Sometimes happens. You restart or boot your PC and you get a blue screen (BSOD) , preventing you from working normally. Today we are going to deal with the error “Inaccessible boot device” , a recurring problem especially after updating Windows 10, but fortunately it is not complicated to solve and next we are going to teach you how to do it.
To solve this problem, it is unfortunately necessary to be able to access Windows, that is, that the PC starts up. If in your case there is no way for the computer to start without problems, it will be necessary to start Windows recovery mode (press the reset button while Windows tries to start three consecutive times and the system will enter this mode) or to insert a USB stick or DVD installation of the operating system, so that you can do the actions that we will explain below.
What is “Inaccessible boot device” error and how to fix it
We all know that Windows 10 loves to update automatically unless we manually prevent it. Often this happens at the least opportune moments, but sometimes the operating system is updated almost without us noticing … and there the problems come. Updates may have been installed while using the PC, at night you turn it off and when you turn it on in the morning you find the surprise: a BSOD saying “Inaccessible Boot Device” .
In summary, this error means that Windows has lost access to the system partition during the startup process. This is an error that after a Windows update in 2017 became “famous”, but that even today continues to appear to many users spontaneously.
The causes of the error can be various, including updates to the BIOS of the motherboard, processors with Overclock (although it seems that it has nothing to do with the boot partition, Windows stuff …), and some users suggest that this problem is more frequent in PCs that have an SSD as a system device. In any case, let’s see what possible solutions we have for it.
Remove recently installed packages
Since a Windows update most likely caused this problem, the first thing you should try is to remove the latest installed updates. If you started in Windows recovery mode it is one of the options that it will give you, but if you can get the system to boot, you must go to Settings -> Update and security -> Recovery and in the Advanced Start section, click on “Restart now”.
The computer will restart and boot in a command line mode. Now enter the following commands:
dir c: (assuming you have the operating system installed on drive C)
Dism / Image: c: / Get-Packages
After entering this command, you will see all the packages installed on the system. Use the date field to identify those that have been recently installed. To remove such packages, enter the following command:
Dism.exe / image: c: / remove-package / [package name] where package name is the one you identified in the previous step.
Remove packages pending upgrade
Sometimes Windows leaves some updates hanging in Limbo, always pending and never installed, and these can cause the error we are talking about today. To remove these packages you will have to follow the same steps as in the previous step to access the command console, and enter the following:
reg load HKLMtemp c: windowssystem32configsoftware
reg delete “HKLMtempMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionComponent Based ServicingSessionsPending” / v Exclusive
reg unload HKLMtemp
Now you have to move the packages somewhere else so Windows stops trying to install them. Enter the following commands:
Dism.exe / image: c: / get-packages <- here, identify those with “Install pending” status
mkdir c: Temppackages
Dism.exe / image: c: / remove-package / packagename: [package name] / scratchdir: c: Temppackages <- replacing the package name for each.
Drivers can also cause inaccessible boot device error
It is never a bad idea to check that you have updated drivers, especially the AHCI controller if it is the one you are using.
To do this, right-click on the Start button and select “Device Manager”. There look for “ATA / ATAPI IDE Drivers” and in AHCI driver, right click and select “Update Driver”.
Enable AHCI mode in BIOS
Many users have reported that enabling AHCI mode in BIOS has immediately fixed this “Inaccessible Boot Device” error, and since it is also the recommended mode in which you should have your disk or SSD, it is always a good idea to enable it.
For this you must access the BIOS, and from here it differs depending on the manufacturer, but generally it will be in Advanced Options -> Storage or SATA Configuration. The thing is, you enable AHCI mode for your system disk in BIOS.
Check disk status
Finally, it is always a good idea to check if the disk has any corrupted system files. To do this, run a Command Prompt console as Administrator (Right-click Start -> Command Prompt (administrator) and run the following command:
chkdsk / b driveletter
A message will appear saying that it cannot run with the operating system started, and that if you want it to run the next time you restart. Press the Y and then ENTER to confirm and restart the PC. You will see that it takes time, since it will make all the possible checks on the disk analyzing and repairing any error on it.