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I am trying for the first time to boot my Windows 8.1 laptop from the internal CD-DVD drive. I have a bootable CD in there, and yes, I do have the bios set with CDROM drive as first in the list to boot from. But when I try to boot from the CD, it won't boot, instead the computer gives me this message:
"ATAPI CDROM has been blocked by the current security policy."
(Its actually a DVD drive.) All it lets me do at that message is hit the Enter key to OK the message, and then it boots from the hard drive.
I have no idea where "security policy" settings are or what they are set for. What do I have to do to get this to boot?
This is a Gateway laptop, 2.2 MHz Intel Pentium processor, 4 GB RAM, 64 bit OS, with Windows 8.1 fully updated, and Windows Defender running and fully updated.
I have already looked everywhere I can find, but nothing seems to address this message or issue, as follows:
*I went to Help menu to look up "Security Policy." While the computer is giving me the message about "security policy," the Help menu has no idea what "security policy" is, it just comes up blank!
*I went to Control Panels/System and Security/Action Center/Change Windows Settings/Smart Screen/... All I found in there that might be involved is a setting to block anything downloaded from the Internet until I give administrator access. Well, the booting issue didn't allow me to give administrator access (yes, I am the administrator) when I tried to boot, I only could hit the enter key to OK. Nonetheless, I changed to: notify me but proceed (not a quote).
With that, I tried again, but it still would not boot from the CD, got the same message, so that setting is not it. I changed the setting back.
I see no other setting there that could be related by even a stretch. And the control panels should be dealing with the OS anyway, and this is happening while trying to boot from the OS on the CD, not the hard drive. That is, this is something in the root.
*I then went into bios area (UEFI Firmware) by sweeping in from the right and into Settings/Change PC settings ..., and found a tab in bios for Security. Looking there, there is a list of things, but it lets me access only "Supervisor Password." It was currently set as "clear," meaning no password. I left it as that -- surely I can't need a password just to boot from a CD, and the message I got in trying to boot from the CD did not allow me to enter a password.
Other settings in the Security tab were not accessible. The only ones they included that might be remotely related were:
*Password on Boot, which was set as no password. But again, the message I get with this issue does not ask for nor allow me to enter a password.
*Secure Boot Mode: Standard (It does not let me access to change that.)
Some others also were in the list that are not worth listing, not even vaguely related.
I then went into some other things elsewhere in the main settings called Startup Settings. The only thing in there that sounded the least bit vaguely related was "Enable boot logging." I punched F2 to go into that, but the machine instead restarted, and did not start from the CDROM, same message again. I went back to it, and it is still listed as Enable boot logging, does not instead say Disable - so I don't know if anything even got changed. I did not touch it again, left it as-is.
So, that's it. I've checked all the settings I know about. Nothing about this bit about "ATAPI CDROM has been blocked by current security policy."
I tested with two DVDs that I have booted from in the past on other Windows machines -- they also would not boot, but they did not give me that message.
I note, all three CDs/DVDs are being read fine by the DVD drive once the machine is booted in Windows 8.1 from the hard drive - so the issue is not that the DVD drive can't read the disks.
Where is this "security policy" set?! What do I need to do to get this to boot from the CD?
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
Hi,
So everything is back to normal... or at least working to your satisfaction ?
You seem to know more about manipulating your email than I do, but though I may be able to help by describing what my screen looks like !
I know how that kind of conversation goes... Not so much with Microsoft, but with my internet provider sometimes..
Hi,
Don't worry about the "Virtually" comment... that was just my way of saying that Acronis Images everything on the disk... even the blank space...
The image is an exact copy of the entire HDD, or individual partitions...
When you choose to Image only files, that would be something like you Pictures folder or something...
Don't worry about imaging blank space... because it is blank space it compresses to almost nothing... 20GB of blank space might take up 20MB of the Image...
The actual Image will be slightly smaller than the USED space on the drive...
When I mentioned a FULL backup, that was in comparison to a Incremental backup, which only images what has changed since that last FULL backup... It takes up less space, but requires multiple steps to Recover the drive...
I don't have a problem with Storage space, so I always use the Full...
If I need more storage space, I look for a new HDD on sale...
I always do a Complete\Full backup... That way everything on your HDD is there if you need it... Like I mentioned before, sometimes I Image the entire drive, and sometimes just the OS partition..
As a general rule, the EFI and other partitions very rarely get changed...
As far as booting from a Flash Drive... that depends on the circumstances...
The feature you mentioned that suggests a Flash Drive may work when other methods don't, or Vice Versa...
My point was that there are now two, actually three, types of flash drives that are sometimes not interchangeable... The only way to know for sure if what you want to do will work would be to try it...
The Windows feature that you mentioned suggests a flash drive may actually require a very specific type of flash drive... the NEW type I mentioned.. I'm not 100% sure which feature you were talking about...
