Member Avatar for godzab

Hello all, I have a Dell Studio XPS 8100. I was playing crysis 2 eariler today, and after an hour I quit the game. I left the computer standing for 15 mintues, and then was trying to open up google chrome. The problem was my computer was freezing, so I shut off the computer using the power button. Then when I boot it back up, I get the dell screen loading up, then after that, it does not boot up to windows. Instead it gives me this black screen that says: No Boot Device available , SATA 1:None, SATA 2: installed, SATA 3: NONE, STATA 4: None. I did not upgrade my hard drive or did not upgrade my motherboard. To repeat I can not access windows, and the BIOS will not even reconize my hard drive. Please help if you can. Thank you for your time.

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Dani AI

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Brief expert note and quick diagnosis for the "No Boot Device available" symptom on a Dell XPS 8100. The original report showed the system freezing under load, then BIOS failing to enumerate the boot drive. pointed out drive failure as one possible cause and suggested using an external boot environment to narrow things down. A follow-up from confirmed the issue was resolved, which makes this a useful case to explain how to test similar faults methodically.

Why a non-disk fault can look like a dead disk: mechanical drives need a short, high inrush of current to spin up and a stable +12V/+5V supply to initialize. If the power delivery droops or is intermittent (worse under game load/heat), the drive may never spin or respond and BIOS will report "No Boot Device." Other hardware problems (bad connectors, failing motherboard SATA controller, or weak power connectors) can produce identical symptoms.

Practical ordered checklist to diagnose and protect data:

  • Confirm whether the drive actually spins (listen or feel for vibration). No spin often means a power issue.
  • Use the Dell pre-boot diagnostics (F12 -> Diagnostics) to capture hardware error codes.
  • If the drive spins but is not detected, try powering the drive from another known-good supply or a powered USB-SATA adapter, then attach it to another PC to read SMART.
  • If the drive is intermittently visible, image it immediately (Clonezilla, ddrescue, or commercial imaging tools) before running repairs.
  • If swapping the PSU fixes the symptom, replace it with a quality unit of adequate wattage rather than a temporary fix. If unsure, seek a technician to avoid further data loss.

Key takeaway: don’t assume immediate disk replacement. Work top-down (power -> connectors -> controller -> disk) and image any readable drive before making major changes. This thread is a good reminder that methodical checks often save both data and money.

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Member Avatar for Rik_

Your hard drive has developed a fault. It's time to get a new one.

Member Avatar for godzab

Why did this happen, it was working fine for two years?

Member Avatar for Reverend Jim

It can happen. It might help to have a Linux system on CD (or even better, on a USB stick) to boot from to check the drive. You also might want to invest a few dollars in a product called SpinRite. It is excellent for disk maintenance and data recovery.

Then again, you might just try uncabling the drive and plugging it back in. You just never know.

Member Avatar for godzab

Thanks all, it was actaully a faulty psu. Just went to my local computer shop to buy a new psu. It works now, thanks again.

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