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Operating system not found on the laptop. Operating System not found error: what to do? Switching hard drive operating modes in BIOS UEFI

It's always unpleasant when, when you turn on your computer, an error appears on a black or blue screen instead of the usual working one. Windows desktop. In this case, users are concerned about a problem on a black screen that prevents the system from loading, or rather, the error says that there is no system at all. You can see her in this image: . It says that the operating system was not found, let's figure it out.

What to do with the Operating system not found error

Why does it occur this problem? The main culprit of the problem is related to the hard drive and for most, although rarely, the cable simply came off from the connection port to system board or the HDD itself. The second point is that the BIOS parameters are set incorrectly. For example, your hard drive is not in first place, but in last place, or some other options have been changed. Also, any faulty component, be it a power supply or something else, can affect the appearance of this error.

Now on a contract basis. Check the BIOS for incorrectly set options. On the tab Boot or Advanced Make sure the hard drive (HDD) is in first place. If this is not the case, then rearrange using the arrows or the F5 and F6 keys, depending on the BIOS version. If the settings are all correct, then simply . This will not make it worse, but the error may disappear.


But what if the hard drive is not displayed at all in the BIOS? There are two options. I said at the beginning that the disk could have been disconnected by an unknown force, or the cable could have simply come loose. You need to completely turn off the computer and check all the wires to see if they are connected tightly. The second option is that the hard drive is faulty. There is nothing left to do but check its functionality from another PC.

When the operating system appears not found On a laptop there is very little chance that wires and cables will come loose, since everything is tightly and compactly located there. Most likely your disk is simply faulty, or there is a problem in the BIOS.

Software solutions

Above, we looked at physical solutions, and now let’s see how this can be fixed programmatically.

The next one common problem The problem is that another one could have been installed on the hard drive where the operating system is installed. More precisely, try to do it. Eventually boot record The old OS was overwritten by the new one, but it so happened that more than one OS does not boot and the operating system not found error appears. To fix this problem you need to restore the Windows bootloader.

The last solution, although it is not a software solution, I’ll add it here in the end - replacing the power supply. It could either be completely faulty (although I doubt that the computer would start after that) or partially faulty.

Let's summarize what was written about this error:
  • Reset BIOS settings;
  • Move the hard drive with the system to the first place in the list of devices;
  • Check the cables and wires connecting to the HDD to see if everything is tightly connected;
  • If the disk is faulty, make sure of this. Connect to another PC (the disk may not be detected in the BIOS);
  • Replacement faulty unit nutrition;
  • Repair bootloader

Now you know about the basic solutions for the operating system not found error. I indicated the necessary links, otherwise I would have to rewrite what already exists. I hope this helps you and good luck! By the way, I wrote another article. Read it, maybe the instructions there will help you too.

One of the most terrible user errors is the one that appears when turning on the computer and tells us, on a black BIOS screen, that "". When this message appears, our system will not be able to boot, and the only way out is to restart the computer by pressing “ctrl+ alt+del”, and you will most likely see this message again An operating system wasn't found. Try disconnecting any drives that don't contain an operating system. Press Ctrl+ Alt+Del to restart.

The problem with the error is that the operating system is not displayed and therefore the BIOS cannot boot the Windows system. The reasons for this error are very varied: from a simple configuration error in the BIOS to a more serious problem that, in the worst case, forces us to completely format the computer. Therefore, we will analyze the main reasons and their solutions to eliminate the error "" ( An operating system wasn't found).

Disconnecting external USB devices from the computer

If your computer has multiple internal hard drives, external and USB flash drives, it is likely that The BIOS is trying to find the operating system in the wrong place. Consequently, not detecting the Windows system, it displays the error “Not found operating system".

  • To solve this problem, you need to disable everything external devices storage devices connected to the USB ports and try again. We can also check our optical drive to make sure it is not trying to load the wrong DVD.

If after doing this the problem is still not resolved, the next step is to go to BIOS settings.

