rid of these packages, reboot your system. The stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device error should be fixed by now!
The antivirus software in your system could be the reason behind the stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device error. In a way, antivirus software can prevent your Windows from reading data in your system/PC. If you have any antivirus in your system, disable it/them temporarily.
If you are not sure about the above step, update your antivirus software. Check if the error has gone or not.
As mentioned in the introduction, stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device error or stop code - Unmountable Boot Volume error could also be caused by the hard drive of your PC.
In this solution, we will be fixing hard drive issues via command prompt. Before we get into that, make sure to remove any external hard disk attached to your system.
Follow these simple steps to check your hard drive for any potential issues.
Step 1: Follow Steps 1-4 mentioned in Solution 1: Uninstall the Recently Installed Packages to open Command Prompt through Advanced Recovery Options.
Step 2: Type: "bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd" and hit "Enter"
Step 3: Type - "bootrec.exe /fixmbr" and hit "Enter"
Step 4: Type command: "bootrec.exe /fixboot" and hit "Enter".
Reboot your system after these steps are completed. Your stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device should be fixed now!
Bonus Step: You can also try writing the command "chkdsk C: /f /r" in the command prompt and hit "Enter".
If the BSOD stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device error is not fixed yet, the next one may work for you! It's time to Enter Safe Mode!
More than often, your system gets stuck in the process of rebooting after the stop code: Inaccessible Boot Device appears.
If this is happening, the best option you are left with is to enter a safe mode.
Step 1: Hold on the "Power" button to turn your system on and press it again to turn it off. Repeat this process twice or thrice to begin Automatic Repair.
Step 2: Once the Automatic Repair begins, follow this navigation path "Advanced Options"> "Troubleshoot" > "Advanced Options" > "Startup Settings". Hit "Restart".
Step 3: Press the number "4" key to enter Safe Mode in Windows 10
Create a backup of your important files before performing this step.
Follow these simple steps to perform Windows 10 reset and fix stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device error.
Step 1: Follow Step 1 mentioned in Solution 10 (above) to begin "Automatic Repair" in Windows 10.
Step 2: Follow this navigation: Troubleshoot > Reset this PC > Remove everything and follow the on-screen instructions to reset Windows 10.
Select the drive where your Windows is installed and reset it.
Keep in mind that your system will ask for a Windows Installation Device in the process.
This should fix the stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device in your PC.
When hardware like RAM is faulty, you are likely to get such an error. And therefore, if the above solutions didn't help you, try to check for any faulty hardware. Check Ram and if it's fine, you can try checking the hard drive or motherboard. See if it works for you.
Unfortunately, if things are still the same, we would like to recommend you reflashing your BIOS. This is because corrupted BIOS can be a big culprit for the issue and might bother you. however, you need to be careful while doing this.
Often, after you fix stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device or Windows stop code: Unmountable Boot Volume, you might lose critically important data.
In such cases, you can use the ultimate data recovery tool called Recoverit Data Recovery to recover lost data. You can use this tool to recover all types of lost files after stopping error - Inaccessible Boot Device or Windows Stop code: Unmountable Boot Volume.
Follow these simple steps to recover your data using the Recoverit Data Recovery tool.
Step 1: Select the Location
Open the Recoverit Data Recovery tool and select the location from where you lost your files. After you choose the location, hit on the "Start" button to begin scanning.
Step 2: Scan the Location
While scanning is on the run, if you see your lost files in the list of scanned files, you can stop the process.
Step 3: Recover
Click "Preview" to see the file details such as file name, size, type, etc. Once you find the file you lost due to the stop code - Inaccessible Boot Device error, hit on "Recover" and save the file to a location in your PC.
Complete data recovery in just 3 simple steps! Use this useful tool to recover your lost files immediately.
In this end-to-end guide, we have talked about 13 solutions to resolve the Windows stop code: Inaccessible Boot Device error. We hope we could help you solve the issue.
If you lose any files during the process, use the Recoverit Data Recovery tool to recover lost files without any hassle!
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David Darlington
staff Editor