Boot device missing or boot failed

Question

Hello everyone,

I have a friend's laptop on which I installed Windows 7 a few months ago.

PC: Acer Aspire ES1-520

When he tried to use it recently (it hadn't been used in between), it shows this issue: barely after the ACER logo is displayed, Windows doesn't have time to show up.

Once the enter key is pressed, I get this

No choices...

I tried to access the boot menu or the BIOS using Escape, F2, F9, F10, nothing works, always these screens.

I also removed the battery from the motherboard for more than 24 hours. It had 2.7V at the time, and it is still functional... it didn't change anything.

Disconnecting the battery and starting only with the power supply doesn't change anything either.

Changing the hard drive to a small 40GB one that I have as a spare (NTFS) also doesn't change anything.

I tested the laptop's hard drive on my personal computer using an HDD dock; the hard drive is recognized in the "Computer" => "Manage" tab, no faults, I can access user folders.

One thing that concerns me which I've never encountered before is that the hard drive stops a few seconds after not being accessed! Then as soon as I search for something, it starts up again...

I saw that you can adjust the hard drive's sleep settings, but on the hard drive where Windows has booted, so it's not possible (in my opinion) to adjust it via an HDD dock as an external drive. Is it normal that with Windows installed I can navigate through the folders as if it were my main hard drive?

I created a Windows 7 installation USB with Rufus; it works on my laptop, and I managed to boot from it and reach the menu to choose installation and formatting options, so the USB seems to be working properly.

Of course, on my friend's PC, it is also not detected in the boot menu where I have no options like before (Photo 2).

So this is the first time I am stuck in this way right from the start: no boot menu, no possibility to choose the boot device, etc.

Thank you in advance if you have any suggestions for me.

P.S.: I have a fairly basic level in computing: formatting, OS installation, software, hardware assembly/disassembly.

ThaBestGamer · Answer

Hello,

This error is generally the result of a modification of your PC's BIOS settings ... Check the boot order and make sure that your PC's hard drive is in the first position. Otherwise, swap the boot device order so that your hard drive is first.
To access the BIOS settings:
1- As soon as your PC starts up (before the logo), keep pressing escape
2- A boot menu should appear
3- Press F10 to access the BIOS settings
Control the movement with the keyboard keys
4- Go to: System Configuration > Boot Options > Boot Sequence
5- You need to make sure that the main drive is first in the list
6- Exit while applying the changes

Or, the boot device is corrupted, damaged, or inaccessible.
You should take the recovery CD or USB for your system > insert it > Then enter as you did, because the screen where you find no option to access it requires a boot drive to recover, restore, or reinstall Windows.

If you can't find a Windows 7 CD in stores, it's due to Microsoft's end of support for Windows 7.
You should buy a Windows 10 one for complete security.

Malekal_morte- · Answer

Hello,

This question and error at startup often come up.
I invite you to read this answer: https://forums.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-35414302-boot-device-not-found#1
It is comprehensive.

Check that the hard drive is indeed present in the BIOS.
If not, check the connections.
Otherwise, it may be dead.

--
Please press any key to continue the disinfection...

cristali · Answer

Hello the BIOS is F2 the boot is F12 check if a key is stuck. What version of Windows was there on this PC before?

X8R · Answer

Thank you for your responses

@ Thabestgamer

Pressing escape gives me exactly the same screen as photo 2... so it's impossible to access anything else

I don't have a recovery key for this PC

I have a W7 on disk that I put on a bootable USB using Rufus (which works on my PC) because there is no CD drive on the broken PC

The W7 works for sure because it's the same one I have on my personal PC

I don't have W10, I’m still used to and want to stay with this Windows as long as I can, rather than the future Windows which are very different now.

Would a bootable USB of a more recent Windows change anything... I doubt it myself...

@ Malekal_morte

I can't access the BIOS precisely! The hard drive is properly connected, I took it out to put another one and then put it back, they were running fine and I hear them shutting down when the PC is off

Is the HDD dead? I don't think so, because I tested it on my HDD dock and in “Computer” then “Manage” it is detected, healthy partitions and I can access the user folders and others...

@ cristali

No key is stuck

F2 gives the same screen as my first message, F12 does not work on this PC, and before it was W7 that I want to reinstall...

ThaBestGamer · Answer

Hello,

If you want to update Windows to the latest version, you can do so, and any recovery drive can troubleshoot or reinstall Windows. You can reinstall Windows with this drive, but it will remove the applications and keep the files.

X8R · Answer

But how to do when the PC does not detect any bootable media?
I don't think an installation USB with XP, W7 or later would change the detection at the boot level...
I have some XP disks in stock, I should make a bootable XP USB and see...

ThaBestGamer · Answer

In the menu it brings you to, and you said you don't find any options, a CD or a USB drive will be detectable; you need to insert it and then boot from there.

X8R · Answer

Well no, I already tried with my bootable W7 USB key, created with Rufus and functional on my personal laptop... but not detected by the broken PC...

First message:
"I created a W7 installation key with Rufus, it works on my laptop, I managed to boot from it and reach the menu to choose installation and formatting options, so the key seems to be working properly

Of course, on my friend's PC it is also not detected in the boot menu where I have no options like before (Photo 2)"

cristali · Answer

maybe try with a bootable CD or DVD if there is a CD/DVD drive.

ThaBestGamer · Answer

Maybe the boot folder is corrupted or has missing files, you need to create a recovery drive from another PC or obtain one.

X8R · Answer

@ cristali, no disk drive on this PC

@ Thabestgamer, usually with a formatted hard drive, the boot menu is available, but here, even with a blank hard drive, the same problem! The issue must be with the PC itself, the motherboard or the BIOS...

I don't think the issue comes solely from the hard drive, even if it may have missing folders, why is nothing changing and nothing is possible with a blank one!?

It's the first time I've been stuck on repairing a computer....

Boot device missing or boot failed

11 answers

Recover an ssd hard drive with a single partition instead of 3

Conversion to msqli

Startup load error on windows 11

Two identical xmp memory profiles

Lost macbook backup password

Linkedin profile visits in private mode

Hp deskjet f4180 driver

Uninstall doc pdf

Instagram bug suspending accounts fixed

Continental edison tv outage