Changing BIOS boot priority

Enter the BIOS configuration by pressing the F2, F12 or Delete buttons. After that, go to the configuration section Boot and put it first in the column PriorityHDD on which the working and main operating room Windows system. IN different versions BIOS is called differently, but you are looking for the word with the combination Priority, which means “priority boot”. Here are a few names from different BIOS: Hard Disk Priority, Boot Device Priority, Hard Disk Boot Priority.

May be useful:. There you will find approximately where to look Priority,

but don't forget that there is a manual in there for the flash drive. After you have set the boot priority from hard drive


on which your system is located, do not forget to save the settings using the F10 button and restart the computer to make sure “the system is found when you turn on the computer.”

Enable or disable Secure Boot If you are using a modern computer with an operating system such as Windows 8 or Windows 10, then perhaps the reason why our Windows will not start is.

in incorrect UEFI Secure Boot configuration Go back to BIOS, find the configuration section Secure Boot

(Secure Boot) and deactivate it or activate it if it is disabled to check if the "Operating system not found when starting the computer" error disappears. In different BIOS versions Go back to BIOS, find the configuration section or UEFI, the location of the settings looks different, but in any version of the BIOS you look for the column


, try disabling or enabling.

Reset BIOS to factory settings In the lower part BIOS menu you will see the key for or default settings reset BIOS . On my car this is F9.


Confirm your decision when prompted and restart your computer. If you haven’t found an example button like F9 to reset settings to factory settings, then look for the line Load Setup Default


and reset the BIOS. If your hard drive with the operating system is placed first, but the computer still does not boot, it is possible that some of the initial sectors of the drive have been damaged, such as master boot record (MBR), DOS boot entry (DBR) , or Boot Configuration Database

(BCD). Windows DVD. You can, for example, or just start with and select “system restore” when installing windows.



Type the following commands into CMD in order by pressing enter. Each command may take time to complete.

  • bootrec.exe /fixmbr
  • bootrec.exe /fixboot
  • bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd


Activate the Windows partition

It is possible that the partition on which Windows is installed is disabled. You can fix this using Windows' native diskpart tool. To complete the next steps, you will again need a USB stick for Windows installations. Run command line as described above, via disk recovery or installation flash drive Windows and enter the following commands in the command line:

  • diskpart- Launch the tool.
  • list disk- List of connected drives to the computer.
  • select disk 0- Select the hard drive on which you want to activate the partition. In my case, the main hard drive is 0.
  • list volume- Shows partitions on the selected hard drive.
  • select volume 2- Choose local disk to activate. Choose the one where the widows system itself is installed.
  • active- Activate the section.

Restart your computer and make sure the error when turning on the computer disappears An operating system wasn't found. Try disconnecting any drives that don't contain an operating system. Press Ctrl+ Alt+Del to restart, which means operating system not found, click to reboot ctrl+alt+del.


One of the most terrible user errors is the one that appears when turning on the computer and tells us, on a black BIOS screen, that "". When this message appears, our system will not be able to boot, and the only way out is to restart the computer by pressing “ctrl+ alt+del”, and you will most likely see this message again An operating system wasn't found. Try disconnecting any drives that don't contain an operating system. Press Ctrl+ Alt+Del to restart.

The problem with the error is that the operating system is not displayed and therefore the BIOS cannot boot the Windows system. The reasons for this error are very varied: from a simple configuration error in the BIOS to a more serious problem that, in the worst case, forces us to completely format the computer. Therefore, we will analyze the main reasons and their solutions to eliminate the error "" ( An operating system wasn't found).

Disconnecting external USB devices from the computer

If your computer has multiple internal hard drives, external drives, and USB flash drives connected, it is likely that The BIOS is trying to find the operating system in the wrong place. Consequently, not detecting the Windows system, it displays the error “No operating system found.”

  • To resolve this issue, you need to unplug all external storage devices connected to the USB ports and try again. We can also check our optical drive to make sure it is not trying to load the wrong DVD.

If after doing this the problem is still not resolved, the next step is to go to BIOS settings.

