Trying to Secure Erase SSD, bios won't boot from CD/DVD drive?

TheGreyWizard · 16 Jul 2015

I've tried changing boot priority multiple times to have my CD/DVD drive boot first & the SSD second & 3rd disabled.

But it doesn't ever seem to save the settings and does NOT boot from the CD/DVD and instead goes directly to the SSD, either my Ubuntu or my Win7 SSD, whichever one I happen to have hooked up at the time.

Anyone know what the problem & solution is? This is getting very frustrating, I've been trying to do this for a couple weeks now and just no luck. I've tried multiple Secure Erase DVDs, one made through Samsung Magician & one made manually with an iso burner, both gave me same results regardless of SSD Ubuntu/Win7

essenbe · 16 Jul 2015

Hello, GreyWizard in BIOS are you sure you saved the changes? It would help if we knew your system specs.

Please fill out your System Specs

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Your System Specs will help us to help you, and doing it in this manner will make them available to all helpers in every post and keep us from hunting for them. We ask that you fill them out in as much detail as possible including Desktop or Laptop, Model number if it is an OEM computer and all components with the Manufacturer and Model number if possible.

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Most computers have a one time boot menu key. Every Motherboard is different. Some will tell you what it is on the loading screen. It tells the computer which drive to boot from this one time without changing the boot order in BIOS. If we knew which Motherboard you have it may help us to tell you which key it is.

Usually when it boots fron the CD drive, it will ask to push any button to boot from the DVD. You have to be quick as you only have a few seconds or it will boot from the hard drive.

Maybe some of that may help.

TheGreyWizard · 16 Jul 2015

Yes I am positive I am saving the changes.

I also updated my system specs.

This is a new install of Win7 on an SSD, but I've never had this issue before. BIOS would always save my settings and it would always boot from the CD/DVD if I wanted/needed it to.

I will try the one time boot option now, but any other ideas to get this to work? I've tried uninstalling the CD/DVD drivers & restarted the computer, it re-installed the most recent drivers, but yet still won't boot from CD/DVD?

ignatzatsonic · 16 Jul 2015

I gather you are trying to boot from a burned CD you personally burned that has one purpose only--to allow a secure erase. But that disc won't boot.

Is that correct?

Can you boot from any known good bootable CD or DVD?

Would you settle for using the "clean" or "clean all" commands in Diskpart?

Can you get that secure erase app onto a bootable USB stick and boot from that?

TheGreyWizard · 16 Jul 2015

I made a Burnable disk through magician and also a manual one by burning an iso.

I'vealso tried doing dban on my HDD and same deal, will not boot from DVD.

I really want to do secure erase and dban and want my bios to work properly and boot from DVD when I prompt it to.

I can try USB boot options, but don't have any at the moment and will need to buy one tomorrow. Just wish it would boot from DVD like it's supposed to. Everything is hooked up via Sata and iI even have it in Sata 1.

essenbe · 16 Jul 2015

I use the clean command on mine. I would not recommend running a clean all command. Did you use Windows disk Image Burner to burn the ISO file to a disk? As ignatzatsonic said, making a bootable USB drive is a very good idea.

GokAy · 16 Jul 2015

You could try a CMOS reset (loading defaults in BIOS should work too). And see if settings will stick. I wouldn't think what you have on your HDDs will affect the BIOS.

As friends have suggested I would also say, make sure that CD/DVD is bootable.

gregrocker · 16 Jul 2015

Use the one-time BIOS Boot key to trigger the disk: BIOS Boot menu keys (Imported)

Does it prompt to "Press any key to boot disk?"

If not then the disk is not burned correctly. Refer to Step 1 of Clean Reinstall Windows 7 to confirm install media and burn it correctly, or make a new System Repair Disk