Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device- Please help!

seth.meyers · May 28, 2013

Hi.

I'm running Windows 8 on my home-built computer. My full specs are in my signature. Every time it boots, it goes past the BIOS splash and then tells me to reboot and select proper boot device. I have tried everything I can think of (EasyBCD, fixing MBR with the Windows 7 disk, etc). The advice online I found says to use the CD that came with my OS. But I got Windows 8 through a download from Microsoft. What can I do to fix this?

Thanks in advance!

Edit: More info:
I have tried updating the BIOS, that didn't help. It's not an initial install, the computer's about 9 months old and I used to have Windows 7 on it. Then I dual booted Windows 8 and Ubuntu. I eventually deleted the Ubuntu partition and it booted fine for several days, but then it stopped booting. Other than that, I haven't really changed anything.

Automata · May 28, 2013

You are missing information. What happened prior to this? Is this an initial install? Do you have the proper boot device selected? Did anything change around the time the issue started? What have you tried, specifically?

seth.meyers · May 28, 2013

thideras said:
You are missing information. What happened prior to this? Is this an initial install? Do you have the proper boot device selected? Did anything change around the time the issue started? What have you tried, specifically?

Oops, sorry. I am not very good at forum posts. I am editing the OP with more info.

Thanks!

seth.meyers · May 28, 2013

Details are now in the OP.

Automata · May 28, 2013

You didn't answer all the of the questions that I asked. Instead of editing them in the first post, simply reply.

Boot the Windows 8 install disk and select the option to repair the computer (instead of installing). I'd let it try the automated repair, as that will likely fix your problem.

seth.meyers · May 29, 2013

thideras said:
You didn't answer all the of the questions that I asked. Instead of editing them in the first post, simply reply.

Boot the Windows 8 install disk and select the option to repair the computer (instead of installing). I'd let it try the automated repair, as that will likely fix your problem.

OK, thanks for letting me know.

I mentioned in the original post, I don't have a recovery disk. I got Windows 8 through a direct download from Microsoft, no disk involved.

I do have the proper boot device selected in the BIOS.

Is there anything else I can try?

Thanks!

drosera01 · May 30, 2013

1)Make sure you have proper mode selected on BIOS as well. ie IDE or ACHI.

2)Next, It could happen if your HDD is failing. Check your HDD health with Manufactures Diagnostic test. You can download burn run tests from CDs if you can not get in Windows.

3)If you did download Windows 8 from Microsoft, you can burn that ISO image to CD and start repair installation as well.

Good luck.

c627627 · May 30, 2013

If you have a working system, you can disconnect the problem hard drive and temporarily connect it to a working system to fix the boot problem using free software like EasyBCD.

• To edit the boot menu on a separate hard drive [drive disconnected from its system and temporarily connected to another system], use EasyBCD to correctly set the booting process on the problem hard drive
http://neosmart.net/download.php?id=1
[Scroll Down and use any Name & Email to Download]
or
http://neosmart.net/forums/showthread.php?t=642

EasyBCD > File > Select BCD Store >

1. First Browse to the ROOT directory of the problem drive
2. Then type BOOT\BCD > Open

This will open the *.bcd file inside the hidden BOOT folder on another drive and inside its BCD subfolder.

• To edit the boot menu on existing Windows installations: EasyBCD > Edit Boot Menu > Delete existing entries

Add New Entry > SELECT: Windows Vista/7/8 then SELECT its current drive letter on the existing system being used right now > Add Entry

and/or for Windows XP:

Add New Entry > SELECT: Windows NT/2k/XP/2k3 >
UNCHECK: Automatically detect correct drive >
SELECT its current drive letter on the existing system being used right now > Add Entry

Confirm they are there by going to the Edit Boot Menu > Save Settings.

seth.meyers · May 31, 2013

drosera01 said:
1)Make sure you have proper mode selected on BIOS as well. ie IDE or ACHI.

2)Next, It could happen if your HDD is failing. Check your HDD health with Manufactures Diagnostic test. You can download burn run tests from CDs if you can not get in Windows.

3)If you did download Windows 8 from Microsoft, you can burn that ISO image to CD and start repair installation as well.

Good luck.

1: I do have AHCI selected.

2: My boot disk is an SSD, and I can get into the OS just fine by clicking "save and exit" in the UEFI.

3: I deleted the ISO, which was probably a bad idea.

seth.meyers · May 31, 2013

c627627 said:
If you have a working system, you can disconnect the problem hard drive and temporarily connect it to a working system to fix the boot problem using free software like EasyBCD.

• To edit the boot menu on a separate hard drive [drive disconnected from its system and temporarily connected to another system], use EasyBCD to correctly set the booting process on the problem hard drive
http://neosmart.net/download.php?id=1
[Scroll Down and use any Name & Email to Download]
or
http://neosmart.net/forums/showthread.php?t=642

EasyBCD > File > Select BCD Store >

1. First Browse to the ROOT directory of the problem drive
2. Then type BOOT\BCD > Open

This will open the *.bcd file inside the hidden BOOT folder on another drive and inside its BCD subfolder.

• To edit the boot menu on existing Windows installations: EasyBCD > Edit Boot Menu > Delete existing entries

Add New Entry > SELECT: Windows Vista/7/8 then SELECT its current drive letter on the existing system being used right now > Add Entry

and/or for Windows XP:

Add New Entry > SELECT: Windows NT/2k/XP/2k3 >
UNCHECK: Automatically detect correct drive >
SELECT its current drive letter on the existing system being used right now > Add Entry

Confirm they are there by going to the Edit Boot Menu > Save Settings.

I unfortunately don't have another working system I can plug into.

I have tried EasyBCD several times, but I will try it again.

seth.meyers · May 31, 2013

I tried EasyBCD a moment ago and now my computer will not shut down.

Edit: I managed to shutdown manually and it now boots to Windows 8 and shuts down properly. So disregard my previous statement. :-/

Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device- Please help!

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