Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55 No Bootable Device error, not booting off Windows 11 bootable USB

As mentioned in the question, I've got an Acer Nitro 5 laptop, which I bought new slightly less than two years ago. A few days back, I noticed the laptop fans running while the lid was closed and it should have been hibernating, I start it up, and run into a screen simply saying "No Bootable Device". I try turning it off and starting it up a few more times, and get the same result.

Since then, I've tried some potential solutions I've seen here and elsewhere, to no noticeable result. I've taken out and reseated the SDD that has the system data on it, checked the boot menu to make sure it was recognizing the hard drive, set up an admin password and disabled secure boot, attempted to switch to Legacy boot mode (doesn't seem to be an option), disconnected and reconnected the battery, and none of this seems to have done anything.

I used another computer to put an install of Windows 11, which it was running before this error, on a USB. I try selecting this from the F12 boot menu, and it goes to the Acer logo it usually shows on startup with the spinning loading icon underneath it, stays there for 5-10 minutes, then I'll get a screen from Windows saying there's been an error and the computer needs to restart. Once it restarts, it just stays on the Acer screen, and I've left it up to 20 minutes without any change to that. The fans will be going and the laptop will be heating up as if it's working hard on something, but it's not doing anything different from the usual start up screen.

I'm feeling like this laptop issue is putting me in a tight spot, and I'm not sure what to try next. Any help would be deeply appreciated.

Accepted answers

StevenGen

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1229874#Comment_1229874

If you can't install Win-11 or the reinstall doesn't go through fully, then its the M.2 drive that is faulty and you will need to replace it, if you have valuable data, then leave the drive like it is and take the 256GB M.2 SSD old boot drive to a data recovery specialist as they are the experts in recovering data and will recover most of the data on that drive.

All comments

StevenGen

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/691936/acer-nitro-5-an515-55-no-bootable-device-error-not-booting-off-windows-11-bootable-usb

A "No Bootable Device" usually means that you boot drive is faulty and the system cant boot from that drive and the boot drive needs replacing,

Here are several fixes you can try to fix the "No Bootable Device" error good luck:

Check your boot order.
Fix the boot information of your system.
Set the primary partition back as active.
Remove the peripheral device and check the hard drive.
Run Startup Repair of Windows 11.
Reinstall Windows 11.

AN515-55 boot SSD1 (M.2 SSD drive should be a PCIe Gen.3x4 max spec)

AN515-55 slave SSD2 (M.2 SSD drive should be a PCIe Gen.3x4 max spec)

TheAether

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1229863#Comment_1229863

Going through those bullet points roughly in order:

The only thing that shows up in the boot order is the USB, when it's inserted. Otherwise, the boot order is blank.

I don't know how to fix the boot information or set the primary partition as active. Would you have any guides or info you could point me to on that?

The hard drives do show up in BIOS, with the manufacturer and the serial number. I have not gone so far as installing them in another computer to see what shows up yet, but the system does recognize them, at least. Maybe I should try them out with my other computer, if I can get them in there.

Is the startup repair Alt+F10 while starting? I tried pressing those, and wasn't able to get any function to pop up.

As mentioned in the first post, when I try to use a Window 11 installation media, I get an error message after several minutes of staring at an 'Acer' screen, then the computer restarts and seems to freeze up at the 'Acer' screen that reappears.

StevenGen

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1229874#Comment_1229874

If you can't install Win-11 or the reinstall doesn't go through fully, then its the M.2 drive that is faulty and you will need to replace it, if you have valuable data, then leave the drive like it is and take the 256GB M.2 SSD old boot drive to a data recovery specialist as they are the experts in recovering data and will recover most of the data on that drive.

TheAether

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1229882#Comment_1229882

Makes sense. I've ordered a new SSD, will install and give that a try once it arrives. I'll post results here once I do.

Commodore_1995#

Hello! Try disabling fast startup in the power options as well.

TheAether

Installing a new hard drive did it. Got my computer live again, at the cost of all the data in there, which is a pain, and is now having a few minor new problems, such as my reinstalled NitroSense refusing to start up, but I guess it had to be done. Sorry, didn't give turning off Fast Startup a try, will keep that in mind if the problem starts up again.

Just for the record, in case someone with a similar issue finds this thread at some point in the future, total cost was about $55, $50 for a new SSD, and $5 for a USB drive with more than the 8gb capacity needed for a new windows install. Replacing the SSD is a pretty simple process, if you're able to get the back off your laptop in the first place, you should have the technical know-how to swap those out, doesn't require disassembling your computer or anything. And I don't know if this is material to anything, but I mistyped my model number in the title, I actually have an AN515-54, not 55.

In any case, I have my computer back for much less than the cost of taking it in to the shop. Thanks for your help, StevenGen and egydiocoelho. I owe you guys beers if you're ever in my neck of the woods.