Stuck with a BSOD error that says Inaccessible Boot Device on Windows? Do not panic; it can be resolved with just a few simple fixes. First and foremost, try restarting your PC and boot into safe mode.
Usually, when you boot the PC and the required operating system files cannot be found, the Inaccessible Boot Device Blue Screen of Death appears. However, several users have reported that this even happens when a major update is installed, or they have recently formatted the device.
Whatever the reason, one of the biggest concerns for users when this error appears is that they cannot use their PC anymore and cannot fix the issue. In this post, look at some working fixes that may help you finish the job.
Ways to Fix Inaccessible Boot Device Blue Screen Error with Stop Code 0x0000007b
The first thing you should do to fix such errors is restart your PC. If you are able to boot the PC back up, you can try the fixes regularly. Otherwise, you must boot into safe mode for the fixes to work.
To boot into safe mode, you must access Advanced Options while booting. You can do this in two ways –
- Use the function keys when the PC is booting to open the boot menu and then choose Safe Mode.
- Use the Recovery tools from System Settings.
If you plan to use function keys, you should be prompt enough to press the F4 key while the PC tries to boot up. In case you have successfully loaded your OS after the error, you can use the following steps –
Step 1 – Press Win+I to launch system settings.
Step 2 – In system settings, click Update & Security > navigate to Recovery options.
Step 3 – In Recovery, you may find the Advanced Startup option. Click on Restart now to boot into Advanced options.
Step 4—After booting into Advanced Options, navigate through troubleshooting and recovery options to find the Safe Mode option.
Step 5 – From the available options, use the number key to select safe mode, depending on your requirement, whether you need network access with safe mode or not.
This way, you will be able to create a workable environment in which you can try solutions. The worst part about an BSOD error is that it practically makes your PC unusable, as every time you restart it, you crash the BSOD screen. Using safe mode, you can make it usable again.
Now that you are ready to fix the stop code 0x0000007b issue, here are some ways that may help!
Fix 1 – Run the Following CMD Utilities
- SFC
The first thing you should check is the issue with your system files. If the OS files cannot work properly, you may face BSOD errors like the inaccessible boot device issue. To use the SFC, all you have to do is –
Step 1 – Go to the Start menu and run Command Prompt as administrator.
Step 2 – Use the command SFC/Scannow to run the System File Checker.
Step 3—Once the scan is over, try restarting your computer and checking whether it boots regularly.
- DISM
The next thing you can try is using the Deployment Image Servicing and Management utility on Windows. This utility helps you restore the health of your PC’s system files and ensures that any issues related to the OS are resolved.
Step 1—Run the command from the command prompt window. Make sure you have opened it as an administrator.
Step 2 – Use the command – DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
Step 3 – Let the command finish processing, and the issue on your PC should be resolved. If not, do not worry, as we have another command that may help.
- CHKDSK
If none of the above utilities can resolve the issues, there is a high chance that the problem is not with the files but with the drive itself. Checking the disk on which your OS is present might help you resolve errors that may be causing issues accessing the boot files on your PC. CHKDSK utility will run a thorough disk check to ensure that the storage is not a problem and that all the files on the storage are accessible.
Step 1 – Open CMD with administrator privileges.
Step 2 – Use the command – chkdsk d: /f 
Here, D is the drive letter for the drive you are scanning.
Step 3—Let the process run. It may take a few minutes to finish. Once it is over, reboot your PC to check if the inaccessible boot device error still bothers you while you are working on it.
If the issue is related to system files, system health, or disk errors, these commands should resolve this error in Windows 10. However, if they did not, do not worry; you can try other methods as well.
Fix 2 – Uninstall Recent Updates
The inaccessible boot device error code 0x0000007b most commonly occurs after a recent update on your device. The update you installed was either not completely downloaded or had some related file issues. To ensure that this is not the issue, it is recommended to uninstall these recent updates. Here’s how you can do it –
Step 1 – Press Win+I to open System Settings.
Step 2 – Navigate to Windows Update, and from the opened options, navigate to update history.
Step 3 – After opening the updates, you may scroll down to find the Uninstall Updates option.
Step 4—Click on Uninstall updates and then select the last update you installed. You may confirm the installation date from the listing itself.
Step 5 Click on the uninstall button and follow the prompts on the screen.
This way, you will have restored a stable older version of Windows on your PC. If the issue appeared while/after installing the update, this is the best fix you can try.
Fix 3 – Check for Malware
If you have encountered this BSOD error after installing a new application or connecting an external device to your PC, you may be facing a malware issue. Whenever a virus or infectious file is present on your PC, it directly bothers your operating system, and hence, an inaccessible boot device error may appear on the system.
Thanks to the internal capabilities of the latest Windows OS, you can easily fix malware issues with Windows Security.
Step 1 – Open Windows Security via the start menu on the PC.
Step 2 – Go to Virus and Threat Protection on your PC.
Step 3 – Click on Quick Scan to initiate the malware scan process.
Step 4 – You can also switch the type of scan by using the Scan Options button.
Step 5 – Let the scan run and find issues on your PC.
The security tool will automatically find the fix and eliminate the malware on your computer.
Fix 4 – Enable AHCI Mode on Boot
Another thing you should do is check the BIOS and ensure that the AHCI mode is enabled. The mode helps to specify the functioning of Serial ATA host interfaces. The BIOS menu usually depends on the manufacturer; however, usually, the F2 key allows you to access it.
Step 1 – Reboot Your PC
Step 2 – Use the F2 key to launch the BIOS settings.
Step 3 – In the BIOS Settings, navigate to Advanced Options and enable AHCI Mode.
Once you have done the same, restart your PC to fix the error.
Fix 5 – Update Device Drivers
Lastly, you must pay attention to the system and other drivers on your PC. Sometimes, when the drivers on your PC are not functioning properly, you may encounter the inaccessible boot device BSOD. The best way to deal with this is to ensure that all your drivers are up to date.
You can use the device manager to update drivers manually. However, it is impossible to identify which driver is outdated unless a specific error has occurred. Hence, the best way to handle the situation is to use an automatic driver updater tool.
We recommend you use the Advanced Driver Updater. Download it today and install the best driver updates in just a few clicks.
Other than these nifty fixes, you can always restore your PC to a previous stable point if nothing works. Eventually, it all boils down to fixing the inaccessible boot device error BSOD. Try these fixes, and you will be good to go. The error may appear haunting as you can hardly do anything with a BSOD staring at your face. However, thanks to the safe mode, you can overcome all the issues despite crashing the PC.
That’s all for this post. Let us know if you have any questions related to it. Thanks for reading. Please share your doubts with us in the comments section. Good luck!
