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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,
I was planning on checking on how you were doing, and there was your post in my email...
To start with... The fragmentation and corruption are two entirely separate issues, although they may be some how related...
The fragmentation all in it's self is not that big of a deal... It just means that you have some files that are not in one continuous string of sectors... This doesn't normally cause a problem with the file, but slows down the computers ability to read it..
The fragmentation may lead to more fragmentation because there in not enough empty blocks\sectors on the disk to write the files... It is actually normal that this happens, but gets worse over time...
What happens is that when you delete a file at the beginning of the disk for instance...
And then copy or add a new file to the disk that is larger then the one that was deleted, part of the new file goes in the free space from the one that was deleted, and then the rest goes to the next open space...
RE: Corruption... as far as this goes, the first thing you should do id run ChkDsk on your internal drive from within windows... If you open ThisPC and right click on your Windows partition\Drive and select Properties, ChkDsk will be under the Tools Tab...
It is just listed as "Error Checking"... This will scan your drive and check for errors... It will probably then notify you of errors and give the opportunity to try to repair them..
This may require that it reboots your computer...
ChkDsk works best fixing System Files, but can repair others as well... If there are some it can't repair it will notify you...
The fact that Acronis is saying there is no free space on your primary internal partition may be why things are not imaging... If it thinks there is no free space, then it would also probably somewhere along the line think it needs to Image this space...
That would then make your Image far bigger than the 75GB or whatever that it estimated...
The first thing to deal with is the corruption... ChkDsk along with a couple of other tools, can repair\replace Windows files... They are of less benefit replacing 3rd party programs and such, because of lack of a original, but are able to fix some things...
Do the ChkDsk first and see what happens...
Then open the RUN and enter sfc /scannow... This is a System File Checker, and can usually repair the files from backup\original copies on your HDD...
Running the Disk Cleanup of System Files may help as well, but you will lose your ability to rollback to Win 8.1... If you are having corruption, that wouldn't be of much benefit anyway...
Just as a note... some of the corruption may be the result of the System Restore you ran...
BTW... I have been trying to quit smoking for about six weeks... Today makes one week with out a cigarette at all... I am using patches to help quit, and am currently starting my 4th STEP #1 !!!
I have tried this before with varies levels of success, but the same issues has always happened... My craving for a smoke is greater than what the patch is able to counter...
I decided I would do it this my way this time, and my doctor kind of suggested the same thing... Use the size patch for the length of time that seems to be working, and the heck with there instructions...
No point in reducing the dose of the patch if I am still having cravings with the higher dose... It does seem to be working better...
I only point this out so you can take it fwiw in regard to my irritability... I can no longer run outside for a smoke when I start getting a little uptight !!!
Let me know what happens with the ChkDsk, and I will again look for a bootable disk defrag program... As I mentioned... if you install one it will stop Win 8\8.1\10's Fast Startup feature from working...
Just thought I'd give you an update. And, don't get all bogged down in this unless you have time and want to. Sorry, this is LONG. Please, don't try to deal with it all unless you have enough free time and are in the mood. But maybe you can at least help me find a repair tool for the internal drive, which is significantly fragmented and Acronis says it is corrupted, which might be the fragmentation.
Bottom line is, best idea makes it appear this Imaging will be delayed while trying to address fragmentation/corruption on the internal "volume." It is 16% fragmented, and the OS Optimization tool will not run on it -- and being as a System Report I generated with Acronis says the internal drive is "corrupted," I have to think that 16% fragmentation is the corruption. I'm talking of the internal drive, not the external drive.
That same Acronis System Report says there is no free space at all on the primary partition of the internal drive, nor on the last partition, what we have been calling #5. Those are the very two I'm having trouble with on the external drive.
But on the external drive, that "volume" is NOT 16% fragmented, it is only 3% fragmented --I now forget if the OS will run the Optimization on that one, but either way, it remains at 3%, either because it could not run or it ran and leaves that anyway.
Because it is 16% on the internal drive and not the external, that must to mean it happened during or since I upgraded to Win 10.
