Inaccessible Boot Device

(Also misspelled as "inaccesible boot device" or "inaccessable boot device")
If you receive an "Inaccessible Boot Device" error during an operating system reinstall, you may have run into an issue which is quite common on Windows operating systems. In many cases this may simply be a driver which is conflicting with the current motherboard, or may be an issue within your BIOS. In cases like this, there are many resources on the web which instruct you on how to recover from the Inaccessible Boot Device error. Note also that the installation of a new motherboard or major peripheral may also encourage this kind of operating system error, much like that of the "operating system not found" error. In many cases, you may just have to run a "hardware detect" program within Windows, and you will be fine.

This error may also be caused by a loose hard disk drive cable, which can cause drive connectivity issues which can represent a problem to your computer.

When a driver is at fault, you may be able to use a Microsoft generic driver until you can find the proper driver for your new device.

When Your Hard Drive May Have Failed

Not all Inaccessible Boot Device errors are caused by operating system reinstalls. Neither are they caused solely by issues within the Windows operating system or the installation of a new major computer component such as a motherboard or PCI component card. In fact, sometimes they may be the result of a physical hard disk drive crash.

What To Do When You Suspect Hard Disk Drive Failure

When you suspect that your Inaccessible Boot Device error is a hard drive failure, your first inclination may be to panic. DO NOT! Remember that the data on your hard drive is very likely recoverable. First, you will want to make sure that your hard disk drive cable connections are connected properly. Once you are assured of this, you may want to try the following:

  Disconnect your drive, and reconnect it. Then try booting again. Still get the "Inaccessible Boot Device Error"? If this is the case, and you have another computer system on your network, disconnect the drive from your computer altogether, and install it as the Slave drive on another computer system.

Once in Windows, you should be able to determine whether or not your hard disk drive is working or not. If it is working, the drive should show up as a drive letter (i.e. drive D if you have one master drive called drive C). If it does not show up, it is likely your hard drive has failed.

If your hard drive has failed, do NOT attempt to use data recovery software to recover it. In most cases, this will not work anyway, but if the drive is slightly operable, software may actually destroy the platters and the data currently on the drive.

In a case like this, you will want to contact a professional hard disk recovery service like Hard Disk Drive Recovery Services. Our contact form for computer hard disk recovery and repair services is here.

Quote Request
Has your hard disk drive crashed because of a physical or mechanical problem?
Request a quote here.

Data Emergency?
First thing: don't panic.
Check out our hard drive crash tips first.

Our Guarantee
We offer a multi-point guarantee that ensures you pay only for data recovered.
Click here to read more.