Error “Error 1962: No operating system found” on Lenovo – how to fix it

Error “Error 1962: No operating system found” on Lenovo – how to fix it

One of the typical problems when booting a Lenovo PC, laptop or monoblock is a 1962 error with the message “No operating system found”. The boot sequence will repeat itself automatically.” In fact, the error is common for other brands of computers as well, but only Lenovo uses exactly this code and wording and therefore the user cannot always find a solution to the problem (other computers report more often: Boot Failed and No an operating system was found, Reboot and select the proper boot device).

This guide details the causes of error 1962 on Lenovo uniblocks, PCs and laptops and easy ways (assuming your hardware is working properly) to fix it and get Windows 10, 8.1 or Windows 7 to boot normally on your device again.

What is the error 1962 The operating system was not found and what are its causes?

When you turn on your Lenovo PC or laptop, it checks the boot parameters registered in the BIOS/UEFI and tries to boot an operating system, such as Windows 10. If it does not find the appropriate operating system with the configured boot parameters (boot mode , device order), the error message 1962 “No operating system found” or, in Russian, “No operating system found” appears.

Note: The following possible causes of Error 1962 do not take into account the variant with a blank formatted disk without an operating system, for this this message would be natural and all that is required is to install the correct OS.

Possible reasons for this error:

• Incorrect boot parameters in the BIOS due to your own settings, or sometimes simply resetting them, such as due to a dead battery on the motherboard or static discharge.
• Changing the configuration of the drives (connecting new hard drives, SSDs, sometimes USB flash drives) without making changes to the boot settings in the BIOS.
• Corruption of the boot loader, the file system of the hard disk or the SSD. It can occur due to your own manipulation (for example, trying to partition the drive without taking into account important nuances), or sometimes due to external circumstances (sudden power failure, etc.).
• Hardware issues: damaged hard drive or SSD, poor contact between drive and motherboard, damaged SATA cables.

Therefore, before taking steps to fix the problem, I recommend that you remember what was done to your computer or laptop before the error appeared: sometimes all it takes to get it to boot is unplugging the flash drive or disk recently connected external hard drive, fix the SATA cable if you have cleaned the device of dust or something similar, as simple as that.

Fixing Error 1962 on a Lenovo Laptop, All-in-One, or PC

The first step to fixing “Error 1962” is to check the boot parameters in the BIOS/UEFI of your Lenovo.

Check boot parameters

Depending on the make and age of your Lenovo computer, the menu items may vary slightly, but the logic is the same everywhere: CSM and Legacy are Legacy boot mode support for MBR drives, Enabled means “On” , Disabled means “Off”, items with “UEFI” in the names in the boot parameters refer to the UEFI boot mode for Windows 10 and 8.1 (this is the mode the system is installed in at the factory, but if you installed the OS manually, you could do it on Legacy as well). If there is anything unclear, please ask, I will try to answer.

To enter the BIOS of a Lenovo laptop or monoblock, you usually have to press F2 EITHER Fn+F2 when turning it on. On computers, depending on the model, the same key or the Delete (From).

Depending on your particular model of device, the BIOS interface may vary slightly, but usually the tab with the settings we need in Lenovo is called “Startup” (less often Boot), and you can navigate to it using the left-arrows. right.

If your device originally had Windows 10 or 8.1 installed from the factory and you did not reinstall it manually, then set the setting: CSM – Disabled (or, on some models: Boot Mode – UEFI), turn Fast Boot to Disabled just in case ( sometimes helps), and then go to Primary Boot Sequence and make sure Windows Boot Manager or your system hard drive is first in the boot order (you can move the items with the + and – keys) . If there are any hard drives in the “Excluded from Boot Order” list, remove them from the list (select them, press the “/” key) by moving them to the top list.

On Lenovo ThinkPad laptops, the same thing may look slightly different (again, description for Windows 10 or 8.1 out of the box): Under UEFI/Legacy Boot select UEFI Only, under “Boot” set the correct boot order. The screenshot is just an example of ThinkPad boot parameters, not the correct configuration.

If you installed the system manually, or had Windows 7 pre-installed, on the contrary, activate the CSM (set it to Enabled), on some laptops, set the Boot Mode to Legacy Support or Legacy Only, or on Thinkpad, set the UEFI/Legacy boot to “Both” and CSM Support to Yes, and then check the boot order in the same way. The first in the queue should be the system hard drive (if you have multiple hard drives, put them in the primary boot sequence as well, theoretically the OS boot loader can reside on them as well).

For systems other than Windows 10, 8 and 8.1, as well as some builds and when booting from a flash drive fails, disable Secure Boot in the “Security” tab.

Just in case, look in the “Advanced” tab of the BIOS and check the SATA Mode setting. Normally it should be set to AHCI (except on some systems with RAID-paired SSDs or cached SSDs).

Press F10, save boot parameters and exit BIOS, the computer will reboot.

If you don’t know what setting to set in the boot options, you can try both the Legacy and UEFI options, remembering to check the devices in boot order (usually on Lenovo the “Primary Boot Sequence” item).

There is also another method if you don’t know which settings to choose and the hardware configuration of the laptop or all-in-one has not changed since its purchase:

Go to the “Exit” tab of the BIOS.

Look under “Load default settings” and, if any, the operating system defaults. If the second item is present, try loading the “Other OS” settings first, and then, if the problem persists – for Windows 10 or 8 (depending on which item will be displayed, they are essentially the same).

Damaged Windows boot loader.

This same error can also be caused by a corrupt bootloader. There are separate instructions on this topic on the website:

If these items did not help either, it is highly possible that it is a hardware issue.

Hardware issues that may be causing the Error 1962 on Lenovo

Hardware problems in the context of the error in question include:

• Bad hard drive or SSD connection. Check the connection, in the case of PCs and some monoblocks (where the wired connection is used), both the motherboard and the drive itself (or, better, disconnect it completely and reconnect it). Changing the SATA cable usually helps.
• Malfunction of the drive itself, for example, after a crash. If possible, check if the drive works on another computer. If it is defective, you will probably have to replace it.

Hopefully one of the methods will help you fix the problem. If not, please describe the situation in detail, all the actions you took and what preceded the error in the comments, I will try to help you.

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