Are you trying to play a game on the computer or conduct some essential work when you get interrupted by a reboot and select proper boot device error screen? Don’t worry; many users face the same issue. This guide will show you the simple troubleshooting steps to help resolve this error.
It usually prevents you from booting up your operating system or doing anything, which is one of the most aggravating things. Even if you repeatedly reboot the computer, the issue persists and doesn’t let the users boot the system.
Many users of Windows 10, 8, or 7 experience a black screen with an error prompt that shows reboot and select proper boot device. So we are trying to provide some standard solutions that will help you fix these kinds of computing errors.
What Causes Reboot And Select Proper Boot Device?
There are two significant possible situations it might be caused due to software or hardware issues.
Software issues are:
- A corrupted or broken master boot record (MBR).
- An inactive boot partition.
- An incorrect boot sequence in the BIOS caused the error.
- When the computer cannot find the boot device that holds your operating system, it leads to the error reboot and select proper device.
Hardware issues are:
- Cables don’t let the BIOS detect the boot disk.
- Your hard drive or SATA slot might be damaged, which causes the error.
- BIOS might detect the boot disk, but it is not connected appropriately.
How Do I Fix Reboot And Select Proper Boot Device?
If you knew the particular source of the issue, you could take the appropriate action, but determining the actual cause from all probable causes is difficult. As a result, you’ll have to put in a lot of effort to implement all these fixies that we listed below.
Check Your Hard Drive
Your operating system’s hard disc drive must be powered up and linked through a power cable to the motherboard. Your PC will not recognize the hard drive if the connection is not correctly attached or broken. So you need to check the computer to resolve the error.
- Shut down your computer, find the power cable, and inspect it for damage or inappropriate connection.
- Detach it and test it on another PC if everything appears to be in order.
- If the error could occur on the other PC, you should replace the power cord.
If you don’t have one, reattach it to the first PC and proceed to the next step.
Check the Boot Sequence
Occasionally, the boot routine becomes mixed up, resulting in the error message reboot and select proper boot device. Therefore, start the PC and access the BIOS with F1, F12, F2, F10, or DEL, depending upon your device, then follow these instructions to check your BIOS boot order:
- Once you access the Boot Menu, then go to the Boot tab.
- You can drag and drop it if you have a recent BIOS system; otherwise, you’ll have to utilize the arrow keys to move it up.
- You need to list your computer’s HDD first and then set other menus.
- Save settings and restart your Pc now that it is in the top position.
Defragment the RAM
RAM stands for Random-access memory. There is a good chance that it has not been removed or cleaned since you bought the PC. Therefore, it could be causing the reboot and select proper boot device error. So you need to clean the RAM by following these steps:
- First, switch off the computer and unplug all cords.
- Remove the screws from the bottom of your PC tower or laptop to access the motherboard and RAM.
- After that, remove the RAM by carefully unlocking the clamps that keep it in place.
- Clean the dust off the RAM using a soft cloth.
- Now Reposition it and secure it with a clamp.
- Close the computer and restart it to see if the problem has been resolved.
Disable Legacy Boot
Modern PCs lack a real BIOS and instead rely on UEFI. Although they appear to be the same, UEFI is faster, has more capabilities, and is generally more user-friendly.
When Legacy Boot is enabled in UEFI, it may result in the “Reboot and select correct boot device” issue. You can resolve the error by disabling legacy boot through the following steps:
- Restart the computer and enter the BIOS by pressing the required key (F2, F12, etc.).
- Now find the legacy boot option; usually, you can find it in the security tab or advance tab.
- Once you find it, click on the Disable Legacy Boot option.
- Restart the computer after saving BIOS settings.
Damaged hard drive
If nothing else has worked, we must figure out that the hard disc is failing, and the best solution right now is to disconnect the hard disc and connect it to a different computer. If you have access to the hard disc from another computer, make a backup of all your crucial files. Replace the hard drive on your computer when you’ve finished the backup.
Conclusion
If none of the mentioned above solutions has fixed the reboot and select proper boot device error, you can upgrade the SATA drivers in safe mode. You need to replace the hard drive that might be broken, the operating system is corrupted, or you may require a complete reinstall of Windows to continue using the PC.