Blue screen

Question

What does inaccessible Boot mean. I'm stuck on blue screen

Answer 1

Hi, thank you for replying. If there is no date or no option to run system restore, I suggest using Windows installation media on a USB to repair the issue. May I know the Windows Version and edition of your PC so I can provide you with the steps?

Answer 2

Hi, I'm Bernard, a fellow Windows user. I'm happy to help!

The error means that the PC is unable to boot due to corrupted system files. Have you noticed any changes before the issue starts? Have you installed any hardware or software that may trigger the issue? While waiting for your response, kindly follow the steps below:

Before doing the steps, make sure to remove all peripherals connected to your PC and just retain the Mouse, Keyboard, and Power source.

First, we need to go to Windows recovery mode and try the options there:

 

Restart the device 3-5 times until you reach Windows recovery mode, wherein you have the option to select Continue, Troubleshoot, or Exit.

 

Or try to press and hold the Shift key while continuously pressing F8 while starting the PC

 

Then on Windows Recovery:

 

Do System Restore:

 

Click Troubleshoot> Advanced options> System restore

Follow the prompt and choose the date when it was working fine.

Answer 3

The message INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE on a blue screen means Windows lost access to the drive it needs to start (the system/boot partition) while the computer was starting. Windows can’t read the disk or its boot files, so it stops with a 0x0000007B error instead of finishing startup.

Common causes include:

• Recent hardware changes (new disk, controller, or changed BIOS/UEFI storage settings such as switching to AHCI/legacy).
• Storage controller or disk drivers that are missing, outdated, or incompatible.
• Corruption of boot files or the file system on the system drive.
• Firmware/BIOS or storage firmware issues.
• In some cases, boot-sector malware or a damaged boot configuration.

If Windows won’t boot at all, typical recovery steps are:

1. Undo recent hardware or BIOS/UEFI changes (especially storage mode changes like IDE/AHCI/RAID).
2. Check that the disk and storage controller are supported and correctly configured.
3. Update BIOS/UEFI and storage firmware if possible.
4. Boot from Windows installation or recovery media and run automatic repair, System Restore, or advanced boot repair steps.
5. If the error started right after Windows Update, try Last Known Good Configuration (on older versions) or revert pending updates from recovery.
6. Run disk and hardware diagnostics from the PC or disk manufacturer.

If Windows does boot sometimes, additional steps include:

• Checking Device Manager for storage or disk devices with errors and updating their drivers.
• Checking Event Viewer → System log for disk or driver errors around the time of the blue screen.
• Ensuring there is enough free space on the system drive (typically at least 10–15%).
• Running SFC /scannow from an elevated Command Prompt to repair system files.

If none of these steps help, deeper debugging with Windows tools or professional repair may be required.

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References:

• Bug check 0x7B: INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
• You receive error: Stop error code 0x0000007B (INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE) after you install Windows Updates
• Advanced troubleshooting for Stop error 7B or Inaccessible_Boot_Device
• Windows boot error INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE in an Azure VM