How to Fix Error 3FO Boot Device Not Found

On one faithful morning after a hot refresh, headed straight to my electeonic notebook. I dangled my finger onto the power on button and gave it a gentle squeez.

The usual ritual of POST was initiated so I laid back for a refreshing swipe on my smartphone. An awful look starred me in the face as these words below showed up;

” BOOT DEVICE NOT FOUND (3FO) “

What!, I said. Then reached out to repeat the earlier procedure. This time around; a loud beep ???. Oops!, the drive is dead, So whats the next step?

Now, when this happens it means Power On Self Test procedure initiated successfully but looking for your Bootable Operating system, to start up failed. This process typically looks for your hard disk drive or solid state drive first in the boot order specified by you or the manufacturer at make.

There can be several reasons why this error occurs, which may be:

Contents show

Incorrect BIOS boot sequence: The computer may be trying to boot from a device that does not contain the operating system. Checking and adjusting the boot order in the BIOS settings can help resolve this issue.
Loose or faulty hard drive connection: If the hard drive is not properly connected to the computer’s motherboard, it may not be detected during the boot process. Checking the connections and ensuring they are secure can help resolve this issue.
Corrupted hard disk partition: A corrupted partition on the hard drive can prevent the system from booting. In such cases, running disk repair or recovery tools may be necessary to fix the issue.
Outdated or misconfigured BIOS: An outdated or misconfigured BIOS can cause boot-related issues. Updating the BIOS to the latest version or resetting it to default settings may help resolve the error.
Failed or damaged hard drive: If the hard drive itself has failed or is physically damaged, it may not be detected by the system. In such cases, replacing the hard drive may be necessary.

What to do when you encounter “BOOT DEVICE NOT FOUND”

Check for all ports with connections on your device (If found any, kindly unplug them. Eg. Pendrive).
Listen for possible click sound emanating from inside the device.
Power off device, unplug the battery if detachable battery our power supply, wait for about 3min and re-power on (This method works in most first time cases but not a guarantee it would work for you).
Boot into BIOS and check your boot order, probably trying to connect to an unavailable device.

To troubleshoot and resolve the “Error 3F0: Boot Device Not Found,” you can try the following steps:

Check the boot order: Access the BIOS settings by restarting the computer and pressing the designated key (usually F10 or Esc) during startup. Ensure that the hard drive or SSD is set as the primary boot device in the boot order settings.
Check the hard drive connections: If the computer is a desktop, open the case and check the connections between the hard drive and the motherboard. Ensure that the cables are securely connected. If the computer is a laptop, it may be best to contact a professional technician for assistance.
Run diagnostics: Some HP computers have built-in diagnostic tools that can help identify hardware issues. Access the diagnostics by restarting the computer and pressing the designated key (usually F2 or F9) during startup. Run the diagnostics for the hard drive to check for any errors.
Update or reset the BIOS: Visit the HP support website and download the latest BIOS update for your specific computer model. Follow the instructions provided by HP to update the BIOS. If updating the BIOS does not resolve the issue, you can try resetting the BIOS to its default settings.

If all of the above procedure fails, then you got to start thinking of a replacement drive. Wish you the best of luck ✌.