Hard Drive working but "No bootable device"

[BetaJedi]

Hello everyone,

Recently I bought a WD 1TB Hard disk for a laptop, (Satellite C50-A-1JM), and installed Windows 7 on it using my computer (custom build), I set windows up perfectly fine, set up some software, and it was all working. I posted this hard drive off to the recipient I was installing it for and it has arrived.

When they plugged it in, it is coming up with an error saying "No bootable device detected", I have asked them to check the boot priority and the hard disk name comes up under the HDD/SSD option. I know for a fact that the disk was working perfectly fine, and it's unlikely it has been damaged because I wrapped it up in lots of bubble wrap and the box was pretty secure.

Any ideas why this is not booting? I have tried a few things I have found online, including disabled "secure boot" and looked for a "Boot mode" option but it is not in the version of BIOS they have installed.

Thanks for all of your help.

Update: I have also tried accessing it through the boot menu, where it is recognised as WDCXXXXXXXXX, but it stills says "No bootable device found"

 

[slingsrat]

Were there other drives in your computer when you installed windows on it? Looks like the boot files were perhaps written to a different drive?

 

[BetaJedi]

Were there other drives in your computer when you installed windows on it? Looks like the boot files were perhaps written to a different drive?

There were drives that were powered, but I unplugged their SATA cables in an attempt to prevent exactly that.

Unfortunately the person has no way of telling whether the drive still works or has any data on it without sending it back to me.

 

[ArtPog]

If I correctly understand this sequence of events, you...

1. Installed an OS onto a HDD that was installed in your PC.
2. Presumably the system booted & functioned without problems in YOUR PC.
3. Then you sent this HDD to another user who installed it in his/her PC with the intention that this HDD would boot & function without any problems?
4. Can we assume that this latter PC user's system is not identical to your system, i.e., it contains a different make/model motherboard? Or is that system identical to yours?

Is the preceding correct as to what transpired?

 

[BetaJedi]

If I correctly understand this sequence of events, you...

1. Installed an OS onto a HDD that was installed in your PC.
2. Presumably the system booted & functioned without problems in YOUR PC.
3. Then you sent this HDD to another user who installed it in his/her PC with the intention that this HDD would boot & function without any problems?
4. Can we assume that this latter PC user's system is not identical to your system, i.e., it contains a different make/model motherboard? Or is that system identical to yours?

Is the preceding correct as to what transpired?

That's all correct. I bought the hard disk myself, installed it in my PC, set it all up properly (didn't really install any drivers as the destined machine is not identical to mine). I've never experienced a problem with moving an OS hard disk across different models of machines before so I didn't expect there to be a problem.

 

[ArtPog]

Well you've been fortunate in the past in not experiencing a problem similar to the one you're now experiencing. It is certainly not unusual that an OS installed on one PC will not boot when that same disk is installed on another PC. Admittedly there's a strong chance that it will boot assuming neither machine is an OEM and both systems are Intel-based. And it's always worth a try but there's no guarantee the recipient PC will boot to the transferred OS.

 

[BetaJedi]

Well you've been fortunate in the past in not experiencing a problem similar to the one you're now experiencing. It is certainly not unusual that an OS installed on one PC will not boot when that same disk is installed on another PC. Admittedly there's a strong chance that it will boot assuming neither machine is an OEM and both systems are Intel-based. And it's always worth a try but there's no guarantee the recipient PC will boot to the transferred OS.

A very helpful tip for the future! Thank you very much. Is there anything I can do to get it to boot? I can make a Windows USB flash drive and send it off, that isn't a problem. I'd just like to avoid having to format the drive if it is at all possible.

 

[ArtPog]

I think at this point the only practical course of action is to have the user fresh-install the OS onto the HDD. (Needless to say we're assuming the disk is non-defective in that nothing untoward happened to it during its transport to the user). I take it that person is relatively inexperienced and you would much prefer a "ready-to-go" system for him/her, but I really don't see any other viable option at this time.

Why are you concerned about formatting the disk? Of what relevance is that in this situation? If a fresh-install of the OS is called for here, formatting the disk is of no consequence, is it?

I suppose you could send the user a flash drive (Windows Media Tool) containing the OS and provide him/her with instructions re installing the OS. Or simply have them contact an experienced user for assistance.

 

[slingsrat]

Were there other drives in your computer when you installed windows on it? Looks like the boot files were perhaps written to a different drive?

There were drives that were powered, but I unplugged their SATA cables in an attempt to prevent exactly that.

Unfortunately the person has no way of telling whether the drive still works or has any data on it without sending it back to me.

I have never had issues moving OS on harddrives between machines either. Windows will just install default drivers for any new hardware it finds. Even if Windows wasn't to load the computer would still boot and you would get a BSOD or a crash of some sort. The error message they are getting is pre the Windows environment. Send them the recovery tool to see if the boot sector can't be recovered. Unlikely but possible their firmware is set to UEFI or BIOS and is not matching the boot type of the HDD?