Can't Boot From Bootable CD -- Bios Set Correctly

Anonymous
2015-11-02T05:57:29+00:00

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?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Performance and system failures

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.

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Anonymous
2016-08-24T15:35:47+00:00

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..

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-02-05T19:07:07+00:00

    Quick response now, no time, will get back to this later.

    One, how do you take the pics? I know how to do that on Mac, didn't know Windows had something for that.

    Re the driver, what was installed was v. 16.2.19.52. I think it said it was installed in 2016, so maybe with the Win 10 update. Sorry, I didn't seethe date until I was clicking to uninstall and it got away from me.

    I found  t Gateway a v. 17.0.6.13. So I went up to that. I note, Gateway listed only for OSs up through Win 8.1,nothing listed for Win 10.

    That is on there now, and no difference tot he Touchpad work, it still does not work, not all. It used to at least work sporadically when I had Win 8.1.

    I haven;t looked at Synaptics for a driver yet. I guess no loss if trying a generic there since the touchpad isn't working now anyway.

    But my v. 17.0.6.13 is marked a Publisher = Synaptics. So, since publisher is not Gateway, I would have to think same will be at Synaptics. But will Look. I note, I ran the Device Manager to look for newer OS, but it said I had the newest at v.  16.2.19.52.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-02-05T18:50:38+00:00

    Hi,

    I have a little better idea of what you are seeing now with the Pressure and Mood...

    I installed the generic driver from Synaptics, and those now appear...

    They seem to me to just be some kind of gimmic to look at when you are bored or something...

    You need to select the "Pointing Device Properties" at the top, and then the "Settings" button on the window that opens... If things are still not working, you might try selecting "Settings" and "Restore All Defaults" at the bottom...

    Something else I noticed s that the Touchpad is now in the "SMBus" instead of the PS\2 in Device Manager although the functions don't seem to have changed...

    There is also one option missing with the new driver... The double click to Enable or Disable The Touchpad" is no longer there, and the yellow light on the upper left of the Touchpad is always on.

    The light is supposed to indicate the Touchpad is OFF, but no longer functions that way... It is always on now.

    The drivers that were being used before I just installed the new one came from HP specifically for my machine... I'm not yet sure which one I will continue to use...

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-02-05T17:16:46+00:00

    Hi,

    Sorry about that... for some reason I was thinking your machine was a Lenovo...

    Anyway... check with Gateway for your model and see what is available fot Win 10 and Synaptics...

    Gateway may have extra features for the Touchpad that are not provided by Synaptic... But if nothing else works, try them...

    There are usually more drivers available than Device Manager will find... Sometimes better, sometimes not...

    The left and right click buttons of your Touchpad are configured separately from the rest of the Touchpad.

    Here are some pictures from my machines Win 10 settings...

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-02-05T16:55:33+00:00

    No, never installed Win 10 Preview.

    RE the Touchpad, don't  understand what you wrote:

    The buttons on your Touchpad are probably configured separately from the actual Touchpad.. If you have two things listed at the top center of the window when you open them from the Icon, click on the one that is not highlighted... That shoul be the actual touchpad...

    The buttons, under the Buttons tab in Mouse Properties, are not the problem. There is zero sensitivity for the Touchpad, it doesn't work at all. Nevermind whether Buttons is chosen for right or left handed. 

    But what "two things listed at the top center" of what window -- you then say to open "them" from the  icon? Do you mean the Synaptics icon in what I now know to be the tray? That opens the Mouse Properties window. Nothing is highlighted in that Mouse Properties window.

    There is no setting for Pressure. They called it Sensitivity... You need to click on something else to be able to adjust it... At first you get a little demo window... then you need to cluck something else...

    The only thing I find related to sensitivity or pressure is the Pressure Graph (and MoodPad) when I right click on the Synaptics icon in the tray, and then on Accessories. And that is all it is, a graph, no why to set or adjust anything, seems utterly useless to me. In fact, the graph is blank, not even a graph -- no matter how much pressure I apply or outright hit the touchpad with my finger, with or without the mouse plugged in. Or, can you direct me to some place where I might find this  demo window and to click on something?

    Have you checked with Lenovo to see if they have any newer drivers ?

    I presume you mean Gateway, mine is a Gateway laptop. No, I suppose I will have to go check -- if they have something, I guess a download and installing of a driver. Will check. I thought the drivers downloaded after I upgraded were supposed to include any such thing. Maybe I can just as soon do it via Device Manager to search automatically? Not sure the Touchpad is even in Device Manager.

    I just checked Synaptics for newer drivers, and they have a generic one that is even newer than mine... They recommend using a driver from the computer manufacturer.

    Not sure  whether this means I should even try a GENERIC driver.

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