BIOS shuffled my boot order... suddenly!

I was just turning my PC off for the moment and later on I turned it back on, just to be greeted with the message (and black screen) that the PC could not find the boot device. Huh? I changed NOTHING on my PC (asaik) and for one moment I had the scare of my life.

So I tapped after a reboot on F12 to fix the boot order, and the PC loaded happily into Windows. But after a reboot, the same thing. Could not find the BOOT device. OK. Step 2, getting into my BIOS. Looked at my boot order and yes. It was a mess. My SSD (not Windows) had traded placed with my HDD (Windows). They had been somehow been switched around. So, I fixed the order they were in, saved and exited outta there and since then Windows loaded up pretty nice again.

I use the Windows 10 2004 edition (may I call it that?) and just once I experienced this before.

But what could had happen that Windows decided to maul my BIOS in that way? There had to be a reason that Windows decide to place a non-startup disc as a boot disc?

Also looked at the log but I'm not that technical....

@RingTailCoon -

W10 didn't touch your BIOS.

Obviously something happened. What I would like you to do power off, disconnect power, open the system and gently check that every cable and card is seated properly.
Sometimes weird things can happen when the system is not cooling properly - like not cleaning the fans and such. You can even use dust-off to blow the system out for proper ventilation.

After that, test it. Then test again

Post back with your findings.

Thanks.

Windows 10 does not change anything in the Bios. The Boot order is defined by the Bios.
Why do you have Windows on a HDD and not the SSD? That's is what an SSD is for, fast booting to an OS?! Using an SSD for storage is not the most optimum use of the drive, unless your OS drive is also an SSD.
An SSD may take preference over a standard HDD especially If you have another drive with a boot file to an OS on it (ie) another version of Windows or Linux or whatever, the Bios may decide that is the drive to move to first boot order, even if the boot file is corrupted. Usually booting into the Bios and sorting the Boot order under the Boot tab settles it and it should stay that way.
Check in your Bios for another setting for Drives and make sure the HDD is first in that order as well, This shouldn't matter, but if you still have an issue, make sure your the SATA port you are plugging the drive into on the motherboard is SATA port 1 (or 0).and the storage drive is in a lower SATA port #.

@spunk -

If it was working all along and nothing was done via software, it would be *very* weird if the boot order had changed.

Windows 10 does not change anything in the Bios. The Boot order is defined by the Bios.
Why do you have Windows on a HDD and not the SSD? That's is what an SSD is for, fast booting to an OS?! Using an SSD for storage is not the most optimum use of the drive, unless your OS drive is also an SSD.
An SSD may take preference over a standard HDD especially If you have another drive with a boot file to an OS on it (ie) another version of Windows or Linux or whatever, the Bios may decide that is the drive to move to first boot order, even if the boot file is corrupted. Usually booting into the Bios and sorting the Boot order under the Boot tab settles it and it should stay that way.
Check in your Bios for another setting for Drives and make sure the HDD is first in that order as well, This shouldn't matter, but if you still have an issue, make sure your the SATA port you are plugging the drive into on the motherboard is SATA port 1 (or 0).and the storage drive is in a lower SATA port #.

Well, I tried if I could but Windows was hammering that the SSD was not formatted to install Windows on it. How strange that may sound. Only option was my HDD which was OK according to Windows. (during the latest and not so greatest update that is!)

I already moved the boot order to the correct way it was. My cables are sitting snug, trust me, I checked! (but it was a kinda dusty inside so a quick clean was in order.)

But all is working fine again. :)

Compumind said:

@

Compumind said:

spunk -

If it was working all along and nothing was done via software, it would be *very* weird if the boot order had changed.

Yeah, I know and it's just the second time this happened, last time was during a BIOS update (few years back) But yeah, very strange...

Well, I tried if I could but Windows was hammering that the SSD was not formatted to install Windows on it

if you are doing a Clean Install of Windows 10 you do not need to Partition, or Format your SSD before the install.
Boot off of the Windows 10 boot USB installer or DVD, choose your language and then Custom Install. In Where to install Windows, Delete any and All partitions on the SSD if any, so the whole drive is Unallocated Space, then press Next. Windows will create partitions and format them during the install.

spunk said:

if you are doing a Clean Install of Windows 10 you do not need to Partition, or Format your SSD before the install.
Boot off of the Windows 10 boot USB installer or DVD, choose your language and then Custom Install. In Where to install Windows, Delete any and All partitions on the SSD if any, so the whole drive is Unallocated Space, then press Next. Windows will create partitions and format them during the install.

Maybe I'll do that with the next big update but it took me way too much time to set-up this install that I now have after the previous reinstall. (especially that I have everything behind lock and key with 2FA!) But thanks nonetheless. I'll keep it in mind. Right now my SSD contains ALL of my aviation stuff.

Again, I won't go over to install EVERTHING over again, took me way too long. And no, I won't try my hand at those systembackup thingies.

If your computer is working perfectly, then download a Cloning Program like Macrium Reflect and then burn a USB Rescue disk from that software. Boot off of Macrium Rescue disk and make an Image File of your Windows OS drive and save the image to an External USB HDD. You should have an image file anyways in case of disaster.
Boot off of the Macrium USB and restore the Image to your SSD drive. Or You can just clone directly to the SSD drive. Then the HDD and SSD will be mirror images of each other. Set SSD to boot first and the computer will boot to the SSD only it will be faster and you will have the same files. If everything works well, you can remove the HDD or Format it and use it for storage.

spunk said:

If your computer is working perfectly, then download a Cloning Program like Macrium Reflect and then burn a USB Rescue disk from that software. Boot off of Macrium Rescue disk and make an Image File of your Windows OS drive and save the image to an External USB HDD. You should have an image file anyways in case of disaster.
Boot off of the Macrium USB and restore the Image to your SSD drive. Or You can just clone directly to the SSD drive. Then the HDD and SSD will be mirror images of each other. Set SSD to boot first and the computer will boot to the SSD only it will be faster and you will have the same files. If everything works well, you can remove the HDD or Format it and use it for storage.

OK, will do that! - closing the thread -

- - - Updated - - -

Took me all night to fix it all, but here we go... Better this way? :)

Looks good, if the computer is booting to the SSD, now you can remove the old HDD or if everything is working correctly after a couple of days format the HDD and use it for storage.