how to repair a hard drive that won t boot

Full Answer

How do I fix disk boot failure?

Fix disk boot failure via BIOS settings. Choose the "Boot" option and change the order to set your hard disk as the first one. Save your changes and then restart your computer to apply. BIOS change is the first option when your computer hard drive is getting stuck in bad sectors or problematic boot.

Is it possible to recover a hard drive that won’t boot?

Even though it is possible to recover a hard drive that won’t boot, it is best if you can try to get a computer to read it. In most cases, the problem is minor and has an easy solution. Here are some ways you can try to get your hard drive to boot in increasing complexity.

How to fix a cloned hard drive that won’t boot?

1. Check the startup settings Step 1. Press a specific key, usually Del for desktop and F2 for laptop, to enter BIOS settings. Step 2. Under Boot tab, make sure the cloned drive is first boot order.

How to fix hard drive won't boot in Mac?

Erase Mac drive. Increase hard drive speed. Pick desired external drive. 5 external drive for Mac. Clone your hard drive. > Resources > Answer Hard Drive Problems > How to Fix Hard Drive Won't Boot in Windows?

Why is my hard drive not booting?

It is possible that the reason the drive will not boot is due to physical damage. If the drive can be seen but not accessed, most likely the partition table has gone corrupt. But if the drive can't even be seen, especially using a Linux machine to view it, the drive might well be physically damaged.

How do I force a hard drive to boot?

From within Windows, press and hold the Shift key and click the “Restart” option in the Start menu or on the sign-in screen. Your PC will restart into the boot options menu. Select the “Use a device” option on this screen and you can choose a device you want to boot from, such as a USB drive, DVD, or network boot.

What is the boot failure problem?

If you receive the 'disk boot failure' error message, it's because your machine can't find the operating system and, therefore, is unable to boot. The error occurs because the BIOS is unable to find a bootable drive in order to start up your machine.

How do I boot up without BIOS?

How to boot from a USB drive using Windows 11's Settings (without BIOS or UEFI) First, connect the bootable USB flash drive to a USB port on your Windows 11 computer. Then, open Settings (Windows + I), ensure that System is selected on the left sidebar, and click or tap on Recovery on the right panel.

How can I make my hard drive unbootable?

4 AnswersOpen up cmd as administrator.Type diskpart and hit enter.Type list disk and enter.Type select disk 0 and enter.Type list partition and enter.Type select partition 1 and enter.Type inactive and enter.Type exit.

How do I boot from an old hard drive?

Using an Old Hard Drive with a New MotherboardMicrosoft Windows activation with a new installation and motherboard change.Prepare the installation media.Make sure the correct drives are connected.Select the USB drive as the temporary boot drive.Follow the installation procedure.More items...•

How do I get files off a hard drive that won't boot?

Try to boot into the hard drive by connecting it to a different computer or checking the cables and port. If you cannot boot into it, try to discon...

How do you fix a hard drive failure?

Create a complete copy of the hard drive, and then scan this copy using Disk Drill. You will be able to recover files from this copy. Test the driv...

When should I approach a data recovery center?

If you tried all of our methods and still could not boot into your drive or recover data on it, the chances are that your drive is physically damag...

How can I tell if my HDD is failing?

The clearest sign of HDD failure is clicking or whirring sounds from the drive. The drive can also overheat and start crashing often. The moment yo...

1. What would happen if my boot drive failed?

When you boot drive failed, you might meet the following problems: disappearing files, computer freezing, corrupted data, bad sectors, etc.

2. Why does Windows 10 won’t boot up?

It might be caused by a booting malware or the overheating of the system. An inconsistent power supply, conflict in BIOS, or corrupt registry can a...

3. How to create Windows startup disk?

To make a bootable Windows disc, you can turn to a Windows boot disk creator.

Expert Advice: Back up Your Data Regularly

As you know, hard drive failure can occur at any time for any reason without warning. So, you should always be prepared for such instances, and for this regular back up is the best way out. Keeping a regular data backup can help you save from a significant data loss. Also, transferring data from one hard drive to another is not so complex.

Conclusion

I hope these solutions on how to fix a hard drive that won’t boot are useful to you. If your PC often crashes or hangs, your hard drive components may be deteriorating. All of the methods mentioned above are reliable but it is always best to seek professional assistance from a trusted data recovery company like Techchef.

What to do if you can't boot into your hard drive?

If you cannot boot into it, try to disconnect your internal hard drive. Then, place it in an enclosure and use it as an external drive.

