How to Fix Disk Boot Failure Insert System Disk And Press Enter Error

What does "Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press enter" mean?

The "disk boot failure, insert system disk and press enter" error on Windows 10/8/7 is a BIOS-generated message that appears when your computer tries to boot, but it can't find an operating system or a valid bootable drive. It means the system failed to locate the required files to start Windows OS, and it's prompting you to insert the correct disk to proceed.

Technically, your PC's boot process depends on the BIOS or UEFI detecting a bootable drive, reading the Master Boot Record (MBR) or GPT, and launching the OS loader. If any part of that sequence fails, you'll be staring at this message.

Why "Disk boot failure, insert system disk" occur?

Before jumping into fixes, it's helpful to know what might be going wrong. Here are the usual suspects behind a "boot disk failure, insert system disk and press enter" error:

🔴Loose or damaged data cables: A simple disconnection can stop your drive from being detected.
🔴Incorrect boot order: BIOS might be trying to boot from a non-bootable drive.
🔴Peripheral device conflicts: A non-bootable USB or external hard drive is mistakenly prioritized in boot order.
🔴Corrupted system files or OS: Windows may have become corrupted or even erased.
🔴Damaged hard drive or SSD: Your boot drive may be physically damaged or logically corrupted.
🔴Corrupted boot configuration (MBR/BCD): The boot sector or boot loader might be damaged.

How to solve "Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press enter" on Windows

We will start with the most basic solutions and move toward more technical ones to fix the "disc boot failure, insert system disk and press enter" error message.

Method 1. Disconnect peripheral devices

Sometimes your BIOS gets confused and tries to boot from an external USB drive, SD card, or even a DVD. The simplest disk boot failure fix is to test if a connected device is causing the issue. You can get this done by removing all unnecessary peripherals.

Step 1. Turn off your computer.

Step 2. Unplug USB flash drives, external hard drives, DVDs, and even printers.

Step 3. Restart your computer with only the keyboard, mouse, and monitor connected.

Method 2. Check disk connection

Open your PC case (if you're using a desktop) and double-check that your boot drive is securely connected to make sure that the disk boot failure insert system disk on Windows 10/8/7 is not caused by incorrect disk connection.

• Make sure the SATA cable is firmly attached to both the motherboard and drive ends.
• Verify that the power connector is seated properly.

If using a laptop, ensure the drive hasn't become dislodged, common after drops or rough handling. You can also try using a different SATA port or cable to eliminate connection faults.

Method 3. Check boot order

If your system is trying to boot from the wrong drive, you’ll see this disk boot failure error.

Step 1. Restart your computer and enter BIOS/UEFI, usually by pressing F2, Del, or Esc.

Step 2. Navigate to the Boot tab.

Step 3. Make sure the drive that contains your operating system is listed as the first boot device.

Step 4. Save changes and exit.

Method 4. Run CHKDSK to fix disk errors

Corruption on the hard drive can also lead to boot failure. You can run CHKDSK to fix file system corruption and other disk errors.

Step 1. Boot your computer using a Windows installation USB/DVD.

Step 2. Choose Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Command Prompt in turn.

Step 3. Then, type chkdsk F: /f /r (replace F: with the actual drive letter of your boot disk) and press Enter.

Step 4. Let it scan and fix errors. This can take some time.

This command checks for and attempts to fix logical errors and bad sectors. It can rescue a drive that's partially corrupted but not physically damaged.

Method 5. Run startup repair

Windows has an automated repair feature that can solve a host of boot-related issues.

Step 1. Boot from Windows installation media again.

Step 2. Choose Repair your computer. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.

Step 3. Wait a few seconds, and it will fix common Windows 10 boot issues.

Method 6. Repair Master Boot Record

If the MBR is damaged, your system won't boot. Luckily, you could run the bootrec command manually to rebuild the Master Boot Record and boot configuration, resolving many deep-rooted boot issues.

Step 1. Boot from Windows installation media.

Step 2. Open Command Prompt from the Repair options likewise.

Step 3. Type the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:

• bootrec /fixmbr
• bootrec /fixboot
• bootrec /scanos
• bootrec /rebuildbcd

Step 5. Exit and restart.

Best Way to Copy Boot Drive to Prevent Boot Failure Again

Once you've fixed the issue, it is wise to protect your computer by cloning your boot drive. This ensures you have a bootable backup in case of disaster. AOMEI Cloner is a powerful, user-friendly disk cloning tool that helps you:

The following is how to clone the boot drive to another disk using AOMEI Cloner. This software allows you to clone hard drive to SSD, clone HDD to HDD, clone SSD to SSD, and so on.

Step 1. Connect your target drive, a new SSD or HDD, to the system, and make sure it is detectable.

Step 2. Download and open AOMEI Cloner to select Clone on the left panel. Then, click System Clone if you just want to copy the OS, or Disk Clone to copy everything.

Step 3. Choose your boot drive as the source disk, and then select your connected new drive as the destination disk.

Step 4. Enable SSD Alignment if you're cloning to an SSD. Click Start Clone to begin the cloning process.

Conclusion

Now you know how to fix the "boot disk failure, insert system disk and press enter" error message. To keep your system safe, AOMEI Cloner makes OS migration to a new drive a breeze and ensures successful booting after cloning. It works widely for HDDs and SSDs from all popular brands, like cloning hard drive to Samsung SSD, Crucial SSD, WD SSD, etc. Give it a try now!