How To Fix Boot Device Not Found 3F0 Error On Windows 10?

There are a lot of errors and issues that could happen with your computer, such as BSOD error, red/black screen issue, unbootable OS, corrupted system files, etc. Among all of these issues, the “boot device not found 3F0” is a very common error, especially among HP laptop/pc users.

This error occurs while booting Windows 10/8/7 PC. This error message indicates that your operating system is unable to find the bootable hard disk of your hard drive. The boot device not found – hard disk 3f0 error will stop your PC from booting up and will also make your work inconvenient.

The “boot device not found 3F0” error mostly tends to encounter on HP (HP Pavilion G6), Lenovo, Acer, and Dell laptops/desktops that are running Windows 7/8/10.

So, if you are also getting the “Hard disk 3f0 error, boot device not found” error on the HP computer, and don’t know how to fix it, then this article will take you through different solutions to fix this error on your Windows 10 PC.

What Causes the Boot Device Not Found 3F0 Error?

In order to fix the “boot device not found error” in the HP computer, you must first know the reasons that may cause this error on your PC. After going through users reports I have listed the following reasons:

Using the unbootable device or disk for booting the computer.
When the bootable hard drive is corrupted/damaged.
If there is a presence of virus or malware on your computer.
Using the wrong boot order in the BIOS.
If the MBR/boot sector is corrupted.
When hard disk has any kind of connection problem.
If the boot files or system files gets damaged or corrupted.
Due to the corrupted hard drive partitions.

How to Fix Boot Device Not Found 3F0 Error on Windows 10 PC?

Table of Contents

Solution 1: Change the Boot Order

The first thing you need to do is, make sure you have selected the right hard drive to boot from. If you have unintentionally or mistakenly selected the unbootable device to boot from, then your PC won’t boot successfully.

And, in the end, you will end up with the “Boot Device Not Found. Please install an operating system to your hard disk” error message.

So, to fix the issue, change the boot order in your BIOS and then let it be booted. However, if you still failed to fix the error, then move ahead with the next solution.

Solution 2: Perform Hard Reset to Fix Boot Device Not Found 3F0

If your hard disk is damaged or corrupted, performing the hard reset on your computer will be a great move towards fixing the HP laptop 3F0 error. While hard resetting the system, you can opt either to reset system settings or just deleting the user data.

In case, if your hard disk is fully corrupted, then it is suggested to perform a full factory reset as it would be the best option for you. Below are the steps that you can follow to implement this solution to fix the hard disk 3F0 error on HP.

Turn off your PC > remove the power adapter.
Removable the battery, if there is an option to do so.
Disconnect all cables, including the hard drive.

Keep pressing the power button for around 15 seconds so that it drains out all power that remained on your system.
Insert the battery > plug in the AC adapter back into your laptop.
Turn on your computer.
Once your PC starts and shows the startup menu, select the “Start Windows normally” option using the arrow keys & press the Enter key.

Now, reconnect all the peripherals.

Solution 3: Test Hard Drive Using HP Diagnostic Tool

Use HP PC Hardware Diagnostics even if the computer does not open to Windows and showing the boot device not found hard disk 3F0 error.

Turn on your computer and keep pressing the Esc key until the menu appears on the screen.
Next, press the F2 key.
Choose the Components Tests option from the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics menu.

Select Hard Drive from the Component Tests menu.

Click on the Quick Test, then click on the Run once button.

If your computer has more than one hard drive, then select the hard drive you want to test. Or, if you want to test all of the hard drives, then select the Test All Hard Drives option.
After the completion of the test, the result will prompt on your screen.
If there are still any issues with your hard drive, then run the Extensive Test.

Solution 4: Restore BIOS to Default Settings

Some users use the unbootable disk to boot their system and if you are doing it in the same way, then you should restore the BIOS to its default settings to fix this error. To do this, follow these steps:

Press and hold down the Power button to turn on the computer.
Keep pressing the F10 key to enter into the BIOS setup menu.
Now, press the F9 key to load & restore the BIOS Setup Default.
Once it is done, press the F10 key to Save the settings & Exit from the menu.
Now, select the Yes option > press the Enter key after getting the Exit Saving Changes.
Next, follow the on-screen instructions to restart your PC.

Solution 5: Reconnect Hard Drive

Well, before applying this method let me just tell you that doing it on your own is quite risky. So, if you can’t do it on your own, then please take the help of professionals. To reconnect your hard drive, follow these steps:

Turn off your system and unplug the power cable.
Remove the battery, if possible.
Disconnect the hard drive > connect the hard drive back.
Reassemble your computer and then turn it on to see whether the issue is fixed or not.

Solution 6: Fix and Rebuild Damaged MBR

The Master Boot Record (MBR) is a part of your hard disk that helps to find where is your OS located to be loaded on your PC’s RAM.

So, the boot device not found error may typically also occur if there is anything wrong with your MBR. MBR damage can happen due to several reasons, such as malware or virus attack, MBR overwrites, or disk failure. In any of these cases, you need to rebuild the MBR to fix the problem.

Solution 7: Fix your Operating System

If your OS folders or files have been deleted or lost or corrupted accidentally, then it will lead you to major problems including the boot device not detected 3f0 error.

Hence, to fix this error, you need to do the following:

Take any of the Windows installation disc or CD/DVD or USB flash drive and connect it to the PC.
Launch the Command Prompt while installation process.

Go to the System Recovery Options tab and click on the Startup Repair if you are a Windows 7 user.
For Windows 8/10 users, click on the Repair your computer > select the Troubleshoot > click on the Advanced options > select Automatic Repair (for Windows 8) / Startup Repair (for Windows 10).

This trick should work in order to fix this problem that prevents Windows from starting or loading.

Solution 8: Replace the Hard Disk

This should not be the last option for you as replacing the hard disk costs and you will lose your data too. So, before buying the new Hard Disk for your PC, you must try external Hard Disk. Then, see if after doing this you can access the drive. If you can access it, then you don’t need to replace it.

Boot Device Not Found Hard Disk 3F0 Error: FAQ

1: What does boot device not found hard disk 3f0 error means?

The boot device not detected error message appears while booting up the computer and it indicates that your operating system is unable to detect the hard drive or Windows installation disc.

2: Why am I getting the boot device not found error on HP laptop

There are several reasons behind getting this error message on HP or any other laptop/desktop. Some of the most common reasons are:

Wrong boot order in BIOS
Corrupted/damaged hard drive
Boot sector or MBR is corrupted
Hard disk connection issues
If the bootable device is corrupted

3: What should I do if HP laptop displays the boot device not found 3f0 error?

These are the effective ways that one can try out to fix this error on Windows 10 computer:

Hard Reset your computer
Correct the boot order
Reset BIOS to default settings
Run the HP diagnostic tool
Rebuild damaged MBR

4: How can you fix a hard disk error?

If you are receiving the hard disk error, then you may apply any of these solutions:

Run SFC scan
Use CHKDSK
Check bad sectors for hard disk

Conclusion

The Windows 10 boot device not found 3F0 error won’t only prevent you from booting the system but will also turn it into the malfunctioned machine.

So, don’t get panic or fret if you ever experience this problem on your device, instead apply these efficient fixes mentioned in this article to fix the hard disk error code 3F0.

If you still have any queries regarding the no boot device found error or you are unable to fix it, then feel free to reach out to our experts for help. For this, simply contact us on Facebook or Twitter.

Hardeep Kaur

Hardeep has always been a Windows lover ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP PC. She has always been enthusiastic about technological stuff, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) computing. Before joining PC Error Fix, she worked as a freelancer and worked on numerous technical projects.