The Blue Screen of Death is one of the most common errors you can encounter on a computer running the Microsoft Windows operating system. Unfortunately, this is also one of the most severe. The frustrating part about the menacing blue screen is that it could point to a number of different problems. Fortunately, these messages include stop error codes that are useful in troubleshooting the error, as is the case with the “Inaccessible Boot Device” stop error.
Inaccessible Boot Device: Common Causes
The inaccessible boot device message represents a blue screen error that has been known to wreak havoc on Windows computers. This particular error has several causes; however, it is typically associated with hardware upgrades and operating system reinstallations. Other common culprits include:
- A boot sector infection caused by a virus.
- Corruption in the Windows registry.
- Corrupted sectors on the hard drive.
- A failed motherboard upgrade.
- Faulty or improperly connected hard drive cable.
- A power surge or outage.
- Physical damage to the hard disk drive.
How to Stop Inaccessible Boot Device Error
Many recommend that you perform a reinstallation of Windows when encountering an inaccessible boot device error. This resolution usually works but there is one big problem: it will erase all of your data.
You should only proceed with this step when you are absolutely sure that you can do without the information contained on the drive. If you perform regular backups of your data, this shouldn’t be a problem. However, you should know that there is always a risk that your data will not be recovered after a drive is either reformatted or receives a fresh Windows installation. If you are not a tech Computer Geeks ALWAYS recommends that you contact us FIRST.
When the Hard Drive Fails
If you suspect that the inaccessible boot device blue screen error is due to a hard drive failure, the most important thing you should know is that there is no need to panic. Even if this is the case, there is still a good chance that the data on the hard drive can be recovered. The first step to troubleshooting this is making sure your hard drive cables are properly connected. After doing so, you can try one of the following methods.
Disconnect the hard drive, reconnect it and try booting the machine again. If you are still presented with the inaccessible boot device error and you have another PC on the network, disconnect your hard drive from the affected machine, and then install it as the slave drive on another computer.
After booting up the alternate PC and reaching the Windows desktop, you should then be able to determine whether the hard drive is working. If it is, the drive should be detected as the drive letter “D” (i.e., if the master drive is “C”).
If it is not detected, it is very likely that your hard drive has failed. If you reach this point, I?m afraid your next course of action should be to utilize a software solution to try to recover your data, seek the aid of a professional technician or install a new hard drive altogether.