This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(128, 8%, 22%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
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..
I had to quit trying to download that 8.1 install media. After 12 hours, it still had a long way to go. Never mind, I don't have the time it takes to deal with MS -- I have a life to live. I can't put in every spare minute for four months and still not be at the end.
Will check my recovery flash drive to see if it will do as you just explained -- still, if it can do that, it should just tell you and give you the easy steps to do it, not hid it and you have to stand on your head to figure work arounds to get it done!
I don't think the 8.1 download is bootable. I think you can run it just from the desktop, so you should be able to just run it from a DVD too. If it is bootable, I'm sure it would boot in Win 8, and thus it would have no choice but to boot in UEFI. The recovery Flash drive boots in UEFI. It doesn't need to be legacy to boot, Acronis just simply choose to use an older OS to boot in, and that requires legacy. Win 8 requires UEFI to boot.
Thanks.
Hi,
Here's the deal... My recovery drive only needed 4.4GB... It required a 8GB drive because that is the next bigger size...
The Image for Recovering Windows is in the SOURCES folder...
It is called Reconstruct.wim... and a Reconstruct.wim2
.WIM is the installation file that was in use before Microsoft switched to .ESD...
You will probably see one in your new DVD or ISO... it might be a .ESD though.
I got to see what you are talking about... The Recover From Image will not work unless you have specifically made an image to use...
I selected "Recover From Drive" and noticed the Select OS...
In my case it was Windows 10...
This basically deleted everything on my HDD... Unfortunately it also deleted a second partition that contained backup data... Fortunately I have most of it backed up elsewhere as well...
Anyway... here is some good news... Since the "Recover From Drive" messed up my HDD, I just deleted everything on it and again booted from the Recovery Drive...
This time when I selected Recover From Drive, the option to "Select OS" did not appear... It immediately started to reinstall Windows 10 on a BLANK DRIVE...
I basically ended up with a CLEAN INSTALL of Win 10...
All of my stuff was gone...
Since I built my own machine I do not have a manufacturer's recovery partition...
So I could not test as to whether the process would have restored all of Gateway's stuff or not, as an example...
What you can do is to browse through your Recovery Drive and look for another large file besides the Recovery.wim... Check the size of your Recovery.wim...
If it is a lot larger then 4GB it may contain Gateway's stuff as well...
Gateways stuff may be in a separate file, or it may not exist at all...
So... If you want to experiment, unhook your internal HDD and try to install to your external... It may fail because of it's older design, but you could try...
We now know for a fact that the Recovery Drive will install to a blank drive... maybe not just your old IDE drive with the adapter...
How much used space did you end up with on your flash drive ?
BTW... Before I forget... If you should ever want to do a installation of Win 8.1 from what you just downloaded, you may need to make a flash drive...
Win 8.1 may or may not install to your UEFI machine from a DVD... especially if you have to set it to Legacy to boot from the DVD...
I don't know if I mentioned a tool called RUFUS or not... You can use it to make a flash drive that will boot properly into UEFI BIOS without messing with the legacy stuff... Just any old method of making the drive won't work... The process is very specific.
If you try to install with the DVD in Legacy, you may get am error saying that the installation won't work on a GPT Drive... It may refuse to install from a DVD in UEFI...
Just something to keep in mind... I have advised so many people about this, I forget who I told what to...
Hi,
I'm making a Recovery Drive right now... it won't be like your's though...
I don't have a manufacturer's recovery partition...
I don't even have a Windows Recovery Partition... I cleared all of that out...
I do have a protected hidden folder on my C:\ drive called Recovery... That may be what it is using... Mine only required a 8GB Flash... I will possibly get a better idea of what you are seeing...
I should have an image... It is doing System Files right now...
If your's required 16GB, there must be an image on there somewhere...
You may need to select the Recover Image and browse to your Flash Drive...
I may have a better idea as to that shortly...
I will let you know..
There in no WindowsImageBackup folder on the recovery flash drive. In a folder named NAPP, there is a file named imageinfo.dat. But that's a .dat file.
I know about that antitrust case over IE.
You can make the Recovery flash drive with Windows just like you can do with the Gateway software. Its using the same Recovery partition -- it even notes it is copying that Recovery partition if its there. Instructions for that are as follows:
Create a USB recovery drive
If you run into problems with your PC, a USB recovery drive can help you troubleshoot and fix those problems, even if your PC won't start.
Your PC might have come with a recovery image that’s used to refresh or reset your PC. The recovery image is stored on a dedicated recovery partition on your PC, and is typically 3-6 GB in size. To save space on your PC, you can delete the recovery image from your PC and use a recovery drive instead. Windows 8.1 includes a built-in tool to create a USB recovery drive. Windows will let you know how big the recovery partition is, and you'll need a USB flash drive at least that big.
Warning
Creating a recovery drive will erase anything already stored on your USB flash drive. Use an empty USB flash drive or make sure to transfer any important data from your USB flash drive to another storage device before using it to create a USB recovery drive.
To create a USB recovery drive
(If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click
Search.)
2. Enter
recovery drive in the search box, and then tap or click Create a recovery drive. 
You might be asked for an admin password or to confirm your choice.
3. After the recovery drive tool opens, make sure the
Copy the recovery partition from the PC to the recovery drive check box is selected, and then tap or click
Next.
Note
The checkbox is greyed out when your PC doesn’t have a recovery partition.
The recovery image and necessary recovery tools will be copied to your USB flash drive, which will take a while, depending on your PC and the size of the recovery image.
Note
Some PCs don't offer the option to remove a recovery partition. If you experience this, there isn't a recovery partition on your PC that's using additional disc space.
This is now your Windows 8.1 recovery drive, and you'll need it if you ever need to refresh or reset your PC. Keep it in a safe place and don't use it to store other files or data.
Note
If your PC came with Windows 8 and you upgraded it to Windows 8.1, your recovery drive will include Windows 8, and you’ll need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 after you refresh or reset your PC.
