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Original post : Reboot and select proper boot device: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10.
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Get the fix for the error <strong>Reboot and select proper Boot Device</strong> on <strong>Windows XP,</strong> <strong>Windows Vista, </strong><strong>Windows 7, Windows 8 </strong>and<strong> Windows 10</strong>. <h2>About "<strong>Reboot and select proper Boot Device</strong>"</h2> [kbintro] <h3><span id="Description_and_Symptoms">Description and Symptoms</span></h3> The error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms below are tied to this error. <h3>Symptom 1: "<strong>Reboot and select proper Boot Device</strong>" error screen on startup</h3> The causes for this error might be any of the following: <ul> <li>Incorrect boot order. Your hard disk (HDD) must be listed in your computer's boot order</li> <li>Legacy mode activated or disabled on UEFI-based computers. If your Windows 8, for example, was installed and the UEFI Legacy mode was deactivated, the "Reboot and select proper Boot Device" error might appear</li> <li>Hard disk failure - see <a href="#Fix_2_Check_if_the_hard_disk_has_failed">Fix #2</a> for steps on how to check if your hard disk has failed or is failing</li> <li>Partition not set as active - see <a href="#Fix_4_Use_diskpart">Fix #4</a></li> </ul> <a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/02/reboot-and-select-proper-boot-device.jpg"><img class="alignnone wp-image-3161 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/02/reboot-and-select-proper-boot-device.jpg" alt="Screenshot of Reboot Proper Boot Device error" width="980" height="250" /></a> <pre>Reboot and select proper Boot Device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device</pre> <h2>Causes of this Error</h2> This error has been known to occur as a result of one of the following causes: <h3>Cause 1: Incorrect boot order</h3> The most cmmon cause of this error is an incorrect boot order in BIOS. When a PC is trying to boot from an incorrect source, this error screen is displayed. <h3>Cause 2: Partition not set as active</h3> Another possible cause is a partition that is set as inactive. This may happen after disk write errors, power outages or virus attacks. <h2>Fixing “<strong>Reboot and select proper Boot Device</strong><span id="Fixing_8220Fatal_INT18_Boot_failure8221_on_Windows">” on Windows</span></h2> [setupcd] <h3>Fix #1: Check Boot Order</h3> The most easiest fix for the "Reboot and select proper Boot Device" error is to make sure your computer's boot order correctly list your hard disk as 1st option. To check the boot order, follow these steps: <ol> <li>Restart your computer</li> <li>Press the necessary key to open BIOS menu. This key depends on your computer manufacturer and computer model.This is usually listed on the first screen that appears on your monitor. It can be any of the following: <kbd>Esc</kbd>, <kbd>Del</kbd>, <kbd>F2</kbd>, <kbd>F8</kbd>, <kbd>F10</kbd> or <kbd>F12</kbd>.If your screen shows multiple keys, find the key to open "BIOS", "setup" or "BIOS menu". The boot order is changed from here. [caption id="attachment_1419" align="alignnone" width="450"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/09/Dell-POST.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1419 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/09/Dell-POST.jpg" alt="Dell BIOS screen showing special key options" width="450" height="337" /></a> Notice the key guide in the top-right corner.[/caption]</li> <li>Go to the <strong>Boot</strong> tab</li> <li>Change the boot order and list your computer's HDD first [caption id="attachment_560" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/08/bootmenu.png"><img class="wp-image-560 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/08/bootmenu.png" alt="Boot Selection Menu" width="300" height="275" /></a> Boot Selection Menu[/caption]</li> <li>Save the settings</li> <li>Restart your computer</li> </ol> <h3>Fix #2: Check if the hard disk has failed</h3> To test if your hard disk is failing or it's already failed, use Easy Recovery Essentials' Automated Repair. Automated Repair process will report any issues found with your hard disk or RAM memory: [partial name="partial_easyre_hardware_testing"] <h3>Fix #3: Disable Legacy Boot (UEFI only)</h3> On computers that have UEFI instead of BIOS, having the Legacy mode option active could cause the "Reboot and select proper Boot Device" error to appear. If that's the case, you can simply disable the Legacy mode and restart your computer: <ol> <li>Restart your computer</li> <li>Open the UEFI menu by pressing the necessary key. This depends on your computer manufacturer and is listed on the first screen that appears on your computer. It can be any of the following: <kbd>F2</kbd>, <kbd>F8</kbd>, <kbd>F12</kbd> or the <kbd>Del</kbd> key. [caption id="attachment_1419" align="alignnone" width="450"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/09/Dell-POST.