Fix: Inaccessible Boot Device on Windows 10
I remember when this error happened on my windows 10 and I was scared as hell. I mean really I thought my computer broke down and I have to buy another one. Oh, the horror! I don’t want to relive that one for sure. But you know what I didn’t have to buy a new one. I just fixed it with some ways that really work. So, today I’ll be telling you how you can fix the Inaccessible boot device error on Windows 10.
Inaccessible boot device error is one kind of blue screen of death errors shortly known as BSOD. When you’ll face this type of error the screen will turn blue. Yes, it will literally turn blue and will give you this message.
Why Does Inaccessible Boot Device Error Happen?
There are so many reasons for showing you the blue screen. I’ll note out some possible ones that might happen.
- If you are using some old drivers that are corrupted or incorrectly configured.
- If your drivers are not matching with your hardware. I mean there are specific drivers for specific hardware configurations you know. If you don’t install the right ones you’ll end up with an Inaccessible boot device error.
- Sometimes you could have corrupted windows registry files.
- Your windows system files could be corrupted by viruses.
- You have damaged system files.
- If for some reason your hard disc or RAM is damaged or faulty.
Now that we know why it happens let’s just look at the solutions.
How to Fix this Error?
Update your Drivers
You know drivers are pretty important. They let your Windows 10 utilize your computer’s hardware. But if you are using drivers that are outdated or old or even not compatible with the hardware’s you might have a problem. Because an Inaccessible boot device error is inevitable in this situation. So what can you do?
Update the drivers’, man!
For that you need to:
- Go and visit your computers manufacturer’s website.
- After that find your model and the associated drivers. There should be drivers only for your computer there.
- Download them and after that install them.
Your problems should be gone by now. Some say that they face this problem because their IDE ATA/SATA controller driver is out of date. And right after they installed the latest version the Inaccessible boot device error was gone.
So if you want to fix the BSOD error on your PC then you better install all the latest versions of your drivers. And if you can’t do it manually you could use some Driver Update software to do it automatically.
Uninstall your Graphic Card Driver
There have some climes that after updating graphics driver people are starting to face the Inaccessible boot device error. And if you have done sometime like this and right after faced the BSOD error then you should read this one carefully. You have to uninstall the driver and then reinstall it.
For that you need to do the following:
- Go to Start menu and search for the control panel. Once you’re in control panel look for the driver’s name.
- After you have found it, uninstall it. It would take a while but it will be okay.
- Your computer will restart after the uninstallation.
- After it's booted back up you need to go to your graphic card manufacturer’s website.
- Download the new driver for the graphic card and then install it.
Though the problem happens if you use Nvidia graphic card. But I’m sure it would work even if you use a different one.
Enter Safe Mode
The Windows safe mode was solely for you to start your PC with only necessary drivers and some basic software. So, if you face the Inaccessible boot device error by some third party software then you should be able to start the safe mode without any hassles. For that you need to:
- Firstly, restart your computer while it boots. You have to do this in order to start the Automatic Repair.
- After that select Troubleshoot and then Advanced Once you’re in go to Startup Settings and then click the Restart button.
- After your PC restarts, you will get a lot of options on what to do. You have to press 5 or f5 to enable Safe Mode with Networking.
- After the Safe mode is opened just see if your PC works on it or not. If all is ok then you should proceed to uninstall third party tools that might have caused the problems. Sometimes people say that only after entering Safe mode their pc acted normally like before the error was gone.
Enable AHCI Mode in BIOS
There’s another simple method to fix the problem completely. And that is by enabling AHCI mode in BIOS. For doing that you need to follow the steps below:
- When your PC is booting you have to press f2 or Del constantly to enter BIOS.
- After you’re in the BIOS, you have to go to the Advanced section and then change Set AHCI Mode to Enabled.
- You can also set the AHCI Mode Control to Auto.
- Save the changes and then restart your PC.
Though your BIOS settings might be different, it’s a common method for all kind of systems so it should work fine.
Check for Loose Cables
Though there have been reported cases of loose cables causing the errors. So if nothing of the above worked then you should probably power down your PC, unplug it and then open up the computer case to check if there is a loose end.
But I’ll surely tell you to be extra careful and if you’re feeling unsure about it then you should go to an expert and open up your PC and fix that loose cable.
Perform Windows 10 Reset
If the errors are caused by software then you could try resetting Windows 10. But do remember resetting your Pc will wipe out all your files from the C drive. So, make sure to enter your PC from safe mode and backup all your files before doing the reset. You have to have a Windows 10 installation media to complete this process. Just use a bootable USB drive to reset it. For that you need to:
- Firstly, restart your computer when it’s booting. This will make you enter into the Automatic Repair.
- After that select Troubleshoot and then Reset this PC. Next, select the option Remove everything.
- If you’re asked to insert Windows 10 installation media then insert it.
- You need to select Only the drive where Windows is installed and then Just remove my files and after that click the Reset button.
- Just follow the steps and wait for the reset to complete.
And if after that you have the Inaccessible boot device error you must take a look at your hardware because this is definitely a hardware problem.
Check for Faulty Hardware
The Inaccessible boot device error can be caused by faulty hardware. If saying specifically faulty RAM. So the first thing you should get checked out is your RAM. If your RAM is ok then you need to check other hardware such as your hard drive or motherboard. It can be quite tricky so go to a pro for help.
So, these were the probable solutions for your Inaccessible boot device error in windows 10. I really hope that your problems are regarding software’s and drivers and not hardware’s. Cause hardware’s fault will cost you some money. Nevertheless, enjoy fix!
About the Author Hasib Bin Anowar
Hasib is a born geek and loves tweaking his computer and gadgets for effectiveness and productivity. At WindowsChimp, he specializes in writing Tutorial guides and discovering new hacks to share.