INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
Windows
Critical severity
INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE — Blue Screen at Startup
Windows can’t reach the system partition at boot — caused by storage driver changes, a bad update, or switching SATA mode in BIOS.
Last reviewed 2026-08-29 by the Tech Issue Guide team.
Symptoms
- Blue screen reading INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE on every boot, before the login screen.
- It began right after a Windows update, a BIOS change, or moving the drive to a new PC.
- Automatic Repair loops without success.
What causes INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
- SATA mode in BIOS changed between AHCI, RAID and IDE after Windows was installed.
- A recent quality update introduced a storage-driver regression.
- File-system corruption on the boot volume.
- Missing storage controller driver after a hardware swap.
How to fix it — 3 steps
- Enter BIOS/UEFI and set the SATA/NVMe mode back to what it was when Windows was installed (usually AHCI, sometimes RAID).
- From Recovery → Command Prompt, list installed packages and remove the most recent quality update (commands below).
- Run chkdsk /f /r C: and sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows from recovery, then reboot.
Terminal / CLI command
dism /image:C:\ /get-packages
dism /image:C:\ /remove-package /packagename:<PackageName-from-the-list>Run from Windows Recovery Environment. Copy the exact Package_for_RollupFix name from the list output.
How to confirm the fix: Windows boots normally and stays stable through several restarts and a manual update retry.
Prevent it from coming back
Note your BIOS SATA mode before firmware updates, and create a restore point before installing optional updates.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to the recovery command prompt if it just loops?
Force-power-off during the Windows logo three times; the fourth boot enters Automatic Repair → Advanced options → Troubleshoot → Command Prompt. Or boot from a Windows USB and choose Repair your computer.
Which package do I remove?
The newest entry whose name contains RollupFix or the latest install date. Remove one, reboot, and test before removing another.