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1419 size-full" src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/09/Dell-POST.jpg" alt="Dell BIOS screen showing special key options" width="450" height="337" /></a> Notice the key guide in the top-right corner.[/caption]</li> <li>Switch off the <strong>Legacy</strong> option. Depending on your computer model, this can be listed at the Security tab > Legacy Support. [caption id="attachment_2060" align="alignnone" width="430"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/05/ThinkPad-UEFI-Legacy-Boot-Priority.gif"><img class="wp-image-2060 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/05/ThinkPad-UEFI-Legacy-Boot-Priority.gif" alt="ThinkPad UEFI-Legacy Boot Priority" width="430" height="325" /></a> ThinkPad UEFI-Legacy Boot Priority[/caption]</li> <li>Save the settings</li> <li>Exit UEFI menu</li> <li>Restart your computer</li> </ol> <h3>Fix #4: Use diskpart</h3> If your primary partition is no longer set as active, the "Reboot and select proper Boot Device" error may appear. If setting the partition as active again would fix the error, you need to use diskpart to run the necessary commands for this: If you have the original Windows installation media (DVD for Vista, 7, 8 and USB for 8.1), you can use that media: <ol> <li>Insert the Windows installation disc and boot from the media</li> <li>At <strong>System Recovery Options</strong> (for Vista or 7 systems) or <strong>Troubleshoot</strong> (for Windows 8 and 8.1), click <strong>Command Prompt</strong> [caption id="attachment_1972" align="alignnone" width="485"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/05/windows-7-system-recovery-options-screen.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1972 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/05/windows-7-system-recovery-options-screen.jpg" alt="Windows 7 System Recovery Options Screen" width="485" height="362" /></a> Windows 7 System Recovery Options Screen[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1723" align="alignnone" width="980"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/02/windows-8-recovery-options-screen-troubleshoot.png"><img class="wp-image-1723 size-large" src="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/02/windows-8-recovery-options-screen-troubleshoot-1024x687.png" alt="Troubleshoot in Windows 8 recovery options screen" width="980" height="657" /></a> Troubleshoot in Windows 8 recovery options screen[/caption]</li> <li>Type: <pre>diskpart</pre> </li> <li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li> <li>Type: <pre>select disk 0</pre> Where <code>0</code> is the disk's number where your Windows is installed on. For a full list of disks that are available on your computer, type <code>list disk</code>.</li> <li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li> <li>Type: <pre>list partition</pre> </li> <li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li> <li>Type: <pre>select partition 1</pre> Where <code>1</code> is your primary partition.</li> <li>Type: <pre>active</pre> </li> <li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li> </ol> [caption id="attachment_4658" align="alignnone" width="800"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/02/VirtualBox_Win7_clean_27_04_2016_05_45_20-1.png"><img class="wp-image-4658 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/02/VirtualBox_Win7_clean_27_04_2016_05_45_20-1.png" alt="Diskpart utility results screen" width="800" height="600" /></a> Diskpart utility results screen[/caption] If you don't have the original installation media, you can use Command Prompt from Easy Recovery Essentials: [partial name="partial_easyre_commandline"] <h2>More Information</h2> <h3>Linked Entries</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/diskpart/">diskpart</a></li> </ul> [partial name="partial_moreinfo" versions="xp,vista,7,8,10"]