Changing BIOS boot priority

Enter the BIOS configuration by pressing the F2, F12 or Delete buttons. After that, go to the configuration section Boot and put it first in the column Priority a hard drive on which the working and main Windows operating system is located. It is called differently in different BIOS versions, but you are looking for the word with the combination Priority, which means “priority boot”. Here are a few names from different BIOS: Hard Disk Priority, Boot Device Priority, Hard Disk Boot Priority.

May be useful:. There you will find approximately where to look Priority,

After you have set the boot priority from the hard drive on which your system is located, do not forget to save the settings using the F10 button and restart the computer to make sure that the system is “found when you turn on the computer.”


on which your system is located, do not forget to save the settings using the F10 button and restart the computer to make sure “the system is found when you turn on the computer.”

Enable or disable Secure Boot If you are using a modern computer with an operating system such as Windows 8 or Windows 10, then perhaps the reason why our Windows will not start is.

in incorrect UEFI Secure Boot configuration Go back to BIOS, find the configuration section Secure Boot

In different versions of BIOS or UEFI, the location of the settings looks different, but in any version of the BIOS you look for the column Go back to BIOS, find the configuration section or UEFI, the location of the settings looks different, but in any version of the BIOS you look for the column


, try disabling or enabling.

At the bottom of the BIOS menu you will see a key for you will see the key for or reset BIOS reset BIOS . On my car this is F9.


Confirm your decision when prompted and restart your computer. If you haven’t found an example button like F9 to reset settings to factory settings, then look for the line Load Setup Default


and reset the BIOS. If your hard drive with the operating system is placed first, but the computer still does not boot, it is possible that some of the initial sectors of the drive have been damaged, such as master boot record (MBR), DOS boot entry (DBR) , or Boot Configuration Database

Repairing these sectors is quite simple. All we need is to start the computer from a USB or Windows DVD. You can, for example, or just start with and select “system restore” when installing windows.



Type the following commands into CMD in order by pressing enter. Each command may take time to complete.

  • bootrec.exe /fixmbr
  • bootrec.exe /fixboot
  • bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd


Activate the Windows partition

It is possible that the partition on which Windows is installed is disabled. You can fix this using Windows' native diskpart tool. To complete the next steps, you will again need a USB drive to install Windows. Run the command line as described above, via the recovery or installation disk Windows flash drive and enter the following commands in the command line:

  • diskpart- Launch the tool.
  • list disk- List of connected drives to the computer.
  • select disk 0- Select the hard drive on which you want to activate the partition. In my case, the main hard drive is 0.
  • list volume- Shows partitions on the selected hard drive.
  • select volume 2- Select a local disk for activation. Choose the one where the widows system itself is installed.
  • active- Activate the section.

Restart your computer and make sure the error when turning on the computer disappears An operating system wasn't found. Try disconnecting any drives that don't contain an operating system. Press Ctrl+ Alt+Del to restart, which means operating system not found, click to reboot ctrl+alt+del.


Hello, dear friends! The next time you start the computer, an error appears on the monitor with the name “Operating system not found.” Instead of Windows boot, a message is displayed on the screen, which translated from English into Russian means that the system was not found.

For many, such a mistake causes negative emotions, but everything is not as scary as it seems at first glance. Let's consider in order what this error is, why it appears and how to fix it on your own, without turning to qualified specialists for help.

Error “Operating system not found” - what does it mean?

“Operating system not found” - what could this mean? After all, Windows OS is installed on the computer, and before this it started without problems. This error usually occurs after the user has manipulated the hard drive, for example, changing it to another or a new one. If the user has not done anything like this, then the reason may be a failure of the hard drive or a problem with connecting the cable.

The second probable cause of the error is incorrect setting of BIOS parameters.

Most often, the incorrect setting of BIOS settings is the location of the HDD or hard drive not in the first, but in the second place. Initially, you need to make sure that the cable is connected to the hard drive, and only after that you need to go to Bios to check that the hard drive is in the first place to start.