There is a process for a Recovery Image that would be just Windows, or possibly a bootable repair media, then there is File History that backs up all of your stuff like photos, documents, and etc, and finally there is "System Image" which creates a backup image of the entire HDD as it currently is...
Part of the problems you are having are due to the actual computer... not Windows...
It doesn't matter much what Windows says if the machine will not support it...
The UEFI BIOS is a function of the actual computer, not Windows...
If the UEFI is available, Windows will then take advantage of it if the installation is configured properly, but the actual UEFI BIOS is contained on a small memory chip inside your computer...
A flash drive that is to be used for booting into a UEFI machine... at least as far as installing Windows goes, needs to be created in a specific way, or it will not be recognized... Something they messed up with UEFI standards... or lack of..
Acronis running in legacy mode won't b a issue... it is simply making a copy of your HDD.. It will restore the image to a HDD\SSD regardless of the UEFI\Legacy setting...
Acronis doesn't care about windows type requirements to function... It has it's own operating system and runs out of memory once the CD boots...
You will just need to reset your BIOS to UEFI after using Acronis in order for it to boot into Windows..
Acronis is about the quickest, most versatile, and probably reliable method that exists.
After trying multiple other methods, I feel quite safe in saying that...
I have used several other programs that get the job done, but in every case, Acronis either has more available options, or is faster...
An example... I have a Video Editing program, that with some of the other methods, requires reinstallation after reloading a backup image... It somehow detects a change, and for licensing purposes requires a reinstallation for it to activate...
There is no such problem when using Acronis...
In comparing to Macrium, Acronis is 2-3 times faster on my machine...
In comparing to the Windows Imaging function, Acronis is faster, and will allow to select which partition you want to image or restore. The Windows feature is a lot more finicky...
Acronis will reload an image to a new HDD\SDD of a different size than the original, and it will boot... I'm pretty sure the Windows feature will not...
Some questions, of course:
So, Acronis will image just files or it will image everything. Is there an advantage to doing everything, which I think means just files plus empty space of the rest of the partition it is on?
When you say you use full backup of OS partitions, are you saying everything on the hard drive, or only the OS itself, not recovery partitions, not EFI partitions, nothing else? Why?
You say Acronis will image "virtually" everything -- if I do it as a partition. Do I have to select which partition to image, or can I just image them all at once? I think the latter is what would get it all. (You worry me with using the word "virtually".)
You say it won't boot a USB flash drive with the image on it, and maybe if I tried making it a UEFI configuration. OK, how would I make the flash drive a UEFI configuration? I thought that UEFI bit came with the OS as part of it, but from what you said, I guess not. Why does the Windows Help menu say to do it to a flash drive if the flash drive can't be booted -- in fact, it seems to me the Help menu said it will boot!? Maybe the imaging via Windows accomplishes that but Acronis does not -- maybe my new 2016 Acronis will do it bootable in UEFI? Will the flash drive boot in Legacy mode, and if so, is that sufficient to use it 100%? Can I use it if it does not boot?!
Will all this be affected if I'm using Acronis in Legacy mode? As you know, that is the only way I can boot Acronis. If UEFI isn't something in the OS, you just opened a bunch of questions.
Since I have bootable Acronis disk, I might as well use that rather than the OS imaging. I guess. Unless.
Thanks again.
Hi,
Pretty much any image is a exact copy of what was imaged... The exact byte by byte reproduction... Even a Win 8.1 ISO Image is an exact copy of the Win 8.1 DVD Installation Media... In your case yes a compressed clone... Or more accurately, a file containing a compressed version of the clone...
Acronis actually uses the term "RECOVER" to restore an image...
It will Image just files or everything...
I loaded an image of Win 7 Pro... ran the upgrade to Win 10 Pro build 10586...
Restarted the computer, and all of my programs, settings, and etc., are there and functional... Just as an example..
Acronis will do Incremental images, where is just saves what was changed, but I only use a Full backup of the OS partition...
It is true that some Recovery\Repair Media does not include any stuff you have added.. Just the preinstalled stuff, or possibly just Windows... That has changed some starting with Win 8.
Acronis images virtually everything if you do it as a partition(s)... So does the Windows Imaging feature... Imaging... not File History or Backup..
I recently just tried the Windows Imaging feature on a cheapo 8" Tablet I bought just to check emails... It came with Win 8.1... It won't boot from a Flash Drive, and I don't have a external USB CD\DVD drive to test it..
It might boot from a UEFI configured Windows Flash Drive, but I haven't gotten that far yet...
I don't normally install Acronis... just use the bootable media, and was reluctant to install it... This prompted me to try the Windows Imaging... It worked as far as creating an Image goes.. so it said, but there have a lot of posts on the forums that when someone tried to restore the image it wouldn't work.. So I had a very low trust level..
It will only image the entire drive... It would let me restore the EFI and OS partitions without the Recovery Partition, but not just the OS... I eventually installed Acronis and made some Images with it as well...
The Windows Imaging did in fact successfully restore an image of Win 10 Home...
