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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..
No, I didn't assign the drive letter this time. I did the first time I did it. I specific allotted the space for it, it was optional,and I could not remember what other drive letter are already in use on the machine,so I left it blank, to be assigned by the computer. Regardless, Acronis recognizes its letter, and that serves to mark the route to it -- Acronis is marking the route to it.
A drive letter (its actually a volume letter) should not need to be assigned at partitioning -- most drives that go in do not have a letter assigned already, and if they did, it might conflict with another partition on another drive. You can't have two E drives in there.
Acronis sees it as the E drive. So the format of the string Acronis puts in starts with E.
One thing I find odd: The volume folder in the list under the main drive letter name is "System Volume Information." That is NOT what I named the volume. I named the volume ForBackupImage.
So, I tried it with my name for the volume, but I got the same message anyway.
I can go back and erase the drive and reformat and volume it again. But it was all done correctly the first time, there should not be any difference from that. I change it to MBR simply so I could change it back to GPT with Partition Wizard. AND the message is referring to the string, not to something wrong about the drive I am selecting.
I note, it assigned F to the first partition on the drive, the 125 GB partition, and E to the second. I guess it sees a different order than we see. Or, previously the 125 GB volume was the F drive -- but that was erased, and a new partition made -- how could it equate a new partition with the one erased and so assign the same letter?
I'm sure if you think of something, you will let me know. Right now, I'm dead in the water -- I can't even image it at this point. Maybe in the morning I will reformat the drive -- but that is NOT the problem.
When that fails, I'm throwing this garbage Windows machine in the garbage - that's all Windows is worth. I don't even want Windows 10 -- because they have quietly added spy software in there to take everything from your machine -- everything --and watch everything you do, and send all that info back to Microsoft --that's criminal, felonius, and why I think I might not want to stay at Win10 once I get there.
Hi,
There may be a System Volume Information folder on the partition. That is somewhat normal... You will find one on every drive\partition eventually...
But not in the partition name...
The assigning a drive letter is Default... the process doesn't work properly if a drive letter is not assigned... This isn't a permanent assignment... Just for the formatting process...
All Operating Systems assign their own drive letters... you will not end up with two of the same name...
Even if Partition Wizard named the partition Z:, when you hook the drive up in Windows it will be the first available letter...
If you actually want it to be Z:\ in Windows, you would need to change the drive letter in Disk Management... That change doesn't normally stick with a removable drive though..
If you unhook it and then hook it back up, it will not be Z:\ anymore...
I'm sure your are frustrated with this process... I know the feeling..
Don't take it out on your Laptop though.. it's not at fault...
At this point, Windows is not at fault either... Although Disk Manager may have caused a delay in getting things done..
What is causing the biggest problem is the UEFI BIOS in your Laptop making things difficult... I can just about guarantee you that this will eventually turn out to be a piece of cake once you\we figure out the hoops to jump through...
Thanks for the pep talk. I do actually know this immediate issue is not Windows, Acronis or Disk Wizard, or need for a drive letter assigned -- if it is needed, Disk Wizard should not make it optional.
Good you mentioned the Win Disk Manager assigning a letter does stay with it. That is the only place I've done it before, and I was about to tell you that it does stay with it. OK.
Yes, that noted volume should be the name I gave the partitions --but that's not what it says.
I'm going in again, going to repartition and assign a letter this time. But won't necessarily get to imaging until tomorrow.
Hi,
I'm going to call it a day also, so if you don't get a reply until morning, that is why..
