[SOLVED]Dell Laptop No Boot Device Found

There are several things to know and understand when a notable device can’t be found on your computer. As you continue to read this article, you will be provided with every information you need to fix your Dell laptop.

The error message “No Boot Device Found” can be a big problem when you don’t know what you are doing.

Some people might think their Dell laptop is faulty and might want to consider getting a new one.

You don’t have to do that because I will share everything you need to know.

Now let’s get into it

Common Errors of No Boot Device Found on Dell Laptop

On your Dell laptop, this are the common errors your computer might be showing you.

• Insert boot disk and press any key”
• Please install an operating system on your hard disk. Hard Disk (3FO)”
• Press any key to reboot the machine”
• “No boot device is available”

Now that you have known the common errors, you must know the causes

Causes for No Bootable Devices Found on Dell Laptop

Here are the major causes,

1. Virus

If your Dell laptop is attacked by a virus, your essential system files or folders might get damaged or corrupted, and your Dell laptop won’t be able to recognize or find the bootable disk or drive. Install antivirus through Safe Mode or simply reset your Dell laptop

2. Bios Is Confused

This is the major problem most Dell users complain about boot error. If you want your Dell laptop to boot from USB, you should make sure you must have made that USB Bootable.

If you insert a non-bootable device on your Dell laptop, your Dell laptop won’t recognize to boot from it.

Sometimes people also make the mistake of setting their boot order to CD/DVD drive when they want to boot from a USB drive.

3. Corrupted/Broken hard drive

When your Dell hard drive or SSD is corrupted or broken, your computer will not be able to read the drive and therefore show you the boot error.

You will have to repair or replace your drive to resolve the problem

4. Corrupted Boot Sector

The MBR sector is responsible for leading your computer to read necessary information to boot.

When your MBR (Master Boot Record) is corrupted, anytime your Dell laptop is trying to boot from your drive, you are likely to get a failed message.

Now that you have known the causes, let’s jump right into how to fix this boot problem

How to Fix Dell Laptop No Boot Device Found

Here’s how

1. Check Boot Order

This is very important.

You need to make sure your Dell laptop is set to boot from the right bootable device. An incorrect boot order can make your computer boot from the wrong device thinking it’s the right boot device.

If you want your computer to boot from the right bootable device, you need to rank your bootable device as the first device in your boot order

For example,

If you want to let your Dell laptop boot from a bootable USB, you should go to your boot order located in bios and adjust your boot order to rank your bootable USB device first.

Here’s how to set the right boot order on your Dell laptop

1. Get a bootable USB.
2. Connect your bootable device to your Dell laptop
3. Shut down your computer
4. Boot into Bios on your Dell laptop
5. While in bios, look for the boot tab. Depending on the version of Bios your computer is using, just make sure you find where your boot order is
6. In your boot order, rank the first drive to the drive you want to boot from.
7. Click on save
8. Restart your Dell laptop
9. Check if the error is fixed. If not, move to the next method

2. Run Automatic Repair

Here’s how to run automatic repair on your Dell laptop

1. Get your bootable USB ready.
2. Connect your bootable device to your computer
3. Turn off your computer
4. Make sure your boot order is selected to the right bootable device. If not, go back to the first step to correct your boot order
5. Turn on your computer like you want to boot windows normally with your bootable device connected
6. When your Dell laptop boots, a Windows setup page will be revealed to you
7. Click on Next to proceed.
8. Now select Repair your computer 
9. Choose Troubleshoot
10. Then follow with Advanced options
11. Select Automatic repair 
12. Select the Windows operating system you want to repair.
13. Now, let the automatic repair process run
14. When it is done, restart your Dell laptop without the bootable drive
15. Check if the error is fixed. If not, move to the next method

3. Run the troubleshooter

This method is for you only if your Dell laptop can boot up to windows.

Here’s how to run the troubleshooter on your Dell laptop

1. Boot up your computer normally or through Safe Mode if you have challenges
2. Go to your windows logo on your Dell keyboard and search for Troubleshooter
3. Choose Troubleshooting among the result
4. Select Windows Update from the list
5. Then click on Run the troubleshooter
6. After the process is completed restart your Dell laptop

Please note that this might not work for you.

4. Run SFC scan

1. Press and hold Windows Logo Key + X and choose Command Prompt  (Admin) from the menu.
2. Write in the Command Prompt  the following: >> fc /scannow and then press Enter to run it.
3. Let the system file checker process finish
4. When it’s done, reboot the Windows 10 device.
5. Check if the boot error is fixed. If not, move to the next method

If you are unable to boot into Windows, you can run Command Prompt  from Advanced Boot Menu.