Why does my external hard drive not boot?

External hard drives often fail to boot because there is some problem with the connector cables.

Why Is the Hard Drive Not Visible In File Explorer?

If you can boot your computer, but you cannot see your hard drive, it could be due to various reasons. Before you jump to solutions, it is best to figure out what might be causing this problem.

How to recover files from a hard drive?

Create a complete copy of the hard drive, and then scan this copy using Disk Drill. You will be able to recover files from this copy.

How to tell if HDD is failing?

The clearest sign of HDD failure is clicking or whirring sounds from the drive. The drive can also overheat and start crashing often. The moment you notice that files and folders on your drive go missing that should be the last straw. Immediately stop using your drive and test it with S.M.A.R.T. monitoring features that are built-in for recovery tools such as Disk Drill.

How to find a hard drive that Windows Explorer cannot locate?

Launch Disk Drill. In the window that opens, you should see even the hard drive that Windows Explorer cannot locate. This is already positive and means that you can recover data from it without much trouble.

How does a hard drive store data?

Hard drives use physical space orderly and store data by moving magnetic platters in this space. Each part of the drive’s storage space is broken into smaller sectors that are mapped to “remember” where data is saved.

1: Boot from a restore disk

With many operating systems, restore disks can be created and used to deal with such disasters. The problem with this usually arises because the user hasn’t made a restore disk.

2: Use the install disk

If you didn’t create a recovery disk in Windows, but you have the full installation disk, you’ll be okay. Those disks include recovery tools that can be accessed by pressing R at the Welcome To Setup screen. The tools let you fix boot problems, restore the hard drive from image, diagnose memory, and perform system restore.

3: Get to know BartPE

There are tools… and then there is BartPE. BartPE is a huge challenge to build. But once you have it, you have a serious tool for fixing serious problems. Bart PE creates a complete, preinstalled Win32 environment on your hard drive that allows you to use many of the tools available for repair.

4: Rebuild the MBR

In many instances, the problem is a corrupt master boot record (MBR). If that’s the case, the MBR needs to be rebuilt. This process will vary, depending upon the operating system you use. With Windows 7, the necessary tool is Bootrec.exe, which can be found in the Windows Recovery Environment.

5: Remove the drive

If all else fails, pull out the drive from the machine, attach it to a machine known to run, and see if the drive can be seen at all. It is possible that the reason the drive will not boot is due to physical damage. If the drive can be seen but not accessed, most likely the partition table has gone corrupt.

What has saved you?

There are plenty of ways to recover that unbootable drive, but the techniques above have always brought me the most luck. What about you? If you’ve found a more reliable or efficient way to recover a drive that refuses to boot, share it with your fellow TechRepublic readers.

How to fix a computer that won't boot?

Step 1. Boot PC with a Windows install disc. Insert a Window installation CD into your computer. You need to boot from a Windows installation disc and fix boot failure press any key to continue. Choose the language time and keyboard input as required , then you can set to repair your computer.

What does it mean when you install a new hard drive but only receive the disk boot failure error?

When you install a new hard drive but only to receive the disk boot failure error, it means there is something wrong with the new hard drive. To fix this problem, you can boot PC from the system installation CD. Damaged hard disk or partition. Windows cannot boot with a corrupted or damaged hard disk.

How to open BIOS on Windows 10?

First of all, you need to restart your computer in advance. Then press the certain key before the Windows logo appears to open BIOS on PC . If you are not sure which key button you should tap, you can try Esc, Del, F2, F8, F10 or F12 on different computers.

What happens when your boot drive fails?

When you boot drive failed, you might meet the following problems: disappearing files, computer freezing, corrupted data, bad sectors, etc.

Can Apeaksoft repair disk failure?

The above solutions are helpful to repair disk boot failure. However, if any accident causes data loss during the repair process, and you did not make a backup, just use Apeaksoft Data Recovery to help you rescue data.

What should be done if a system cannot boot from the hard drive?

What should be done if a system cannot boot from the hard drive? The first suggestion here is to disconnect all external devices and leave the necessary keyboard and mouse there. These external devices can be printers, memory card readers, external hard drives, and external CD/DVD drives.

What to do if your computer is not booting?

If it starts normally, it was trying to boot from one of the external devices. At this time, you can reconnect the devices one by one to check which device results in the boot failure.

Why is my system partition inactive?

It is likely that virus attack changed the active system partition to inactive, leading to error loading operating system. In this case, we suggest using MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable to help you set system partition active again.

