Fix Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device in Windows

What is the Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device Error?

The Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device error is your computer's way of telling you that it cannot find the operating system.

During the boot process, the system BIOS / UEFI will find the hard drive that the operating system is using. It then boots up the operating system and takes you to the Windows 10 login screen.

If the BIOS doesn't recognize where the operating system is, it won't load.

The Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device error can be caused by a number of reasons:

1. Corrupted BIOS / UEFI settings
2. The hard drive is damaged
3. Bootloader is corrupted
4. Damaged hardware

This is not the only cause, but the source of the Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device error is often related to one of these areas.

So how can you fix the Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device error?

How to fix Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device

1. Check connection

The first thing to check is the connection between the hard drive (or SSD) and the motherboard inside the computer. If the hard drive fails to communicate with the motherboard correctly or has been completely disconnected, the operating system will not load.

Examining the inside of the computer case seems a bit complicated. You must remove the cover, then check for disconnected cables.

While opening your computer, you should take this opportunity to clean your computer.

2. Select wrong drive in BIOS / UEFI

If the hard drive is properly connected to the motherboard, you will have to try a different fix. The next step is to check if BIOS / UEFI has recognized the hard drive and the system boot order. From here, you can understand if the hard drive was the first thing the computer looked for when trying to load the operating system or if something replaced it.

To check this you will have to enter the BIOS.

Step 1: During the boot process, you must press the BIOS / UEFI access key. The specific keys will vary between computers, but commonly used keys include F2, F10, DEL, and ESC.

Step 2: After the BIOS loads, look for a menu or tab named Boot or similar. Check a menu named Boot Device Priority, Boot Option Order or similar. The name will vary depending on the different motherboard manufacturer and the BIOS being used, but the menu contents are the same.

Step 3: In the device preferences menu, you need to check two things. First, check if the hard drive is on the list. If it's there, that's a good sign. The second thing to check is its launch location. The hard drive containing the operating system must be the first to load and therefore must be Boot Option 1 or equivalent BIOS. Make sure the operating system hard drive is in the first boot position.

Now, save the BIOS settings, then reboot the system. After the system reboots, the operating system will load properly.

3. Windows Startup Repair

If there are no problems with the BIOS and boot order, you can try two other solutions.

Windows Startup Repair from Advanced Options

Use Windows' built-in Startup Repair. Windows Startup Repair will automatically repair your startup problems - but only when it runs.

When Windows has booting problems, it will automatically launch Startup Repair. When this happens:

Step 1: The Advanced boot options menu will open.

Step 2: Go to Troubleshoot> Advanced Options> Startup Repair.

Step 3: You will have to enter your password, then the Startup Repair process will begin.

The Startup Repair process may take a while to complete, but it should fix the bootable device error.

Fix boot errors with Command Prompt and Windows installation media

If the advanced boot options don't open automatically, you can still access it using Windows 10 installation media. It's a USB or a disc with Windows 10 on it. If you don't have Windows 10 on your USB or disc, see instructions on how to create Windows 10 installation media, then go back to the next section of the tutorial.

Once you have the media to install Windows 10, you can force your system to load the installation process.

You can repair the boot process manually using the bootrec.exe tool.

Step 1: Insert the media to install Windows 10, then turn on the computer.

Step 2: Press F2, F10, F12 or ESC to enter the system boot menu. Here are some common keys, but may vary by system.

Step 3: The Install Now button will appear. At this point, press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt.

Step 4: Now, you have to enter the following commands in order, press Enter each time:

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

Once the process is complete, you can restart your computer, remove the Windows 10 installation media and boot as you normally would.

Export and rebuild the Master Boot Record

If none of these fixes worked, there's a third one you can try. Microsoft recommends exporting and rebuilding the BCD repository (where your boot data is stored). You will have to enter the Command Prompt using the Windows 10 installation media, following the steps in the previous section.

When you get to the Command Prompt, you have to enter the following commands in order:

bcdedit / export c: bcdbackup c: cd boot attrib bcd -s -h -r ren c: bootbcd bcd.old bootrec.exe / rebuildbcd

The export and rebuild process will correct the Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device error.

4. Set the active partition

While you are using Command Prompt through Windows 10 installation media, there is another fix that you can try. Windows DiskPart is an integrated system tool that you can use to manage your hard drive and drive partitions. In this case, you can make sure your operating system hard drive is working.

Once again, enter the Command Prompt using the Windows 10 installation media, following the steps in the previous section. Once Command Prompt opens, complete the following process:

Step 1: Enter diskpart to enter Diskpart tool.

Step 2: Now, enter the drive list to see the list of drives on the machine. You need to find out which drive contains your operating system. The drive letter for the operating system is usually C.

Step 3: When you find the correct drive, enter disk X (where X is the corresponding drive number).

Step 4: Enter list partition to list the partitions on the drive. You need to select the system partition containing the bootloader (bit of code that starts the operating system). In our case, select partition 1 will be imported.

Step 5: Now, enter active to mark the system partition as active.

Reboot the system and you should no longer get the Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device error.

Micah Soto

Update 20 October 2020