The Windows Boot Manager relies on the BCD (Boot Configuration Data) file to boot up the operating system. This file contains important details about the OS, including its boot settings. When the BCD file is misconfigured or corrupted, your Windows PC becomes unbootable and shows the following error messages:
- rebuildbcd the requested system device cannot be found
- Bcdedit import the requested system device cannot be found
In this guide, we will try to uncover the causes behind this error and share some troubleshooting techniques to resolve it.
Why Am I Facing the “Requested System Device Cannot Be Found” Error?
The “Requested system device cannot be found” error usually occurs when a normal Windows boot fails, and you try to rebuild the Master Boot Record (MBR) using Command Prompt with a bootable USB drive. Here’s what might have triggered this error on your system:
- Your BIOS is unable to recognize the USB interface. If your Windows repair environment fails to detect USB 3.0, try changing it with a USB 2.0 interface.
- The boot settings on MBR and GPT differ. Select UEFI mode to reboot the PC when converting MBR to GPT.
- The system requires EFI partition on GPT disks. When this is lost, you are required to recreate EFI partition. For MBR disks, make sure the BCD registry file partition is set as active.
- Windows searches for the installation path on the local drive by default. When you boot from USB, it may not detect the correct system partition, leading to the error.
- If you had originally installed the Windows using an older BIOS version, the bootable USB needs to match that same configuration, else it may run into issues.
Troubleshooting the “Requested System Device Cannot Be Found” Error
In this section, we will outline the step-by-step solutions for fixing the “Requested System Device Cannot be found” error on your Windows PC.
Method 1: Repair Windows with Windows Repair DVD/CD
If the Windows PE or Windows is unable to detect USB 3.0 or USB 3.0 drives, try to make a Windows installation media using a CD or DVD. Here’s how to repair Windows with Windows repair DVD/CD:
Step 1: Create a Windows 11 installation media DVD/CD with the help of Microsoft’s Media Creation tool.
Step 2: Boot from the Windows installation media and select Command Prompt on the Advanced options screen.
Step 3: Now, execute the following commands one-by-one:
bootrec/fixmbr
bootrec/fixboot
bootrec/rebuildbcd
Once you have successfully executed the commands, restart your computer to see if the issue is resolved.
Method 2: Set the Correct Partition in Command Prompt
When you try to perform bootrec operations using a USB installation media and fail to detect the system partitions, it could cause the “Requested system device cannot be found” issue on your PC. To fix this, select the correct partitions in the command prompt. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Boot into Windows using a UEFI installation disk (CD, DVD, or USB) and select Command Prompt from the Advanced options screen.
Step 2: Enter diskpart and press Enter to list all partitions. Make sure that the EFI partition is formatted as FAT32.
Step 3: Now, execute the following commands:
Diskpart
List volume
Select volume 3
Assign letter=Z
Exit
Step 4: After exiting diskpart, execute the following commands:
cd /dm:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\
bootrec /fixboot
Step 5: Rename the BCD file to BCD.bak. For this, type ren BCD BCD.bak and press Enter.
Step 6: Execute the following command to recreate BCD: bcdboot c:Windows /l en-us /s z: /f ALL
Step 7: Exit the Command Prompt and Restart your PC to see if the issue is resolved.
Method 3: Change the Boot Mode
When facing the “Requested system device cannot be found” error, consider switching the boot mode as it reconfigures the boot settings and resolves any underlying errors. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Restart your PC.
Step 2: Boot into BIOS (usually done by pressing F2, F12, DEL, or ESC, depending on your manufacturer).
Step 3: Navigate to the Boot or Boot Options section.
Step 4: Switch between UEFI and Legacy CSM boot mode.
Step 5: Save changes and exit.
Restart your computer and see if the issue is resolved.
How to Recover Lost Data When Facing the “Requested System Device Cannot Be Found” Error?
If you are not careful while using the bootrec command, you might accidentally select the wrong partition to rebuild the BCD. This can lead to the overwriting of certain partitions containing your important data, making them inaccessible.
For this reason, it’s always a good idea to back up your data before attempting any major system modifications. However, if you’re someone who is stuck with this error after attempting to rebuild BCD, use a professional data recovery software to recover your important data.
Summing Up
The above methods should help you resolve the “Requested system device cannot be found” error on your system. However, if the above methods fail to resolve the error on your system, consider reinstalling Windows as a last resort.
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