I also ran chkdsk on the external drive. It identified 7 files it said were corrupted, six small ones (one just a font) plus the Win 8.1 Image. These files likely were already corrupted in Win 8.1, so the image would have them, and that might be why the Image is listed as corrupt -- it might actually be fine but has those six corrupt files in it. I wrote down the location string to each of them. I could delete the font, but I have no idea what those others are, would not want to delete them without knowing. One is part of MS Office. A few were .db files, I suppose that means database.
My idea is that that fragmentation or corruption on the "volume" of the internal drive -- and I don't know that that is those six files I just mentioned, besides the Internal has a lot more fragmentation -- might be interfering with Acronis while its imaging those files and so confusing it, and so Acronis is seeing no space on the external drive. I remind, Acronis System Report sees no free space on those two partitions on the INTERNAL drive, so we know something is going on with that that has nothing to do with any possible linked partitions on the EXTERNAL drive. I don't even know if that is possible that something on the internal drive can screw up Acronis the reading on the external drive, but I suppose it could while Acronis is dealing with those files from the Internal drive to make the image. Regardless, I would want to fix that before imaging it anyway. So, I figure fix that, then get back to the Imaging. it will either work or it won't.
But I have nothing but the OS Optimization tool to optimize or otherwise run repairs on the volume. And it won't run on it. I need help from anyone to help me find something to fix that. I know from experience that this is going to take some time.
Well, I saw that Partition Wizard has a tool to do a "Surface Scan." That's all it says. I says only "scan," not repair. Do you think I should run that and hope it repairs? I didn't want to, because you already expressed some concern about running a third party repair on the drive -- I will have to run a third party repair on it now since I have to repair and the OS has nothing to do it with, at least not that I know of.
I also note, a guy in the Acronis forum ran a test regarding any temporary files put on the drive during the imaging process -- at least three there insisted it does do that, although no one knew how much space that needs. He ran the test with a little less free space than I have and an Image that would be a little larger than I will have at normal compression -- it worked fine for him, so that is fairly good to indicate that is not the issue.
Following is the long thing I posted about all this today in the Acronis forum --above is a summary of it -- believe it or not, that;s a summary. More details below, but its long, so this might be a good place to stop. I attached the pertinent parts of the System Report to that Forum post, if I can to this forum, I will do so -- but it is long to add into the body of this already long post:
I just came up with something interesting that raises real questions related to the free space -- on the internal drive, the source drive; this report is not from the target drive, the external drive. This from running a System Report after booting from my Acronis TI disk. (I was not able to run that on the external drive, Acronis TI does not allow me to choose that drive, does only the internal drive -- maybe because the external drive, while the files on it should be bootable, a USB-connected hard drive is not bootable on this machine.)
Bottom line, it says there is no free space on the primary partition of the internal drive nor on the main Recovery partition, and it says both those partitions are corrupted -- although, of course, who knows what the corruption is, major or minor (no issue using using the machine, so I have to think it minor).
I'm attaching the pertinent part from the disks.txt file of the Acronis System Report -- just the pertinent parts of that, not the million miles more of code in between the two pertinent parts. Note: It lists partitions 1 through 6, but excluding #3. #3 is the hidden 128 MB partition. #4 is the primary partition, and #6 is the main Recovery partition. You can see #4 and #6 are listed up top as corrupt. And if you then look below at Disk 1 Partition 4 and Disk 1 Partition 6, you will see in each:
FreeBlockCount: 0 (0b)
I will mention, I find it distrubing that in other places in Acronis TI, it says there is plenty of free space on the primary partition -- it is disturbing that Acronis is inconsistent about this. But perhaps the inconsistency is because of the effect of the corruption.
So the question from this will be: Could this corruption on the internal, source drive be interfering in some way that Acronis TI reads the target drive, the external drive, as also not having enough space?
Regardless, it seems I will need to fix this corruption before Imaging -- how? I already know that "volume" is 16% fragmented as shown by the OS tools, as I wrote here yesterday, but the OS won't let me Optimize it. I have nothing else to use to fix anything. (I am thrown by the OS tool in the same listing showing that C is 0% fragmented -- I thought C was the volume.)
I note, the OS shows the "volume" on the external drive is only 3% fragmented.
So if that fragmentation is the corruption, then maybe the corruption on the internal drive is not on the external drive, that is, the corruption happened after the migration and imaging to the external drive -- I can't know any more because Acronis doesn't allow me to run System Report on the external drive.
