Error “no bootable device hit any key” - causes and solutions

It is unlikely that someone will argue with the fact that when you turn on the computer there are any errors, they are pleasant and positive. The problems that manifest themselves immediately at the time of loading and the leveling attempts to enter the system are quite problematic for an ordinary user to solve, since it is trite to know where to start, what to look for and where to turn. The topic of this article is designed to help all users who have encountered the above-mentioned problem in the form of an “no bootable device hit any key” error that occurs immediately when you try to turn on the computer.

Methods for eliminating the error "no bootable device hit any key".

The reasons

Immediately it should be noted that, despite the fact that many, faced with the error in question, convulsively try to fix it by a forced / emergency reboot, and in case of an unsuccessful result they get scared and almost “bury” their computers, it is quite simple to solve it. But before starting to search for solutions, it is necessary to determine the reasons for the occurrence of such an unpleasant situation. So, the error “no bootable device hit any key” literally translates as “there is no boot device, press any key”, and pressing leads to an automatic restart, after which this information window will show itself again.

Consequently, the whole essence of the incident lies in the incorrect operation of either the physical medium itself, on which the operating system is installed (hereinafter abbreviated "OS") or in the boot sector of the "Windows" itself. Based on the above arguments, a narrower list of possible causes can be identified, which will help determine further actions to eliminate the error, namely:

  • the drive is not physically connected to the corresponding connectors of the motherboard;
  • the drive is connected, but the integrity of the cable connection is broken (the cable is faulty or is loose on the connector);
  • the drive is physically deformed as a result of careless installation / upgrade / cleaning of the system unit or laptop;
  • Windows clogging and multiple errors (bad sectors) in the drive resulted in damage to the boot sector;
  • records of the boot sector are damaged due to the actions of virus software or careless work with system files.

Based on the data of the main reasons, the order of eliminating the error "no bootable device hit any key" should be determined.

Decision

It should be understood, since the desktop cannot be loaded, all the troubleshooting steps will be carried out either in the BIOS or in the recovery interface, activated by the Windows installation media. It is better to perform the actions proposed below in the sequence in which they are indicated in order to avoid unnecessary manipulations, and you will need to do the following:

Step 1. Checking the visibility of physical media in BIOS:

  • reboot or turn on the computer and go to the BIOS interface; to do this, immediately after starting the boot press the DELETE / F2, F9 key, depending on which motherboard of which manufacturer you are using. All necessary data will be listed in the user manual;
  • in the window that opens, pay attention to the main tab “Main” and the line with the name “HDD / SSD”. This line should display the name of your hard drive or solid-state drive. If “Not detected” is indicated instead of the name, then go to step “2”, if the name is indicated, then to step “3”.

Step 2. Verifying the correctness of the physical connection and the integrity of the cable connection:

  • open the case of the system unit or, if you are using a laptop, remove the back cover in accordance with the recommendations specified in the user manual from the manufacturer of your device;
  • make sure all connections are tight, physical cable damage and excessive dustiness of components are missing;
  • turn on the computer and check the operation of the system;
  • if there is no positive result, try disconnecting all the cables from the connectors and reconnecting them, and then turn on the computer again.

Step 3. If the previous step did not help, check the order and boot mode:

  • open the BIOS again and go to the Boot or Advanced tab;
  • select the parameter in the estate, which is present "Device Priority";
  • make sure the HDD or SSD is installed first;
  • if the sequence is incorrect, then use the “+” and “-” keys (or the “Enter” key) to set the physical media to the 1st place and check the correctness of the operating system boot;
  • if the order is correct, try changing the used boot mode;
  • find the “Legacy Boot Options Priority” option and experiment with the options.

Step 4. Restoring the boot sector of the operating system. Accordingly, for this step, you will need the installation media with the Windows operating system:

  • Insert the USB flash drive or disk with the OS image and turn on / restart the computer;
  • during the boot process, constantly press the “F5” key to activate the “Boot Menu”;
  • in the list that opens, select the connected media and press "Enter";
  • on the step with a suggestion to click on the “Install” button, select the “System Restore” section;

  • the automatic check of the OS operation will begin, after which it will be offered to make the appropriate changes, and you should click on the “Repair and restart” button;
  • if automatic recovery did not help, repeat these steps again, just do not click on the above button, but select the first section that begins with the words “Use recovery tools to eliminate ...”, and select the required version of “Windows” in the list below;

  • enter the “bootrec / fixmbr” command in the opened console and execute it by pressing the “Enter” key;

  • repeat the steps with the “bootrec / fixboot” command;

  • finish work with recovery utilities by executing the “exit” command;
  • Restart the computer and check the operating system boot.

Conclusion

So, the above were given the main ways to correct the error "no bootable device hit any key", which in most cases completely solve the difficulties. But if none of the above helped, then the probability of malfunctioning of the hard disk or solid-state drive is high. In this case, you should try to connect it to another computer and check the correctness of the operating system. If the error recurs, you should replace the carrier or contact the service center.