What is Boot Device Not Found 3F0 Error, Its Causes & Troubleshooting Methods

Are you an HP user and currently facing a “Boot Device Not Found” error on your HP Windows device? This is a common error faced by many HP users these days. Whenever you face a boot device not found error, your PC or laptop shows different messages on the screen, such as:

• “No Boot Device is Available.”
• “Boot Device Not Found. Please install an operating system on your hard disk.”
• “No Boot Device Found. Press any key to reboot the machine.”
• “No Boot Device – insert boot disk and press any key.”

On any occasion, you are getting one of the above messages while starting your HP laptop or PC, you are probably facing an issue booting your operating system normally. This is really frustrating and needs prompt measures to fix this problem instantly.

In case, you are probing into solutions to fix this error and scratching your head to know the real culprit behind this error situation, you are at the right place. Fortunately, it is quite easy to troubleshoot this error if proper guidance is available.

This blog will explain everything you need to know about Boot Device Not Found HP Laptop error, why this occurs and how to fix the problem in restoring your device.

What Does Boot Device Not Found Stands for?

“Boot device not found” indicates that your Computer Operating System is unable to find a bootable Device to Boot from while starting. 

Once this error pops-up on your computer screen, the computer can no longer start normally. In simple terms, your computer requires a boot device in order to initiate and function correctly during startup.

Let’s understand what a Bootable Devices are?

Bootable devices are the pieces of hardware that help computers to start. Whenever you install any new hardware such as DVD drives, CD-ROM drives, floppy disk drives, etc., and power on the computer, your BIOS recognizes those boot devices and uses them to start the operating system. But the problem may occur when the BIOS can’t find the required files on hardware and a “No bootable device” error pops-up on a black screen with a blinking command prompt.

What Is the Cause of Boot Device Not Found?

There are a number of possible causes of the boot device not found Hard Disk 3f0 error, such as a corrupted or damaged bootable disk, faulty hard drive, damaged boot sectors, a loose cable connection, incorrect boot order settings in the BIOS, and so on.

Let’s discuss some more potential causes for Boot Device Not Found error below:

• Failed Hard Drive: A failed or damaged hard drive or SSD will be unable to provide the necessary boot files to the system, and thus, the BIOS can’t recognize the startup software on a faulty drive, leading to unrecognized boot devices.
• SATA/IDE Cable Malfunctioning: At times, the connecting cable between the hard drive and motherboard malfunctions or becomes disconnected. In this situation, the BIOS loses communication with the boot drive, resulting in a “no bootable device” message.
• Boot Sector or Partition Table Corruption: If metadata on your hard drive becomes corrupted, your OS will appear as an empty drive, and the BIOS will believe the boot drive to be missing and thus display the HP boot device not found issue.
• Configuration Errors: Operating system updates may cause the BIOS to attempt to boot from the wrong drive.

Note: After diagnosing the cause of the problem, it becomes easier to take the necessary steps to fix the boot device not found issue.

Why Boot Device Not Found HP 3F0 Error Occurs?

Identifying the root cause of this problem might requires some R&D. However, “Boot Device Not Found HP 3F0” error usually occurs when your PC cannot find a boot sector.

Here are few other reasons for no boot device found error:

• If your system drive gets corrupted or damaged.
• Incorrect boot order on your computer.
• Corrupt hard drive partitions or damaged MBR sector.
• Inactive windows 10 system partition.
• Problems with your BIOS or CMOS settings.

How to Fix Boot Device Not Found?

Boot Device Not Found HP 3F0 error indicates that your operating system is unable to locate a boot sector of the hard drive or the bootable hard disk. If you are looking to fix boot device not found error, you can follow the troubleshooting steps given in the next section of this blog.

7 Best Methods to Fix Boot Device Not Found 3F0 Error

We have covered 7 useful methods to fix Boot Device not Found HP laptop. With right expertise and tools, anyone can fix this problem effortlessly. Follow these recommended methods given below to fix the issue:

Method 1: Set Your Hard Drive as the Boot Device

Note: Go through with the following steps carefully to set your computer hard drive as a boot device.

1. Press Esc key to bring up the BIOS interface.
2. On the keyboard, continuously press the right Arrow Key until the Boot tab appears on your screen.
3. Move to Hard Drive on the top of the boot order list by using + or –
4. Now, press F10 key to save.
5. Restart your device and look for issue solved.

Method 2: Change the Boot Order

Ensure that the hard drive you boot from is the right disk. If your system accidentally boots from an unbootable device, it will display a “boot device not found” error message and will not boot successfully.

