BSODs or Blue screens of death are dreaded Windows errors that can cause serious issues with your PC and prevent you from booting into Windows 11 altogether. BSODs happen for several reasons and often display a stop code that helps you identify the issue.
The ‘Inaccessible boot device‘ is one such stop code that is the reason for a lot of fo BSODs on Windows 11 according to recent user reports. A Windows update, driver update, or even a third-party program could be the cause of this issue. If you’re in the same boat, then here’s all you need to know about it.
Why am I getting ‘Inaccessible boot device’ Stop Code on Windows 11 and what is it?
The ‘Inaccessible boot device’ is a stop code issued by Windows when it’s unable to identify and boot from your boot drive. This could happen due to several reasons and the most common ones have been listed below.
- Drive failure
- Faulty drivers
- Power failure
- Bad sectors
- Drive letter change for the boot drive
- Corrupted boot structure
- Failing SATA/NVMe ports
- Loose cables
- Loose connections
- Physical damage
- Corrupted programs
- Malware
- Corrupted BIOS
and more! All these reasons can lead to an unreadable boot drive which can lead to this BSOD on your PC.
Related: How to Repair Windows 11 [15 Ways]
Windows 11 Inaccessible boot device: 17 Fixes and 5 checks explained!
Here’s how you can fix the Inaccessible boot device BSOD on your system. We first recommend you perform a few checks on your system to narrow down the cause of your issue. You can then use the appropriate fix mentioned below to fix this BSOD on your Windows 11 system. Let’s get started.
Windows 11 Inaccessible boot device: 5 checks to do
Let’s start by first checking if your boot drive shows up in the BIOS menu. If it does, then you’re likely looking at issues with your Windows installation. However, if your boot drive does not show up in the BIOS menu then it might be an indicator of a failing drive. Let’s get started.
#1: Check for your boot drive in the BIOS
Reboot your PC and use one of the BIOS keys depending on your OEM to access your BIOS menu. If you aren’t aware of your PC’s BIOS key, then you can use this comprehensive post from us. Once you’re in the BIOS menu, switched to Advanced settings and look for Boot order or a similarly named option. This will allow you to select a boot device from which you wish to boot into the desired OS.
We don’t need to change this option but rather check the available drives. If your boot drive shows up as an option to select for your boot order, then you’re facing an issue with your Windows 11 installation. However, if your drive is missing then you’re likely looking at a drive failure. We recommend you opt for the following fixes and checks to verify the same.
- Check for damage
- Check your SATA/NVMe port
- Try using …….
Source: https://nerdschalk.com/stop-code-inaccessible-boot-device-on-windows-11-17-fixes-and-5-checks-to-do/