I note, that OS Optimization window also shows that the main Recovery partition on both the internal and external drives is 1% fragmented, and while I can run the Optimization on those, it finishes with it still 1% fragmented. But at least those match for internal and external, unlike the "volumes."
All else on the drives are listed as 0% fragmented. And everything is reported as healthy, including the volume that is 16% fragmented.
To keep all in context, let me explain:
The primary partition is the very one I'm trying to image to on the external target drive, and I keep getting told there is not enough space for the Image. This report, though, is for the same partition but on the internal drive.
Some background: I previously had Win 8.1 on the internal drive. I migrated the files over to the external drive, and they should be bootable (although this machine won't boot from an external USB-connected hard drive). I then booted from Acronis TI disk and did the Image of the internal hard drive to the desktop folder of those migrated files on the external drive. The imaging worked perfectly, no issues. The only thing I've done with the external drive since is to move 17.6 GB of free space from the last partition to the primary partition; that space was added to that partition during the migration.
I then upgraded the internal drive to Windows 10. And now I'm finally getting to trying to Image the Win 10 internal drive to the external, to the desktop folder -- and keep getting that message about needing more space.
A key thing to mention is that all other ways of looking at the free space on both the internal and external machine, from either the OS, from Partition Wizard, and even from Acronis TI, shows plenty of free space on the primary partition on the target drive. But this Acronis System Report of the internal says no free space on that partition -- which is not the case, there is lots of free space on it.
Hi,
If in fact there is a link, it won't disappear unless #5 is deleted... Unless Partition Wizard can undo it...
It still solves nothing... You need to delete #5 to have enough space for Acronis to create the image to the best I can tell... But again... It's your machine... do as you wish...
Yes... with Acronis you do just one partition... I would guess that Partition Wizard would do that as well... But I've never tried...
me in capitals:
My thinking on deleting the #4 and #5 partition goes like this...
If you build a bridge across a river (a link), and then fill in the river... the bridge is still there...
That is just my thinking, and just a guess... I don't know for a fact that there is a link...
But that is about the only explanation for Acronis running out of space...
OK. I HAD SIMPLY BEEN THINKING OF YOU TALKING ABOUT LEAPFROGGING, AS IF THAT WAS A SECOND PROBLEM IN ADDITION TO THERE BEING A LINK (MAYBE).
I don't know if there would be any adverse consequences of deleting #4 and expanding #3 into it or not, but I can just about guarantee it won't fix anything either...
Once you delete #4 and #5 and create a Acronis Image of Win 10... if it works...
You will no longer have room on the external drive to Migrate anything to it...
WELL, I'M THINKING MAYGBE ANDBA=MAYBE NOT. WE'RE HAVING TOMAKE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF GUESSING HERE,FOR LACK OF ALLTHE INFO WE WOULD LIEK TOHAVE, SO WHO KNOWS. SIMPLY MAYBE. ITS SIMPLY SOMETHING I WOULD TRY. AND, BECAUSE THAT POSSIBLY LIKE WAS MADE BY PARTITION WIZARD, IT MIGHT NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT IF WE TRIED TO USE IT TO MIGRATE OVER THOSE TWO PARTITIONS AGAIN.
SO YOU DON'T THINK THAT LINK WOULID DISAPPEAR, IT WILL STILL BE ATTACHED TO THE ONE END ON #3?
I'M GOING TO LOOK AT PARTITION WIZARD AND SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING IN IT THAT MIGHT UNDO THE LINK. I DOUBT IT.
I know for a fact that Acronis can Recover\Unimage selected partitions... I do this on a regular basis... Just not on a drive with five or six partitions... Just two or three..
YES, GOOD TO KNOW. YOU SAID THAT EARLIER.
At this moment, I can just about guarantee that you can replace any partition on your internal HDD with any of the partitions on the 88GB Win 8.1 image...
SO I CAN DO JUST ONE PARTITION, ITS NOT ALL OR NOTHING.
BTW... I don't know if you created the 128MB partition on the external drive when you initialized it or not.... I was thinking it may have come from the internal drive when you migrated it... You said it had one also... I was under the impression that they were both located between #2 and #3...
OH, THAT'S RIGHT. IT IS ON THE INTERNAL, AND THOSE WERE MIGRATED FROM THE INTERNAL.
