Some Surface users encountered the Couldn’t find a bootable operating system error when they turned on their Surface laptops. This is a boot error that can occur due to a faulty hard drive or incorrect boot settings. If you also encounter the same error after starting the Surface device, use the solutions explained in this article to fix this error.
The complete error message is:
Couldn’t find a bootable operating system. Check the Boot configuration to try to fix this.
Couldn’t find a bootable operating system Surface error
If you get the “Couldn’t find a bootable operating system” error while turning on your Surface laptop, use these fixes to resolve this error.
- Check if your SSD is detected
- Check the Boot Configuration
- Force restart your Surface device
- Reset your Surface device
- Contact support
Let’s start.
1] Check if your SSD is detected
This error occurs when your Surface laptop does not detect your SSD. There can be multiple reasons for this. Maybe your SSD is not installed properly, the cable connecting the SSD to your Surface device is damaged, or the SSD itself is damaged.
To enter Surface UEFI, press and hold the Volume up button and press and release the Power button. Keep holding the Volume up button until the UEFI screen appears. Now, tap on the section that shows the storage devices. If your SSD is not shown there, turn off your Surface laptop, open it, and check if it is installed correctly. If you are not good at this, get professional help.
2] Check the Boot Configuration
The next step is to check the boot configuration. Check if the boot configuration settings selects the correct disk as a boot device. Enter the UEFI and select the Boot Configuration option from the left side. Now, check which device is selected as the boot device. If it is not the correct boot device, select the right one and drag it to the top.
Select Exit from the left and tap on the Restart option. See if the error occurs this time.
3] Force restart your Surface device
If the Boot Configuration settings are correct but the error persists, try force-restarting your Surface device and see if it works. Press and hold the power button until the Surface device restarts. Release the power button when you see the Windows logo on the screen.
Read: How to perform Automatic Startup Repair.
4] Reset your Surface device
If the issue persists, reset your Surface device by creating a USB Recovery Drive. This action will delete all the installed apps and programs and restore your Surface device to factory defaults.
Download the recovery image for your Surface device on a working computer from the official Microsoft website. To download the correct recovery image, you need to enter your Surface laptop model number. Once the Recovery image is downloaded on the computer, connect a USB flash drive to the computer. Now, click on Windows Search and type Recovery Drive. Select the Recovery Drive from the search results. Click Yes in the UAC prompt.
The Recovery Drive tool will launch. This tool will make the USB flash drive a recovery flash drive for the Surface device. In the Recovery Drive tool, uncheck the Back up system files to the recovery drive checkbox and click Next. Now, select the USB flash drive and click Next. Click Create. This action will format your USB flash drive. Therefore, backup your data from the USB flash drive before performing this action.
Now, open the folder containing the recovery image you downloaded from the Microsoft website. Copy and paste all the data inside that folder into the USB flash drive. If prompted to replace the existing files, click Yes.
Go to your faulty Surface device and connect the USB flash drive to its USB port. Press and hold the Volume down button and then press the power button for once. Keep holding the Volume Down button until you see the Windows logo and spinning dots on the screen. Select the keyboard layout (if prompted). Now, select Troubleshoot > Recover from a drive > Just remove my files. After that, click Recover. Your Surface device will restart to start the recovery process. When you are done, set up your PC by following the on-screen instructions.
5] Contact support
If the problem persists, you should seek professional help. Contact Microsoft support to have your Surface laptop repaired.
How do I fix No bootable device on Surface?
The “No Bootable Device” error occurs on Microsoft Surface Go devices. To fix this error, you have to recover Surface Go through a USB flash storage device obtaining the USB solution file. You can download the USB solution file from the official Microsoft website.
How do I get to boot options on Surface?
To get the Boot options on Surface, you need to boot into UEFI. Press and hold the Volume up button and then press the power button for once. Keep pressing the Volume Up button until you see the UEFI screen. Now, select the Boot Configuration from the left side to see the boot options.
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