How to check if your boot sequence is wrong?

You may also need to check if the boot sequence gets disturbed, leading to error loading operating system. Enter BIOS and navigate to boot sequence tab. Then check if the boot order went wrong. If YES, reset the default boot order or move the preferred boot device to the first place by using the up/down arrow keys. Finally, press Enter to select the device and restart the computer.

What to do if your computer crashes?

If your problem isn't fixed, try reinstalling Windows or performing a Reset on Windows 8 or 10. If you're still experiencing crashes, your computer likely has a hardware problem.

How to reset Windows 10 to factory settings?

Tip: To reset Windows, keep pressing Shift + Restart button in Windows 10 so as to enter WinRE, then click Troubleshoot and then Reset this PC. At this time, you will be asked to choose a way to reset your PC. Is that "Keep my files" or "Remove everything"? If you have made a disk clone, you can choose either one. If no backup is made, be careful when going through all choices. Finally, wait until the process is finished.

How to test if your computer is safe?

To test this, boot your computer into Safe Mode where typical hardware drivers and software won't get loaded. If your computer is stable in Safe Mode, try uninstalling any recently installed hardware drivers or performing a system restore if you have an available backup. Then, scan the whole disk for malware. If you're lucky, one of these steps may fix your software problem and allow you to boot Windows normally.

How to fix a laptop that is not starting?

Reseat all of your components. Try removing and then reinserting components such as your graphics card, RAM modules, and all of your cable connections . If anything has come loose, there's a chance that it's disrupting the startup sequence.

How to fix a laptop that won't turn on?

Check the power cable. 1 Plug the computer directly into the wall to see if your surge protector or power strip is the cause of the problem. 2 If you are using a laptop, make sure that the power adapter is securely connected.

How to start up a PC when it turns off?

Hold in the power button for a few seconds. When the PC turns off, push the power button again to start it up.

How to run a laptop without a battery?

Remove your laptop's battery and connect the power adapter. You can run your laptop without a battery inserted as long as you are plugged into a power source. If your laptop turns on when the battery is removed, something is wrong with the battery and you should contact the manufacturer for a replacement.

What to do if your charger is not connecting?

If it is not connecting to the charger, then try cleaning out both ends of the connection, but don't use water. If it's not connecting to the internet, make sure that your ethernet cable is connected or that your WiFi router is on.

How to check if my power strip is working?

Check the power cable. It may seem simple, but double-check that the power cable is plugged in and the outlet is working. Plug the computer directly into the wall to see if your surge protector or power strip is the cause of the problem. If you are using a laptop, make sure that the power adapter is securely connected.

What to do if your power supply doesn't work?

Replace your power supply if necessary. If your power supply doesn't work after testing it, you'll probably need to replace it in order to get your computer working again.

Why is my cloned SSD not booting?

If your computer does not support UEFI boot mode, you need to do a GPT to MBR conversion before you can boot from the cloned drive. As you may know, some software allows you to clone MBR to GPT disk or back without disk conversion. The computer is not using the correct boot mode is one of the reasons why cloned SSD not booting.

How to make a cloned hard drive bootable?

If you are cloning hard drive to another hard drive on the same computer, but the cloned hard drive won’t boot later, you can try the following ways to make cloned drive bootable: 1. Check the startup settings. Step 1. Press a specific key, usually Del for desktop and F2 for laptop, to enter BIOS settings. Step 2.

How to boot from a cloned drive?

Step 1. Press a specific key, usually Del for desktop and F2 for laptop, to enter BIOS settings. Step 2. Under Boot tab, make sure the cloned drive is first boot order. If your cloned drive is a GPT disk, make sure the UEFI boot mode is enabled, and if it is an MBR disk, then set it to Legacy boot mode. If your computer does not support UEFI boot ...

How to fix cloned HDD?

Step 1. Boot from the system repair disc, and try the first option, Startup Repair. > If it doesn’t work, you can try Bootrec.exe, which can is available in Command Prompt to fix cloned HDD won’t boot. Open the last system recovery option, Command Prompt, and enter the following command in order: bootrec.exe. bootrec.exe /fixmbr.

Can I repair a cloned hard drive?

If you have neither a repair disk to repair cloned hard drive won't boot in Windows 7 , nor recovery drive to fix Windows 8, Windows 10, or Windows 11 cloned SSD won't boot, you can use the third-party software AOMEI Partition Assistant Pro to create a bootable media, and boot from it to use one of its features Rebuild MBR for making your cloned HDD or SSD bootable.