One of the most common faults experienced by Windows users is the boot device error, which prevents the computer from booting properly.
It is a typical “blue screen” (BSOD) error with the code 0x0000007b and the message “INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE”, which appears during computer startup – and can even occur after a system update.
This error message informs users that the PC has developed a problem and needs to be restarted to resolve it.
It also informs them that Windows is gathering some information about the error and will restart when the progress percentage reaches 100%.
The question is: how do you solve this problem? That’s what we’re going to find out in this article!
What is a boot device?
Boot devices are categories of hardware that contain – or can read – the software needed to start a computer.
In short: without this device, the machine cannot start.
When you turn on the computer, the bootable device is identified by the machine’s BIOS as the boot device.
The BIOS then searches for the information contained on the boot device in order to start the computer’s operating system.
In other words, every time you turn on your machine, the boot device is working silently, allowing the computer to run the operating system.
Examples of bootable devices include, but are not limited to, CD-ROMs, floppy disks, internal or external hard drives, USB drives and other storage devices.
But remember: storage devices like these can only function as bootable drives if they contain the boot files that a computer needs to start up.
What does no bootable device mean?
This error message indicates that Windows cannot access the system partition when trying to boot, forcing you to restart.
Unless you have recently set up your computer, there is still a bootable device on your PC.
The problem is that your machine, for some reason, doesn’t know where it is.
What causes the “boot device not found” error?
The boot device error triggers a BSOD error message, with an “INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE” message and occurs when the operating system cannot access the system partition when trying to boot.
As well as causing the boot device error, the problems that cause this fault can lead to other complications in system operation, including the bio error, I VIDEO_DXGKRNL_FATAL_ERROR, INTERNAL_POWER_ERROR and many others.
It is therefore important to fix this fault to avoid the possibility of a more serious system malfunction in the future.
Here are some of the causes of boot device errors.
Damaged disk
Most boot devices are located on your computer’s internal disk.
So when your disk has a problem, inevitably the boot drive disappears too.
Confusing BIOS
If the computer’s configuration has been changed recently – such as during an update – or if you have connected a storage device recently, the BIOS may try to boot from the wrong storage device, such as a connected external disk.
Setor de inicialização ou tabela de partição corrompidos
If your disk’s metadata drive is corrupted, the partition containing your operating system may appear blank to the BIOS. We’ve seen many cases of a disk with a bad sector having problems booting.
When this happens, the BIOS doesn’t know where the bootable device is and believes that no bootable device has been found.
Loose or defective SATA/IDE cable
The SATA/IDE cable connects your disk to the motherboard and, without this connection, the BIOS cannot detect a bootable device.
This cable rarely comes loose or breaks, making this the least likely cause, but it’s always good to check.
How to fix inaccessible boot device error
We do not recommend that you try to deal with the problem yourself, but if you want to solve the boot device error on your own, there are a few things you can do. Check out some of them below:
1. Check the hard disk connection
The SATA/IDE cable must connect the motherboard to the hard disk for the boot device to work.
As we’ve already mentioned, these cables rarely break or disconnect on their own, but it’s worth checking the connection.
2. Check the BIOS settings
To solve this problem, you need to make sure that the BIOS is looking for the correct boot drive – before any other secondary storage device.
Confirm that this is happening by following the steps below:
- Identify and follow the instructions that tell you how to enter the BIOS menu – usually located on the boot screen with your PC manufacturer’s symbol;
- Generally, you need to press a specific key (such as ESC, F1 or F8), but this varies depending on the manufacturer. The important thing is to press the key as quickly as possible, because your window of opportunity to open the BIOS menu only lasts a few seconds;
- Once in the BIOS menu, navigate to the configuration or boot device selection options;
- The menu should list all the connected storage devices. Make sure that the computer’s internal disk drive is listed first. If the internal disk isn’t listed first, it’s probably the cause of the error.
3. Reinstall the operating system
If nothing has worked so far, all that remains is to reinstall your operating system – which we don’t recommend you do on your own (unless you’re familiar with the process).
Remember that if you don’t regularly back up your data, you will lose it when you reinstall the operating system.
So if you have important data on your disk, don’t reinstall the operating system and talk to us. We have thousands of successful data recovery cases.
How do I recover a disk with a boot error?
To recover files and documents from a disk with boot errors, it’s best to use a professional data recovery service – like Bot.
We’ll assess your device and work to recover your information in complete safety.
To do this, we examine your disk in the Clean Room: a closed environment with total control of the concentration of particles in the air.
This prevents the integrity of your disk from being compromised – and consequently eliminates the risk of irreversible loss of your data.
Conclusion
The boot device is responsible for reading the software that allows your PC to start. Therefore, boot device errors prevent your computer from starting.
These errors can be caused by disk damage, BIOS failures or a corrupt boot sector/partition table. They can also be the result of a loose or faulty SATA/IDE cable.
To fix this error, you should check the disk connection, analyze the BIOS settings or even reinstall your operating system.
In the latter case, if you haven’t made regular backups, you will lose all your files and documents.
However, you can recover them by turning to a specialized service such as Bot.
With us, your data will be recovered safely and quickly. We have highly qualified professionals and can carry out the procedure within 48 hours.
We also offer free collection of your device from any address in Portugal.
You can trust those who have solved more than 100,000 cases: start your recovery with Bot right now.
