Boot device not found on HP, Dell, or Acer laptop? Here is how to fix it!

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Boot device not found error

Do you face the “Boot device not found” error on your HP, Dell, or Acer laptop? This post will provide you with an insight into the background, causes, and solutions to the error. This is one of the most common problems to happen to many users, and thankfully there are a set of solutions that could help you find a fix quickly.

The boot device not found error commonly occurs when the hard disk malfunctions, and because of that, it fails to support the system boot process. In some cases, this issue comes with the error code 350f. The booting process involves loading the operating system into the Random Access Memory (RAM), and the Basic Input-Output System (BIOS) plays a vital role too. The BIOS is responsible for accessing essential files from the bootable device, the hard disk. When there is an issue with the hard drive, the BIOS will have trouble accessing the files and will display the boot device not found (350f) error.

Before diving in to the solutions, let’s take a look at some of the common causes of the 350f error: 

  • Damaged hard drive or corrupt hard drive partitions
  • Incorrect boot sequence
  • Corrupted system or boot files
  • Malware or virus infection
  • A hard drive connection issue
  • Damaged boot sector

4 Solutions to the Boot Device Not Found 350f error

1. Perform a Hard Reset on your PC

A hard or forced reset of your PC will erase all the information currently stored in the computer’s memory. This will force the system to clear any errors and reestablish all connections.

Here are the steps to reset a PC with removable battery:

  1. Turn off your PC.
  2. Disconnect all external devices and unplug the charger.
  3. Remove the battery.
  4. Hold down the power button for 10-15 seconds to ensure that the PC has been drained of all the power.
  5. Insert the battery back into the battery component.
  6. Plug in the charger.
  7. Press the power button and turn on the computer.
  8. If asked, select “Start Windows Normally” option and allow it to boot normally.
  9. Run a Windows update.

Here are the steps to reset a PC with non-removable battery:

  1. Turn off your PC.
  2. Disconnect all external devices and unplug the charger.
  3. Hold down the power button for 10-15 seconds to ensure that the PC has been drained of all the power.
  4. Plug in the charger.
  5. Press the power button and turn on the computer.
  6. If asked, select “Start Windows Normally” option and allow it to boot normally.
  7. Run a Windows update.

2. Reset your Hard Drive

In several instances, the boot device not found error might occur due to a loose connection with the hard drive. You can tackle this issue by resetting your hard drive with the following steps:

  1. Press the power button for 10-15 second to turn off your PC completely
  2. Unplug the charger and all other external devices connected.
  3. Now, disconnect your hard drive, wait 15 seconds, and reconnect it.
  4. Reassemble the PC.
  5. Start your computer normally.

3. Reset BIOS Default Settings

Sometimes the error could occur because your PC is wrongly set to configure to boot from an unbootable disk or device. To eliminate this possibility, you need to recheck your BIOS settings.

Here are the steps to reset your PC’s BIOS settings:

  1. Press the power button for 10-15 second to turn off your PC completely
  2. Press the power button to turn on the PC. Then press the F10 key repeatedly until you enter the BIOS setup menu. (Note: In some systems you might have to press a different key to enter the BIOS. The right key is always shown on the screen right after turning on the computer.)
  3. When you have entered the BIOS, press F9 to reset to the default BIOS settings.
  4. Press F10 to save and exit the menu.
  5. Select Yes, and press Enter when asked “Exit Saving Changes?”.
  6. Follow the directions to restart the computer.

4. Check for Bad Sectors in your Hard Drive

Bad sectors in a hard drive are faulty clusters of storage developed over time due to physical damage. Bad sectors could cause hindrance to the system by not responding to any read/write requests. Fixing this is a multi-step process that requires you to detect the sectors and fix it. This can be a complex and lengthy process. Therefore, you will need to appoint a data recovery professional to fix the error.

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