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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,
That's how I used to do the Windows Updates as well.. I had it set to check only..
I would then at my leisure decide when to do them... and which ones.
I usually did all of them, but there are exceptions... especially now that Microsoft is trying to force feed Win 10 to everyone...
As far as the Apps in "Privacy" and the Live Tiles in the Start are concerned...
I turned them ALL off... If I decide I want to play with one in the future, I will turn it back on... I have never used or had a need for any of them previously, and don't forsee that I will anytime soon..
Hopefully your image won't be any more stressful than deciding where to put it...
Hopefully things go smoothly with your friends machine as well !!!
You know, on the updates, it isn't even that you can't selectively uncheck any. The big issue is that you can't do the downloads at a time of your choice. I also realize, while I always installed all or pretty much all the optional updates, there are no options any more.
Re the VPN, I suspect the developer either did this on purpose or it was a mistake. Either way, only the developer will be able to fix it, or I get rid of them. Gee, there are some Websites I use that seem to not be available if a VPN is turned on! And sometimes things are slower if you are using a VPN -- I don't want it on all the time. And it also can make a difference which country the VPN is set for -- most are coupled with a proxy. But when any consideration of security, turn it on -- for instance, I was telling a friend who is afraid to do banking online that she could have pretty strong protection in addition to the security of the banks' Websites by using a VPN.
I'll let you know when I get the image made -- would not expect that until later next week.
I was looking at the list of apps in there. Gee, how am I even supposed to know what they are other than opening them and checking them out. But so many, a ton of them -but most seem like little other than advertising,sending to to this store or that store. I would be surprised if I found more than a couple that I might ever want to use. But I'll probably never find them because they are buried under all those others.
Oh, your info is helping other people potentially.Now that I have done it, I am explaining to a friend, and trying to get him to be smart enough to do the upgrade -- actually, I would do it with-for him. He had similar questions, such as this issue means stay with Win 7. I explained how by making an image first, he can go back to Win 7 any time he wants, but get Win10 now because it is free now,and you can make an image of that and have it. Some day, you will simply have to have Win 10, and if you don't get it now while free, you will have to pay. And I now know all needed to accomplish it properly and smoothly, even fairly quickly, not with 6-8 months of **** -- thanks to you.
Hi,
I also wish Microsoft would reconsider how the new Windows Updates works...
Maybe if they get enough complaints about machines crashing due to updates that can't be unchecked, they will give it more thought...
Sorry I can't be of any help with a VPN... Know nothing about them...
I'm glad things are going more smoothly now, after all the bumps in the road..
Oh, I was going to update you. I just am not at the point yet for much update -- been taking it slowly.
First, the driver update has definitely fixed the touchpad permanently. It still runs perfect with the new driver.
Win 10 working fine -- although Win Update is a pain, as we already discussed. For instance, yesterday it was doing what apparently was a huge download and it really slowed my Internetting in the process. Wish I could control that, but that's how it is. It also would be nice if they at least let you know what size the downloads are, so even if you couldn't stop them, you knew to go take a drive for a few hours, this thing is going to be slow for a while.
I was going to update you after imaging the drive with Win 10. Haven't imaged it yet -- there is on application I have which was either changed by Win 10 or from a subsequent update -- I am awaiting answers from the developer before deciding what to do about that application. In the update -- whether by Win 10 or other -- I no longer have any control or access to any settings, so I can't turn it on or off, I can't do other critical choices in it -- it simply runs automatically as it pleases. It is a VPN, and I want control, or I will just get rid of it.
Once I get that straightened out, I will make the image.
Was thinking I would not make a repair disk on a flash drive, as I already have my flash drive filled with the WIn 8.1 one. But now realizing that if I'm going to stay at Win 10, I should change that flash drive to a Win 10 flash drive repair disk. If I should decide to go back to Win 8.1 at some point, I can then change the flash drive back to a Win 8.1 drive. I realize I never need a repair flash drive for an OS that is not on the disk. So I will proceed on that soon too. Still, I don't think the flash drive will do anything my Win 10 install-update disk would not do.