Check to see if there is a flash drive inserted into the computer that is trying to start the computer. The error message appears on different versions operating systems WindowsXP, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10. If the problem occurs on a laptop, then the probability of failure of the hard drive is 90%. To try to eliminate the error, you need to do a number of manipulations. Why try? Because at the same time we will look for the cause and try to fix it, unless of course the whole point is the failure of the hard drive.

I How can I fix the “Operating system not found” error?

If checked system unit check that there are no defects with the hard drive connection, then turn on the computer and load the BIOS system. You need to check whether the settings in the BIOS are set correctly, and if not, then it is enough to change them to return the computer to working order.

To get into the BIOS, you need to press the F2 or F12 key while starting your computer or laptop. After the blue screen appears, where everything is written in English language(this is the Bios shell configuration), you need to go to the Boot section using the arrows on the keyboard.

This is interesting! For those who have never been to BIOS system, it will be useful to know that this shell is controlled only using the keyboard, and the mouse is inactive here, but in new versions of the OS the mouse is still active (an example on new version BIOS).

After going to the Boot section (on some Advanced versions), a list of devices connected to the computer will appear. The name of the hard drive should come first. If this is the case, then the cause of the problem is not in the BIOS configuration. If the hard drive is in the second or other places, then the problem has been found. You can fix it in the following way:

1) Highlight the hard drive name in white using the up/down arrows.

2) Press Enter, then move the hard drive to the first place.

3) Save the settings.

Now you can exit the BIOS section and boot into Windows. In 100% of cases it is sure to load after performing the above steps.

II Reset settings in BIOS

If, after entering the BIOS, the hard drive is placed in first place in the Boot section, then you can solve the problem by resetting the settings to factory settings. Any version of the Bios shell has settings that can be implemented different ways. Let's consider one of them:

— Open the Exit section.

- Find the LoadSetupDefaults item in it.

Save the completed actions, after which you can leave the Bios shell and launch Windows.

After completing these steps, the computer will return to factory settings. If the problem was software, and Windows did not boot precisely because of it, then resetting to factory settings will help resolve the problem. If not, then move on to implementing another method.

III Switching the hard drive operating mode

If the “Operating system not found” error appears on a laptop where access to the hard drive is limited or difficult, then you will need to look at the settings for the operating modes of the hard drive. The SATA configuration has two modes - AHCI and IDE. When you first install the OS, the default mode is AHCI. If you switch the mode to IDE, you will not be able to install Windows on your computer.

If, after installing the operating system, users experiment with the BIOS shell and accidentally change AHCI to IDE mode, then the OS will not start after making such changes. When starting, the error “Operating system not found” will appear on the monitor. If such actions are appropriate, then you need to change the settings, and then restart Windows.

IV MBR recovery hard drive

Another reason for the formation of the “Operating system not found” error may be a violation of the integrity of hard disk sectors. The error can be corrected by repairing sectors. You can do this yourself using a USB flash drive or boot disk. I suggest you consider this using the tenth version of Windows as an example.

Instructions for restoring hard disk sectors look like this:

After starting from a flash drive or disk, you need to select “System Restore”.

Follow the path: Troubleshooting - Extra options- Command line.

After this, you need to enter three commands in order, which are described below:

bootrec.exe /fixmbr

bootrec.exe /fixboot

bootrec.exe /rebuildbdc

Close the command line and restart the computer, only from the hard drive. The problem will be fixed if the cause is damaged sectors of the hard drive on which the Windows OS is recorded.

So, to summarize today’s release, which involves eliminating the “Operating system not found” error yourself, you will need to carry out the following manipulations:

— Check the BIOS settings, move the hard drive to first place and, if necessary, reset the data to factory settings.

— Check the connection of the loops.

— If a fault is detected in the power supply, if it does not supply power to the hard drive, you need to replace it.

— Check mode work hard disk in BIOS and switch it to AHCI.

- Restore bad sectors Winchester.

In conclusion, I hope that today’s instructions will definitely help solve the problem with the error. If after these steps the hard drive refuses to load the OS, then you need to check it for suitability and, if necessary, replace it with a new one.

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