Cause
The INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE bug check frequently occurs because of a boot device failure. During I/O system initialization, the boot device driver might have failed to initialize the boot device (typically a hard disk). File system initialization might have failed because it did not recognize the data on the boot device. Also, repartitioning the system partition or installing a new SCSI adapter or disk controller might induce this error.
This error can also occur because of incompatible disk hardware. If the error occurred at the initial setup of the system, the system might have been installed on an unsupported disk or SCSI controller. Some controllers are supported only by drivers that are in the Windows Driver Library (WDL). (These drivers require the user to do a custom installation.)
Resolution
This error always occurs while the system is starting. This error frequently occurs before the debugger connection is established, so debugging can be difficult or impossible.
Resolving a failed boot device problem: If a boot device is at fault, you must edit the boot options.For more information about changing these options, see Configuring Software on the Target Computer.
Resolving an incompatible disk hardware problem: If Setup autodetects the controller, you might have to skip detection and use a specific manufacturer's disk to load the driver. Also, check the availability of updates for the system BIOS and SCSI controller firmware. Updates of this kind are typically available on the Web site or BBS of the hardware manufacturer.
Remove any recently added hardware, especially hard disk drives or controllers, to see if the error is resolved. If the problematic hardware is a hard disk drive, the disk firmware version might be incompatible with your version of the Windows operating system. Contact the manufacturer for updates. If you removed another piece of hardware and the error is resolved, IRQ or I/O port conflicts likely exist. Reconfigure the new device according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Confirm that all hard disk drivers, hard disk controllers, and SCSI adapters are listed in the Microsoft Windows Marketplace Tested Products List.
If you recently added a driver, restart your computer, and press F8 at the character-based menu that displays the operating system choices. In the Advanced Options menu, select the Last Known Good Configuration option. This option is most effective when you add only one driver or service at a time.
In addition, check your computer for viruses by using any up-to-date, commercial virus scanning software that examines the Master Boot Record of the hard disk. All Windows file systems can be infected by viruses.
This error can also occur because of hard disk corruption. Run Chkdsk /f /r on the system partition. You must restart the computer before the disk scan begins. If you cannot start the computer because of the error, use the Recovery Console and run Chkdsk /r.
If you cannot start the system in the last known good configuration, you should try to start off the Windows CD. Then, you can run Chkdsk from the Repair Console.
Warning If your system partition is formatted with the FAT file system, the long file names that the Windows operating system uses might be damaged if you use Scandisk or another MS-DOS-based hard disk tool to verify the integrity of your hard disk drive from MS-DOS. Always use the version of Chkdsk that matches your version of Windows.
If your system has SCSI adapters, contact the adapter manufacturer to obtain updated Windows drivers. Try disabling sync negotiation in the SCSI BIOS, checking the cabling and the SCSI IDs of each device, and confirming proper termination. For IDE devices, define the onboard IDE port as Primary only. Also check each IDE device for the proper master/subordinate/stand alone setting. Try removing all IDE devices except for hard disks. Finally, check the System Log in Event Viewer for additional error messages that might help identify the device or driver that is causing the error.
