[Easy Guide] How to Fix Non-System Disk or Disk Error Win 10/11?

Non System Disk or Disk Error

When you are booting your HP, Dell, Acer, or Lenovo laptop or computer, an error message might come up showing as non-system disk or disk error replace and strike any key when ready. This error indicates that you cannot access your operating system.

The non-system disk or disk error message might appear when BIOS is unable to find a bootable operating system or fails to locate the boot disk. Similar error messages include operating system not found, missing operating system, boot device not found and so on.

There are multiple possible factors for the appearance of the non-system disk or disk error message including:

• Booting from the media without boot files
• Faulty or loose connection between HDD and motherboard
• Incorrect boot order
• A hard knock of the computer or hard drives
• Bad sectors in the hard drive
• Corrupted master boot record
• Inactive system partition

Some of you reported that this issue is temporary and it is fixed after rebooting. If you still get it after a simple reboot of your device, you can scroll down to pick up the suitable solution to make your computer work again.

Suggestion: Back up Data on the Hard Drive

Is your data still there when you receive non system disk or disk error or after troubleshooting this issue? If you store many important data on the hard drive that fails to boot, the first thing that comes to your mind is data safety.

Don’t worry! The good news is that you can back up your data on the hard drive to a safe location without booting into Windows. Everything will be much easier if you resort to some third-party backup software.

When it comes to backup, there are various powerful backup programs in the market. Which one is worth a shot? To back up your data on a Windows machine, MiniTool ShadowMaker is a top choice for you.

This professional Windows backup software offers a 30-day free trial that allows you to enjoy almost all the services for free. It is compatible with all recent versions of Windows and can be used to create individual or regular backups of files or disks (including the system disk). At the same time, MiniTool ShadowMaker also comes with features like file sync, disk cloning, bootable recovery media creation and so on.

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Since your device is unable to boot up when receiving non system disk or disk error, you need to create a bootable disk before making a backup of your data. Here’s how to do it:

Move 1: Create a Bootable Media

Step 1. Prepare a writable and readable USB flash drive and insert it into a working computer.

Step 2. Download and install MiniTool ShadowMaker on this working device and launch it.

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Step 3. In the Tools page, click on Media Builder.

Step 4. Select WinPE-based media with MiniTool plug-in and then choose the target USB flash disk to start the creation.

Move 2: Back up Your Data

Now, it’s time to create a file backup on your unbootable Windows device.

Step 1. Insert the bootable USB flash drive into the unbootable computer > set the USB as the first boot device > boot your computer from the bootable device.

Step 2. In the MiniTool PE Loader screen, select Launch MiniTool ShadowMaker.

Step 3. Go to Backup > SOURCE > Folders and Files, and you can select the files that you want to back up on the problematic hard drive. In DESTINATION, you can select a path to store the backed up files. Here, an external hard drive or USB flash drive is recommended.

Step 4. Click on Back up Now to start the process immediately.  

How to Fix Non System Disk or Disk Error on Windows 10/11?

Fix 1: Remove Non-System Disks

To prevent your computer from booting from the wrong storage device, you can try removing all the non-system disks including flopping disks, CD/DVD disks and USB flash drives. After the safe ejection, reboot your computer to check if none system disk or disk error persists.

Fix 2: Check the Cables

If you have repaired or changed your hard drive, the hard drive might be loosely connected. Make sure that the cable connecting the HDD to the motherboard is securely fastened. Also, the dust between ports can hinder the connection between HDD and motherboard, so please clean them before connecting the hard drive.

Fix 3: Set the Right Boot Priority

If you have installed Windows recently, there is a chance that the boot sequence is messed up and your computer is booting from a disk that doesn’t contain the operating system. Luckily, it is easy to set the right boot priority. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1. Power off your computer.

Step 2. After a while, press the power button to turn it on and press the BIOS hotkey repeatedly.

Step 3. After entering BIOS, press the arrow keys to locate the Boot or Boot Priority tab and tap Enter and then set the right boot order.

