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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,
Countless people have been trying to coax Microsoft to break down the Upgrade files into smaller pieces without much success...
Microsoft has come up with a new type of file compression that makes the download considerably smaller... A 3.75GB ISO file may compress to maybe 2.5 for the download...
That is the .ESD we discussed once before...
The only other thing I can suggest is to identify the time of day that your internet works best... For instance, mine works best between 8am and Noon... Then maybe 2pm to 5pm, and then again from maybe 11pm until morning...
Technically you can't "Turn Off" Windows Updates... What you "Can Do" is go to Control Panel and set the VIEW to Small Icons...
You will then see "Administrative Tools"... in Administrative Tools there will be a shortcut to "Services"... This is not the same "Services" in msconfig or the Taskmanager...
They are related, but only through the Administrative Tools location, do you get some of the options...
Technically you need to "Disable" Windows Update... The only problem with doing this is that it also Disables the updates for Windows Defender... You could probably get by without updating Defender for a couple of weeks without a problem...
I know how the slow internet connection goes... Mine just recently upgraded to 6mbps... That is now the local phone companies minimum speed...
It had been 3mbps for several years, and before that it was 1mbps for a good while...
It didn't really become an issue until Microsoft started requiring all of the large downloads... If it were not for the fact that I don't want to pay another $10\ month, I would bump it up to 12mbps...
As I'm sure you know, you don't always get your rated speed due to Network Congestion...
Oh, I can turn off updates. I didn't realize that, I'll have to look for that.
Yes, the service packs -- which is pretty much what this June thing is -- is like installing a whole OS.
Issues at the library. For one, I have had too slow a connection there to download much of anything. Also, with how many hours involved, not sure they are even open five hours a day around here, budget cuts. And, I can't leave the laptop alone while go to the bathroom, and for five hours of download, will need to do that multiple times. :) Also, I can find only one place to sit with a electrical outlet, and if I cant get that spot, my battery is not going to last long enough.
Not sure what I will come up with for that. Maybe something will present itself between now and then.
Hi,
It may be that during the course of the updates, the machine was doing s signout\signin instead of an actual Restart...
There is another setting that you can change concerning a Password to Wake Up from Sleep... It is on the same window as the fast Startup setting... right above it...
I don't think Microsoft will change the way they are doing things for the updates...
Some of the updates are Cumulative, and just do partial\ as needed updating, but the major releases are basically reinstallations..
In reality, about the only thing you can do when it comes time for the big update, would be to turn off\disable Windows Update in SERVICES... just until you have time to download the ISO, and then do the upgrade at your convenience...
I have heard of some people going to a Library to get a good enough connection for that type of thing, but I would imagine that some Library's might limit the download amount...
I've gone through this stop smoking routine a number of times over the last ten years... For some reason it gets harder as you go, not easier...
Except maybe for the first week... That can be quite miserable.
Hopefully this time I can get over the hump... The nearly $200 I have spent on patches should be enough motivation, but it didn't turn out that way previously unfortunately..
Well, another oddity this morning. After reading your post, I started up the laptop. It started as it should, without going to those windows with the picture and to log in. Hmm.
I looked at the power settings you mention, yes I see that it is set for Hibernation to have me log in when starting again. But I should not have been in hibernation, I don't even understand that, and my settings are set so that it shuts down, not hibernates, except when I close the laptop, which I did not do yesterday (and I'm changing that setting now to shutdown).
I guess I can turn Fast Start back on, although since I prefer to not hibernate, to shut down when I want to shut down, I guess it is of no use.
The issue was happening only when starting up. My settings were, I saw, to require the login when starting up from hibernation. But gee, I don't even understand or know how to do hibernation other than settings. And I'm not set for that.
Anyway, its working right today. All day yesterday after doing those updates first thing in the morning it did it the other way I described. Who knows.
BTW, one more thing to maybe give feedback to MS about the June update. Suggest it would be a LOT better to break that up into maybe five different updates. In fact, let us download it to the desktop like an installer and install from there. I, for one, can't do a 3+ GB update very easily or safely, not the best of Internet connection. I definitely don't want to do that update direct from the Internet, would prefer to download something that size and then do the install from the desktop -- to avoid destruction from a poor internet connection and corruption of my OS.
In fact, when that huge update comes in, I probably won't be able to use my laptop again until I can figure out where I can go for long enough with a very stable Internet connection to do it - after all, I can't stop the update from proceeding, they eliminated those controls. And there is no place I can go for the length of time I have to expect will be needed for that, figure at least five-six hours like when I downloaded the Win 10 installer.
Addiction nags for a long time thereafter -- that's why so many people fall back. Keep up the good work, you are too far along now to give up and screw up. The nagging and craving will subside, even if only slowly. Keep yourself distracted and overloaded with things you have to do and focus on.
