The selected boot device failed, please press enter to continue

I'm happy to help, Bella, and standing by here to guide you as needed.

Hi Bella. I'm Greg, an installation specialist, 10 years awarded Windows MVP, and Volunteer Moderator. If you will work with me I will be here to help until the issue is resolved.

Always check System files for damage after clearing a virus by running Malwarebytes twice to confirm all infection is gone.

Unplug power and remove battery, press and hold power button for 30 seconds to release all power from circuitry, plug back in and power up to see if any change.

As to the error, it means it cannot find the hard drive or Windows won't start.

To confirm the hard drive is detected go into BIOS/UEFI setup by powering up while pressing the key for your brand PC or motherboard:

https://www.mydigitallife.net/comprehensive-lis...

Look through the Storage, Advanced and Boot settings to see if the hard drive is detected, usually by make/model or Serial you can google to confirm it's the HDD.

If the drive is not detected then reseat it in drive bay on laptop, make sure cable is firmly connected or try another cable, see if you can get it detected. If not replace it with an SSD (best upgrade you can give hardware) and reinstall Windows.

If the drive is detected then I will give you steps to access the Repair Mode to try all repairs to get Windows started, and if not to do the automated Reset or the superior Clean Install after rescuing your files. I will be standing by to help as needed and will not let you fail.

1. Use whichever method works in this link to access Advanced Startup Options: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2294-advanc.... Easiest may be to force shut down the PC (by holding in the power button) three separate times to trigger the Startup Options. If one of these methods work, then go to Step 3.
2. If none of the other methods work it may be necessary to Create Windows 10 Installation Media on another PC following the steps in the middle of the downloads page here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/m... Make sure to uncheck the box for Recommended Settings to choose only the licensed version.

Insert media, boot it by powering up PC while pressing the BIOS Boot Menu Key: https://www.sysnative.com/forums/hardware-tutor...

Choose the boot device as a UEFI device if offered, then on second screen choose Repair Your Computer. If the media won't boot you may need to enter BIOS/UEFI Setup (pressing key given in chart in link above) to turn off Fast Boot or Fast Startup first. There is always a way to get the media booted and I will guide you until it does, even if necessary to reset the BIOS to defaults via several methods.

3. In the Advanced Troubleshooting options try to System Restore to a point before the problems began, try the new Uninstall Updates button, then Startup Repair, then if necessary from Startup Settings try to get into Safe Mode with Networking, or lastly Safe Mode.

If Startup Settings aren't available you can force Safe Mode from the Command Prompt following Step 5 here: https://www.digitalcitizen.life/4-ways-boot-saf..., or using the command to unhide F8 Advanced Boot Options here: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/22455-enabl... where you can also try the old reliable Last Known Good Configuration.

4. From Safe Mode w/Networking work through the Windows 10 Install Integrity Checklist to make sure the install is set up correctly, optimized for best performance, and any needed repairs get done: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki....

Update your drivers from the PC's Support Downloads web page. Compare the latest drivers with the ones presently installed in Device Manager reached by right clicking the Start Menu. Make sure you have the latest BIOS, Chipset, Display (Video), Sound, USB3, Bluetooth, Network and all other drivers, or else download and install the latest now.

5. If Safe Mode doesn’t work or help stabilize things then return to Advanced Troubleshoot options. Next try Command Prompt to run through Windows 10 Install Integrity Checklist (above link) Step 10 repair commands including sfc /scannow, DISM, a full Disk Check: https://www.groovypost.com/howto/check-hard-dri..., or return to Troubleshoot options to Reset Your Windows 10 PC.
6. Better yet use the same booted media to do the vastly superior Clean Install following the steps in this link to delete all partitions down to Unallocated Space to get it cleanest: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...
7. There is a step to Rescue Files from the booted media or Repair Mode Command Prompt first: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...
8. Run the Bootrec and BCD repair commands as well as other fixes from Troubleshooting Windows 10 Failure to Start: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki....
9. To test hardware, Dell and HP have onboard diagnostics triggered by powering up and pressing the F12 and ESC key respectively.

Test the RAM overnight to stress it with the best bootable test memtest86, following these steps which test both the sticks and the slots:

https://www.wikihow.com/Test-PC-RAM-with-MemTest86

Test the hard drive with diagnostics:

https://www.lifewire.com/free-hard-drive-testin...

Best is to use the manufacturer's own if there is one, otherwise use Seatools bootable long test: http://blog.nowherelan.com/2013/04/04/boot-seat...

Follow this up with a full Disk Check: https://www.groovypost.com/howto/check-hard-dri...

If it doesn't pass both tests then replace the hard drive with an SSD which is the best upgrade you can give the PC, better than a new higher end PC without one, especially if you do this gold standard Clean Install on it: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and let us know how it goes. I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

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Standard Disclaimer There are links to a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

Thank you so much. I will keep you updated as I go through the process. God bless you. Have a lovely day. :)

No, it's either the hard drive or Windows failure to start. Please follow the steps I gave exactly to determine which and get it back up and running one way or the other. The steps will ALWAYS result in Windows being fixed, even in this case if it's a hard drive failure.

Please do not skip any steps. We often find out later that the fix was the skipped step. If you need help performing any step I will help.

Thank you so much for your help! But just to be sure, this is NOT a CPU error, correct? My CPU should be fine?