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"INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE" error message after you install a third-party ATA-miniport driver or change the SATA mode of the boot drive on Windows 8-based computer

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Symptoms

On a Windows 8-based computer, you install a third-party ATA-miniport driver and reboot, or, after you use the BIOS setup of a Windows 8-based computer to change the Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) mode of the boot drive to use either the Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) specification or redundant array of independent disks (RAID) features, you receive the following error message when the computer is restarted:

INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE

Note: The system runs using Window's standard StorAHCI driver to handle ATA devices.

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Cause

This issue occurs if the disk driver in Windows 8 is disabled. This driver must be enabled before you change the SATA/RAID mode of the boot drive or install a third-party ATA-miniport driver in Windows 8.

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Resolution

Scenario 1: Third Party ATA Miniport Driver

The following steps will allow the user to properly boot off of a third-party ATA miniport driver. It is assumed that the new driver has already been installed and a reboot of the system is pending:

  1. Open an elevated command prompt and set the machine to boot into Safe mode by typing
    bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal
  2. Reboot the machine into Safe mode by typing:
    shutdown /r /t 0

    Note: In Safe mode all boot-start drivers will be enabled and loaded, including the ATA port driver. Since there is now a miniport installed to use it, the kernel will now make it part of the drivers that are to be loaded on boot and not disable it again.
  3. Reset the bcdedit settings to allow the machine to boot into the Normal mode by typing:
    bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot
  4. Reboot the machine into Normal mode by typing:
    shutdown /r /t 0
You should successfully reboot into normal mode using the third-party ATA miniport driver.

Scenario 2: Switching the BIOS from AHCI to IDE mode

The following steps describe how to successfully switch the BIOS from AHCI to IDE mode without risking system crashes during boot:

  1. Open an elevated command prompt and set the machine to boot into Safe mode by typing
    bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal
  2. Reboot the machine into Safe mode by typing:
    shutdown /r /t 0
  3. During reboot, enter the system BIOS and switch the SATA emulation from AHCI to IDE, then choose SAVE and Reboot.
    The machine should now boot into Safe mode. In Safe mode all boot-start drivers will be enabled and loaded. Since the boot device is now used via IDE, the necessary drivers will also be loaded on subsequent boots.
  4. Reset the bcdedit settings to allow the machine to boot into the Normal mode by typing:
    bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot
  5. Reboot the machine into Normal mode by typing:
    shutdown /r /t 0
This should successfully reboot into normal mode using IDE.

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More Information

For Windows Vista and Windows 7 version of this article, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
971403 Error message occurs after you change the SATA mode of the boot drive

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Keywords: kbtshoot, kbhardware, kbexpertiseinter, kb

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Article Info
Article ID : 2795397
Revision : 1
Created on : 1/7/2017
Published on : 12/17/2012
Exists online : False
Views : 750