Follow the below mentioned steps to change the boot order in the BIOS and let it boot from the bootable device:

1. Restart the computer and press the F10 key to enter the BIOS settings menu.
2. Select System Configuration > boot settings in the BIOS settings menu.
3. Follow the on-screen prompts to change the boot order.

Method 3: Perform Hard Reset

Perform a hard reset to re-establish the connection between the BIOS and the hardware. A hard reset will clear all the information from the computer’s memory and help in restoring functionality, which can fix the HP laptop boot device not found error.

Follow these steps below to perform a hard reset on your PC/laptop:

1. Turn off your computer.
2. Disconnect all external devices and unplug the AC adapter from the computer.
3. Also, remove the battery from its slot.
4. Press and hold the power button for 15 seconds to drain the remaining power.
5. Reinsert the battery and reconnect the AC adapter.
6. Press the power button to start the system.
7. On the Start menu, use the arrow keys to select Start Windows Normally, and press Enter.

Note: If this doesn’t resolve your problem, jump on to the next method.

Method 4: Restore BIOS to Default Settings

If your computer is set to boot from an unbootable disk, you may face a boot device not found error. Restoring the BIOS to its last saved configuration will allow the OS to detect the bootable disk.  

Follow the steps to restore the BIOS default settings:

1. Power off the computer.
2. Wait for 5 seconds, then restart the computer by pressing the power button.
3. Continuously tap the F10 key to access the BIOS setup menu.
4. To load the default BIOS setup settings, press the F9 key on the BIOS setup screen.
5. Press F10 to save the changes and exit the BIOS.
6. Select Yes, and press Enter when asked, Exit Saving Changes?
7. Follow the prompts and restart the computer.

Note: If the boot device not found error is still popping up, then proceed towards the next fix.

Method 5: Check Bad Sectors on the Bootable Hard Disk

Bad sectors are permanently damaged areas on the hard drive that may hinder it from responding to read and write requests. It consists of physical bad sectors and logical bad sectors. The presence of excessive bad sectors will crash the hard drive completely, resulting in an HP boot device not found. Therefore, you should detect and fix bad sectors on your hard drive immediately if you encounter this error.

Perform the surface test explained below to check bad sectors on the bootable hard disk:

1. Right-click the disk you want to check.
2. Select Disk Surface Test.
3. Tick the Quick Check option and click
4. Once the test is finished, all bad sectors will be marked as red.

NOTE: Use “Command Prompt” or a “Bad Sector Repair Tool” to effectively test and repair bad sectors on your hard drive. If there are too many bad sectors on your hard drive, you should consider replacing it with a new disk.

Method 6: Reconnect Your Hard Drive

When a hard drive is not properly connected, the computer may not be able to detect it and display the “boot device not found” issue. Always ensure that your hard drive is properly connected, and if not, reconnect your hard drive using following instructions:

1. Switch off the PC or laptop.
2. Disconnect the power cable.
3. Remove the battery (in the case of a laptop).
4. Also, disconnect the hard drive,
5. Then reinsert it, double-checking the connection.
6. Reassemble your PC or laptop and turn it on to check if the error is resolved.

Issue still persists? Try the next solution.

Method 7: Fix and Rebuild Damaged MBR

MBR (Master Boot Record) helps in booting your computer system. If the MBR of your system gets damaged, the boot device error will occur.

To fix and rebuild a damaged MBR, follow these steps:

1. Insert the Windows installation media into your computer and boot.
2. Select the language and region.
3. Click on Repair your computer, when you see Install now
4. On the Advanced Options screen, select Troubleshoot > Command Prompt.
5. In Command Prompt window, input the following command lines and press Enter after each.
   • bootrec /fixmbr
   • bootrec /fixboot
   • bootrec /scanos
   • bootrec /rebuildbcd
6. Exit the Command Prompt and reboot your computer for error status.

If you are facing challenges in implementing the above methods or struggling to understand the process, don’t hesitate to seek assistance from experts to fix the problem.

Contact 123 Com Setup Professionals to Fix the Boot Device Not Found HP 3F0 Error Under Expert Guidance!

With this write-up, we have tried to explain each and every possible solution to help you fix the “Boot Device Not Found“ error and manage your hard drive better. But if, even after trying all these solutions, you still can’t boot your device properly, you should connect with 123 Com Setup specialists for help. Moreover, if you need more advanced solutions to troubleshoot such situations, contacting industry experts is the best decision.

123 Com Setup technicians have the knowledge and tools to find the error cause and vast experience retrieving data from damaged hard drives. They can help you fix the problem easily and quickly.