I'm not real sure why others had issues... I do know that if you do not rename the folder that the image is created in, that next time you do an image it is overwritten...
If after you rename the folder to protect it, the Imaging process won' recognize it as a valid image... That may be at the heart of some people's issues..
The problem is that you need to be able to boot into Windows or enter the Repair Screen to get to the Image Recovery Function... If you can't get into Windows, you're up a creek so to speak...
I quit using System Restore and all of Windows Backup processes years ago. At one time System Restore was the only option through Microsoft... That is how I originally discovered imaging the HDD...
If you have the ability to restore a fresh copy of windows with all of your stuff already on it, I have no need for anything else.. I must give Microsoft credit though... The Imaging feature in Windows worked better for me in the limited use I have tried, than I ever would have guessed..
I did my Imaging with the Windows process to a USB HDD without issue... In fact, I couldn't get it to work with a Flash Drive...
Starting with Win 8, some flash drive manufacturers set up their Flash Drives to appear as a Local Disk (Fixed Disk) to comply with something Microsoft was doing.
It has really caused a lot of confusion...
I got one by accident when attempting to make a bootable flash with the Win 7 USB\DVD Installation Tool... It will not recognize the newer flash drive...
The Windows Imaging feature will not recognize the OLDER flash drive... I have a newer version that was recognized, but it was too small to do the job...
The biggest problem is that it is almost impossible to tell which type you have without sticking it in the computer... No where can I find any type of identification in the packaging, description, specifications, as to what you are buying...
I recently discovered that SanDisk has apparently stopped producing the NEW version because of the confusion it has created... I found that out by buying what I thought was a 32GB Flash for the sole purpose of using for Windows Images.
The reason Cloning is used for the most part, is to copy what is on your HDD to a new, larger HDD, or a SSD... It would require a 3rd HDD for the Image...
Let me know if I missed something...
I'm going to have to figure out how to duplicate and bottle you -- because your information could make me a bunch of money. :) Thank you. You even answered my questions in that last post before I got to ask them!
So, another way of looking at an image of a drive is that it is for all intents and purposes a seriously compressed clone? I have no issue with a clone that is so compressed it is not bootable and usable in that form, as long as I can clone it back to normal. You're the first source to explain that -- Windows Help menu is simply very vague and talks only of "restoring," a vague word that does not necessarily mean a full reinstall. You are saying I can do a complete reinstall to even a blank hard drive via a disk image, the results being the same a cloning over the disk.
One question: Will that take an image solely of the OS? Or will it include installed applications and other files too? Just so I know -- after all, it can take a lot of time to install all those extras all over again. And seems to me I saw something suggesting it is simply taking the restore partition, which is somewhere around 10GB, compared to the C drive being 98 GB.
I already had seen the instructions in Windows Help how to make a restore disk and how to make a disk image. What is the difference between a restore disk and a disk image? I am gathering the latter is the full thing, the former I think might solely be the restore partition, nothing more. Maybe that is what I'm talking about in the immediately preceding paragraph.
You beat me to my question of whether Acronis is better than just using the OS. OK, you think it is. Why, is that simply because Acronis might compress it even more than the OS? Or??? I have Acronis now, so I might as well use it.
I note, the OS wants you to make the image to a USB flash drive. It specifies that. But I imagine it could go to an external USB hard drive too, unless the OS is determined about the language it used. But I gather regardless, Acronis will do it to an external HDD. But that would be a size I might instead put on a USB flash drive anyway. Just figuring out the options.
I already checked that out to some degree from the OS. I forget now whether I was checking a restore disk or a disk image -- I believe the restore disk is an image too -- but it was giving me 16 GB of space needed (after the instructions indicted it should be no more than about 4-6 GB!). The C Drive alone is 98 GB on the HDD.
Yes, I was using Macrium Reflect free version. It says you can clone just the files or clone the entire partition -- drive. But in fact, it will not let you clone just the files, you have to get the paid version for that.
I will have to look back at my now mounting pile of scrap of paper full of notes and see what I wrote about GUID and GPT. In my mind, I have that they are both the same, but maybe not. I believe it was GUID I did. I can't get it off the hard drive, can't erase it. When I erase and reformat the full HDD, that partition remains. Nothing went wrong with it that I know of, I just made it too small -- well, according to Macrium, which I later found out was not doing a files-only clone.
You now have me convinced to simply do the disk image. That's what I need, something to clone back the entire drive as-is. I don't need to run it from another drive. And I can also make I guess a separate restore disk for troubleshooting and fixing -- or will the full disk image serve that dual purpose too? That's what I need, everything saved for a crisis or convenience, and something for troubleshooting and repair when trouble arises.
If what you are saying about the image is correct, and I think you know what you're talking about, then I can't imagine why cloning is even needed. After all, if you wanted a working external bootable drive, I suspect you could simply use that image to make one, since you say you can use the image to "clone" back the entire drive to a blank drive.
