How To Fix “Reboot And Select Proper Boot Device” Error: 2023 Updated

Summary: The “Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device” error simply means that the computer cannot find the drive on which the operating system is installed. This could be for a number of reasons, but as with most things, the sure-shot way of resolving this error is to take it to the pros. If all manual troubleshooting fails, ask a professional at Stellar Data Recovery Service to assist. Get FREE Quote

The exact same thing has happened to thousands of people worldwide.

You press the power key on your computer, the computer seems like it is starting up normally, as it should, and then you see the following screen:

The error reads as follows: “Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device or Insert Boot Media in the selected boot device and press a key”.

Unlike the more commonplace BSOD (blue screen of death) errors on Windows, this is not accompanied by any sort of code or number.

This is why we commonly refer to the Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device error as a “Boot Configuration Error” or a “Boot Drive Error”.

Read on to find out how to “Fix Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device” in Windows, and prevent it from happening again.

Table Of Contents

Through the course of this article, we will learn the following:

1. 1. Causes Of Reboot And Select Proper Boot Device Error
   2. How To Troubleshoot this Error
   3. Recover Your Lost Data
   4. Frequently Asked Questions
   5. Things To Remember

And with that, let us get right into the meat and potatoes of the article.

Causes Of Reboot And Select Proper Boot Device Error

The following table summarizes the most common Causes Of “Reboot And Select Proper Boot Device” Error(s) in Windows.

Potential Cause	Effect	Solution
Incorrect Drive Boot Order	The computer will not know which drives to start, and in which order.	Adjust the Boot order of your drives.
New Drive Installed	The new drive that you just installed may be read as a “bootable drive” that your computer does not recognize.	Adjust the Boot order of your drives.
UEFI Devices Using Legacy Boot Mode.	UEFI is a newer standard, and some UEFI devices are not backwards compatible with the erstwhile Legacy 16-bit boot mode.	Disable the Legacy Boot mode on your drives.
Inactive System Partition(s)	Your Boot OS may be on a drive partition that is marked “inactive”, making the partition inaccessible to the bootloader.	Make the partition active with an installation drive and by using the command line interface (CLI) or with a third party tool. This requires a professional with special knowledge.
Connection Issues	Your hard drive may be working perfectly, but there may be a read issue with the drive, making the data on it inaccessible.	There is no simple/ single fix — professional help should be sought at this point.
Drive Issues	Your Hard Drive may be suffering from physical and/ or logical errors, making the data on it inaccessible.	There is no simple/ single fix — professional help should be sought at this point.

Now that we have successfully understood the causes of this error on Windows machines, we can move on to the fixes.

How To Troubleshoot the Reboot And Select Proper Boot Device Error

Here are the steps that we need to take in order to properly Fix the “Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device” in Windows error.

Check The BIOS Boot Order

BIOS stands for “Basic Input/ Output System”, and it is this software that boots up your system.

Here is how you can check and modify (if necessary) your Boot order through the BIOS:

1. Restart Your Computer (Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + Del).
2. In The Middle Of Restarting, Press The Key That Takes You To The BIOS Menu (see below).
3. Look For, Then Update The Boot Order. (Make sure that the drive will load first which has the Operating system installed).
4. Save The Boot Order.
5. Restart Your Computer.

Here is a list of the most common BIOS shortcut keys, for most major manufacturers.

Manufacturer Name	Keyboard Shortcut To Enter BIOS
Asus (Laptops And Desktops)	F2
Hewlett-Packard (HP) (Laptops And Desktops)	F10
Dell (Laptops And Desktops)	F2
Samsung Laptops	F2
Lenovo (All In Ones And Desktops)	F1
Lenovo Laptops	F2
Acer Laptops	F2
Acer Desktops	Delete

And if this option does not work for you, or if your drive does not show up in the boot options menu, try resetting your BIOS to factory defaults.

That is one of the easier ways to resolve boot option issues.

Disable The Legacy Boot Mode

If the boot option strategy fails, you may be stuck because of a legacy boot mode deployment.

