Operating system not found: what is this error and how to deal with it

Users of the Windows operating system have become accustomed to see from time to time instead of the message loading screen with any error. The types of problems are different, but in any case they require urgent action. Error operating system not found can be found both on a laptop and on a stationary computer. The user sees this inscription on a black background, after which the system does not boot. Or rather, the computer reports its absence. Of course, this is not so, and the problem can and should be corrected. We will understand what caused and how to proceed.

Troubleshooting the operating system not found.

Possible causes of failure

As already mentioned, the error "operating system not found" literally means "the operating system was not found." There can be several reasons:

  • Malfunction of the hard disk or incorrect connection of the cable;
  • Incorrect BIOS settings;
  • Problems with the power supply or motherboard.

Consider every aspect in detail.

Error correction methods

What to do first when the "operating system not found" appears? You can figure out the cause in stages, checking all the components necessary for booting the OS in turn.

Setting priority for download

Better start from the most innocuous - check settings. Most often, this error occurs in cases of incorrectly set priority of the hard disk. For example, a USB flash drive is inserted into a computer or laptop, and in USB the priority is on USB drives. Also, the reason may be in the incorrectly connected cable, especially if you changed or re-connected the hard drive the day before.

To check the priority for download, do the following:

  • We go in the BIOS;
  • Select the Boot tab (sometimes Advanced);
  • Checking where the HDD is in place (should be first);
  • If necessary, rearrange it using F5, F6 or arrows depending on the version of BIOS.
TIP. If the settings are set correctly, try resetting the BIOS. New errors due to this will not appear, but specifically this one may disappear. How to do this, we describe below.

Reboot the system and check if it helped. If not, go ahead.

Winchester problems

In cases when the error “an operating system was not found” is still highlighted, or the BIOS does not see any hard drives at all, then there may be two reasons:

  1. Winchester or cable disconnected;
  2. The hard drive is defective.

In the first case, you need to completely turn off the PC and double-check all connections. In the second case, it remains only to connect the hard drive to another computer and see if an error occurs there.

TIP. The density of the elements in the laptop does not allow the train to depart, so the probability of solving the problem on the laptop in this way is extremely small.

So, you rechecked everything, but the problem did not go away. You should not panic, there are a couple more ways to resolve the issue.

Resetting BIOS settings and installing fresh firmware

As we mentioned earlier, resetting the settings to the factory settings can help. They are called Default and are available on all versions of BIOS. There are cases when the system sees the hard drive and detects it, but does not load. The first thing to do is check its status. If there is an exclamation mark in front of the hard disk, this indicates that the disk is disconnected or not used. It's easy to turn it on:

  1. Choosing a problem hard drive;
  2. Find the field Specific Item Help (this is the device help tab);
  3. We look, what keyboard shortcuts can enable a specific device.
TIP. On different versions of the BIOS, the combinations are different, but more often it is the Shift + 1 combination.

After that, the hard drive should turn on, and the computer to start without problems. If this does not happen, try other ways.

Bootloader recovery

A damaged Windows bootloader can also become not only the cause of an error, but a complete “crash” of the system. You can try to restore it using the installation disk or recovery disk.

  1. Insert the source into the drive;
  2. Run the BIOS and select the optical drive there as a priority device for booting;
  3. Select the recovery console.
  4. We try to restore the boot mode and check the disk for errors with the possibility of automatic recovery.
  5. Alternatively, you can use the command line by typing bootrec.exe / FixMbr, and then bootrec.exe / FixBoot. Do not forget about the Enter key after each line.

TIP. If your C drive is equipped with an NTFS file system, try using chkntfs / xc: as a check tool.

Having tried everything and not getting a result, be sure to diagnose your hard drive. In the case of a laptop, you will have to contact the workshop, as independent attempts to remove it can aggravate the situation. Try using the HDD Regenerator utility to restore your hard drive, but the percentage of success is low. Well, a faulty hard drive must be replaced and reinstalled the entire operating system.

We hope you did not have to resort to using computer services and managed to fix the problem yourself. Ask your questions in the comments.