The most likely cause of the 'No OS found' error is a corrupted or missing boot configuration data (BCD) file. The BCD file contains essential information required for the operating system to boot properly, such as the location of the OS files and boot settings. If this file becomes corrupted or is missing, the system will be unable to locate and load the operating system, resulting in the 'No OS found' error.
While a damaged hard drive or missing OS files can also cause this error, these issues are less common compared to a corrupted BCD file. A damaged hard drive would typically result in more severe symptoms, such as a complete failure to detect the drive or access any files. Missing OS files would prevent the system from booting, but the error message would likely be different, such as 'Missing operating system' or 'Operating system not found'.
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