Here is how to disable legacy boot, and potentially rectify your “Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device” errors:

1. Restart Your Computer (Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + Del).
2. Then in The Middle Of Restarting, Press The Key That Takes You To The UEFI Menu (Common keys are F1, F2, F10, and Delete)
3. Look For The “Boot Options” Tab. (Setup >> Configurations >> Options)
4. Then look For “Legacy Support”, and click “Disable”.
5. Save Your Changes.
6. Restart Your Computer.

UEFI stands for “Unified Extensible Firmware Interface”, and is basically a leaner and meaner version of BIOS, one that supports graphical user interfaces, as opposed to command line interfaces.

Booting up with Legacy Boot enabled interferes with UEFI’s operation, which is why disabling legacy boot can often be the fix to the “Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device” error.

Bring In The Professionals

There is an astronomically high chance that your computer will no longer show you the “Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device” error, but if it does, this may point to a deeper problem.

The best option now is to call for specialized help, to ensure that the situation does not worsen and that keeps you from losing data.

At Stellar, we specialize in situations just like these, and you can get a free personalized quote and price estimate.

Recover Your Lost Data

It is normal to lose large amounts of data if you have gotten the “Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device” error multiple times, but worry not — your data is salvageable.

As you learned above, the root cause of this error may now be an incorrect, deactivated, redundant, or inactive partition, as well as a connection issue somewhere on the drive or motherboard, or even physical and/ or logical errors to the drive itself.

Physical Errors: mean things like trauma, heat exposure, moisture exposure, temperature shock, scratched disk platters, failed motors, insufficient power, and the like.

Logical Errors: include things like drives not mounting, drives not being read, drive platters not spinning, scrambled partitions, etc.

All of these errors are far from fatal, but on the other hand, are also extremely difficult to perform DIY fixes on.

That is why it is best to bring in a professional who has the required expertise and know-how to get your data back for you.

At Stellar Data Recovery, we have had a foot in both camps: Data Deletion, and Data Recovery, for over two and a half decades.

This puts our team in the sweet spot of understanding the root cause, having the proper tools, and knowing when to deploy them, to be able to get your data back, safe and sound.

We are so good, that even governments of countries have trusted us with their Data needs, such as the Government of India.

Learn more about how we can help you remedy your “Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device” error messages, if they still persist.

FAQs

1. Is the "Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device” error message serious?

In most cases, no, the “Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device ” error message is simply your computer’s way of telling you that it cannot find the key to the lock to open Windows for you.

However, if the first two fixes listed in this article about how to troubleshoot the error do not work for you, then the problem is almost certainly a serious one.

2. How Much Will Professionals Charge Me To Get My Drive(s) Fixed?

Like with most other things in life, the answer is, “It depends”.

The total cost of repair and data recovery will be influenced by a variety of factors, including, but not limited to the nature of the damage (if any), the nature of what errors the drive is facing, the size of the drive, and whether or not it is readable.

3. How can I find a lab to recover data from my hard disk?

Stellar Data Recovery Services have a wide presence worldwide, collaborating with over 8000 partners. In India, we have branches in 14 major cities, that provide data recovery service in Delhi,  Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Noida, Pune, and Vashi.

4. Will Getting A New Hard Drive Fix The Problem?

The answer is, in most cases, no. Surprised? This is because the underlying problem of the “Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device ” error message has more to do with BIOS and UEFI configuration than anything else.

So if you have UEFI drives using Legacy Bootloaders, or if your drives have connection issues (due to dirt, wear and tear, heat expansion, etc), then simply popping in a new drive with a new (paid) copy of Windows will simply not cut it.

Additional Reading: Recover Data From Hard Disk Drives

Things To Remember With The Reboot And Select Proper Boot Device Error

If you decide to go through with any of the options listed below after you have fixed your Error, be sure to backup your data beforehand, because data loss is a given with these:

1. Factory Resets: Will Wipe ALL nonessential data on your device — and we, as users do not dictate what is essential to the computer and what isn’t.
2. System Restores: This will reset your system to a previous point in the past where no errors were logged. Any data and/ or changes that were made after this restore point was activated will be nullified, with no way of restoring them.

You have now learned the two most common fixes, which should have hopefully helped you get rid of the message.

If not, you always have the hail mary option of contacting us at Stellar, and we will do our best to help you and ensure that you do not lose any of your data in the process.

Additional Reading: Fix Hard Drive Boot Missing or Boot Failed Error