How to Fix Boot Device Not Found in Windows 11
So, you boot up your Windows 11 PC, and instead of your desktop, you’re greeted with that worrying “Boot Device Not Found” message. Not the way you’d want to start the day, especially if you’ve got work to get through. But don’t stress just yet — it’s often easier to fix than it looks. With some troubleshooting, there’s a good chance you can get everything sorted without needing a full reinstall.
Check Those Hardware Connections
Here’s something that might sound simple, but it’s worth checking — loose cables can often be the culprit. After moving your computer or even giving the desk a nudge, connections to the hard drive or SSD can come loose. Just a quick peek inside the case to make sure everything’s snug as a bug can make all the difference — a wobbly SATA cable isn’t helping anyone. If you’re booting from an external drive, double-check it’s plugged in properly and powered on. Sometimes, reseating a cable does the trick. Often, it’s simply about getting those connections right.
BIOS Settings: It Could Be Causing the Issue
Next, you might want to have a look in the BIOS. It’s not the most exciting task, but it’s sometimes necessary. Restart your PC and press the key to enter BIOS — usually F2 or DEL — as it boots up. Don’t blink, or you might miss it! Once inside, navigate to the Boot menu. Your main drive should be at the top of the Boot Priority list. If it’s not, move it up so your PC knows where to find the OS. Sometimes a crash or a Windows update can mess with these settings, leaving your machine all confused.
Make sure Secure Boot is enabled (if your system uses UEFI) and check the drive mode — options like AHCI or RAID. For those with GPT partitioning, UEFI mode needs to be correctly set up.
Run a Hard Drive Diagnostic Test
If everything looks good on the hardware side and BIOS isn’t the issue, it’s time to check the health of your drive. Most systems have built-in diagnostics accessible from BIOS — look for something like “Diagnostics” in the menu. If yours doesn’t, tools like SeaTools or CrystalDiskInfo are handy. You might need to create a bootable USB with software like Rufus and run the tests from there. If your drive is making unusual noises or throwing errors, that’s a sign something’s up.
System Restore: Revert to a Previous Point
If hardware and drive checks come back clean, another option is System Restore — think of it like rewinding your system to a good state. You’ll need to boot into the Windows Recovery Environment for this. Usually, that involves restarting your PC while holding down Shift and clicking Restart. If that doesn’t work, creating a Windows 11 installation USB using the Media Creation Tool might do the trick.
Once in recovery mode, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > System Restore and choose a restore point from before the problem started. If no restore points are available, you might need to try Startup Repair or resetting your PC.
Reinstall Windows 11: The Last Resort
If nothing else works and that “Boot Device Not Found” message persists, reinstalling Windows could be your only option. Before proceeding, make sure to back up any important files. Boot from the Windows 11 installation USB you prepared earlier. Use the key usually displayed on-screen during startup, like F12 or Esc, to access the boot menu. When the setup loads, select your language and click Next. Then, choose Repair your computer for troubleshooting, or go straight to Install Now for a fresh install.
If you want to reset Windows without losing your personal files, select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC and opt for Keep my files. Keep in mind, reinstalling wipes system files, so a backup is essential.
After following these steps, your Windows 11 should be able to locate the boot device and start up normally. If the error keeps appearing, it’s likely a hardware issue that might need a technician’s help.