To do that, simply restart your Dell laptop multiple times. Now select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt .

In Command Prompt , run the following commands:

sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c: /offwindir=c:windows

first command

chkdsk c: /r

second command

These commands will check for corrupted files and fix any corrupted files on your hard drive that is prevent Windows from booting.

If those two commands don’t fix the problem, then you must use DISM scan instead.

Here’s how

Run this command

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth 

If this command also didn’t work, try this command instead:

Dism /Image:C:offline /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:c:testmountwindows

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:c:testmountwindows /LimitAccess

This method isn’t for everyone and if you are still having trouble, move to the next method.

5. Make sure you’re using UEFI

When I had my own challenges with this boot error, this method worked for me and hopefully, it should work for you as well.

To fix the issue, you simply need to switch from Legacy to UEFI.

Here’s how to switch to UEFI on your Dell laptop

1. Boot into BIOS
2. Since there are many different versions of BIOS out there, I recommend you to check your motherboard manual and see how to switch permanently to UEFI.
3. If you don’t have a manual, then you must find the UEFI in your BIOS and switch to it from Legacy
4. After switching, restart your Dell laptop

6. Check for Lose Cables

You can get the error if your cable is to properly connect

It’s import you check your computer properly to see if there’s any loose cable. If there is, you want to properly connect it back.

The important cable to check is the cable that connects to your hard drive if you are trying to boot from a hard drive.

Also, check the cable that connects to your CD/DVD drive if you are trying to boot from a CD/DVD drive. If it’s not connected, connect it.

For those that want to boot through a USB, you want to make sure all your USB ports are working correctly.

7. Disconnect USB peripherals

Sometimes, if there are too many or few things connected to your Dell laptop all at once, it might confuse your computer.

So, remove everything connected to your Dell laptop such as mouse, keyboard, and another device.

After doing that, boot up your computer and, any troubles with your Dell laptop touchpad if it is not working may hinger your progress.

8. Set the Primary Partition Back as Active

A primary partition is where your operating system (OS) is installed and it needs to be set back as active to fix the boot error.

Here’s how

1. Boot into Command Prompt . Go back to the fourth method if you don’t know how to boot to Command Prompt .
2. While in Command Prompt , run this command >> diskpart and press Enter. Then follow with >> list disk and press Enter.
3. Now In the list of disks, input >> select disk 0
   • (“0” here refers to the number of the disk where you have installed your system)”
4. Press Enter.
5. Now type >>list partition and press Enter.
6. While in the list of partitions in this disk, type>> select partition 1
   • (“1” here refers to the number of the System Reserved partition, where the boot loader is located. Usually, it is the smaller primary partition)”
7. Press Enter.
8. Now type “active” and press Enter.
9. After hitting enter, the system partition will be set to active. Type “exit” and press Enter to exit diskpart and close Command Prompt .
10. Restart your Dell laptop

9. Fix Your MBR

Here’s how to fix your MBR on your Dell laptop

Firstly, boot into Command Prompt  and run these commands one after the other

bootrec.exe /FixMbr

first command

bootrec.exe /FixBoot

second command

bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd

third command

If those commands don’t work, try using these commands instead:

bcdedit /export C:BCD_Backup

first command

c:

second command

cd boot

third command

attrib bcd -s -h -r

fourth command

ren c:bootbcd bcd.old

fifth command

bootrec /RebuildBcd

sixth command

Restart your Dell laptop and check if the problem is fixed. If not, move to the next method

10. Reinstall Windows on Your Hard Drive

After trying every method above and nothing seems to work, you must consider reinstalling windows on your hard drive or SSD.

If you are trying to boot into windows normally and you have tried every method mentioned above but nothing worked, I recommend you to reset your Dell laptop hard drive or SSD.

This way, everything will go back to normal and you won’t have the error anymore.

Check out this guide to reinstall windows on your drive

11. Replace Your Hard Drive

If you’ve done everything right and your Dell laptop is still giving you the boot error, then you might have issues with your drive.

Try adjusting your BIOS settings boot order to boot from the drive with your operating system. If it works, then congratulations but if it doesn’t work, you have a faulty hard drive that needs to be replaced.

Before you think of getting a new drive, try installing windows on it again see if it’s boots’ up.

If you are unable to load windows on your drive, here are some drive you can get

Conclusion

If you followed all the instructions correctly, the no boot device found error should have been resolved by now.

Remember, if no method work for you, you can consider reinstalling windows on your dell laptop.

I appreciate you for staying to the end of this article.