Step 4. Press F10 to save the changes and exit.

Fix 4: Reinstall the Hard Drive

A hard knock on your computer might also cause a poor connection between the hard disk and your Windows machine. To fix none system disk or disk errors, follow these guidelines to remove and reinstall the hard drive:

Step 1. Shut down your computer. For a laptop, remove the battery.

Step 2. Remove the system disk (HDD or SSD) from the computer.

Step 3. Reinstall the system disk.

Step 4. Reinsert the battery and power on your computer.

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Fix 5: Perform Startup Repair

Another workaround for none system disk or disk errors is to perform Startup/Automatic Repair. This inbuilt tool can check for faults and errors within the whole computer system and fix them automatically. To do so:

Move 1: Create a Windows Installation Disk

Step 1. Visit the Windows 10 Download page and hit Download Now under Create Windows 10 installation media. (For Windows 11, go to this page and hit Download Now under Create Windows 11 Installation Media.)

Step 2. Double-click on the executable file and accept the terms.

Step 3. Tick Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD or ISO file) for another PC and press Next.

Step 4. Select language, edition, & architecture and then hit Next.

Step 5. Tick USB flash drive to select a USB drive and hit Next.

Step 5. After the process is done, hit Finish.

Move 2: Perform Startup Repair

Step 1. Shut down your computer > enter BIOS to set to boot from the USB flash drive first > boot your computer from it.

Step 2. Select language & other preferences and then hit Next.

Step 3. In the Windows Setup screen, hit Repair your computer.

Step 4. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup/Automatic Repair.

Step 5. Select the target system and Windows will start to solve none system disk or disk errors automatically for you.

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Fix 6: Run CHKDSK

CHKDSK (Check Disk) is a command that can be run in Command Prompt to verify the logical integrity of the file system. It can also check the disk for errors and then fix them. Many issues like none system disk or disk error can be fixed by this tool. To do so:

Step 1. Follow the steps in Fix 5 to enter the Advanced options screen and select Command Prompt.

Step 2. In the command window, type chkdsk C: /f and hit Enter. The process might take some time. If the command detects any problems, it will try to fix them.

C: refers to the hard disk where Windows is installed.

The /f parameter can find and fix any errors on the hard disk.

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Fix 7: Repair MBR

MBR (Master Boot Record) provides the most important information that enables your computer to find and identify the location of operating system to allow Windows to boot. In some cases, it can be corrupted. Follow these steps to repair it:

Step 1. Boot your computer from the Windows installation disk.

Step 2. When you see the Windows Setup screen, press Shift + F10 simultaneously to open Command Prompt.

Step 3. In the command window, run the following command one by one to repair the Master Boot Record corruption.

bootrec /fixmbr

bootrec /fixboot

bootrec /rebuildbcd

Step 4. Reboot your system to check if none system disk or disk error still exists.

Fix 8: Set the System Partition Active

At times, the system partition might go inactive due to some reason. Follow these instructions to make the system partition active again:

Step 1. Open Command Prompt in Windows Recovery Environment.

Step 2. Type diskpart and hit Enter.

Step 3. Run the two commands one by one and hit Enter.

list disk

select disk 0

Step 4. Run the following commands one after another to select the partition:

list partition

select partition #

Step 5. Type active and hit Enter to activate the partition.

Step 6. When the process completes, close Command Prompt and hit Continue to exit WinRE.

Hello, everyone! This article releases some useful workarounds to non system disk or disk error and shows you how to use MiniTool ShadowMaker to back up your data on the unbootable device. Why not give it a try now?Click to Tweet

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With all the methods above, you can manage to get rid of the non-system disk or disk error message and boot into your system again. Before proceeding, keep in mind that you need to exploit MiniTool ShadowMaker to back up your data from the failing hard disk to avoid accidental data loss.

For more similar guides on similar computer issues like non-system disk or disk error, you can follow us to get the latest and most detailed solutions. If you have more questions or suggestions about our software, contact us via [email protected]!

Non System Disk or Disk Error FAQ