Solved Bootable DVD not booting ?

[JerometheGiraff]

I have for the second boot drive my DVD (SATA) drive. When the computer reboots, I am given an option to boot from DVD which has a bootable DVD in the drive. When I enter 'y' for yes, the computer resumes to boot Windows, and ignores booting from the bootable DVD. The DVD drive works perfect in Windows, I have checked the BIOS and everything looks good, how come the DVD drive is not booting from the bootable DVD ?

 

[Dwarf]

What is the first boot drive? I'm assuming that this is the floppy, since you are given the option to boot from optical (which you will only get if prior devices in the boot list contain no bootable media).

 

[JerometheGiraff]

The first boot is the HDD, second is DVD. I think I may be something else, I'll keep this specific issue idle for now.

 

[seavixen32]

Are you certain this DVD is bootable? If it is, have you tried another one? If that one works it would suggest there's something wrong with the original DVD. If it doesn't there's something not right with the boot sequence.

Have you tried resetting the BIOS to it's default settings?

Have you checked the DVD drive leads (SATA and power) are connected?

 

[JerometheGiraff]

The DVD is created as a Linux boot DVD, if that has anything to do with it ?

 

[seavixen32]

The first boot is the HDD, second is DVD. I think I may be something else, I'll keep this specific issue idle for now.

You should configure the BIOS so that the first boot device is your DVD drive if you want to boot from it or press the boot once key at startup - on my computer it's F12 so you'll need to check what your screen says when you first boot.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

Here is what I ruled out, I tested it on Vista64 and another Windows7 box, both boxes read the DVD directly within Windows, except the computer that I need to boot the dvd from, although the same box can read a 8.5 gig dual-layer disc in windows.

 

[Dwarf]

OK. With that computer, enter the BIOS and change the boot order so that the optical drive is listed before the HDD. Alternatively, use the one-time boot menu (repeatedly tap F12 (but check the motherboard manual as this key might be different for your system) during POST) to access the drive that way.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

Why isn't the computer not reading the DVD within windows ? I think that is the culprit to why it's not booting as a boot dvd.

The DVD drive has the latest firmware driver installed. The DVD drive but spins down after reading this bootable DVD. If the DVD drive wasn't connected it wouldn't read an 8.5 gig disc. I think it has to do with the DVD drive, nothing to do with the BIOS, this is strange. The connectors are fine, but I may have to call the manufacturer if no other suggestions are given.

 

[pscowboy]

Please see if the dvd disc boots on another pc (a friend's?). Make sure that particular unit has the dvd drive first in boot order. Virtually all machines come stock with the hdd first.

It does not matter a whit if it can be read WITHIN windows. You have to first determine if the alleged "bootable" disc is indeed bootable. You could have burned it thinking you were going to get a bootable disc, but something may not have gone right.

You haven't told us if the disc is dual-layered and if your drive, the one you're trying to boot with, is new enough to read it. You haven't published any specs.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

It is a WindowPE boot disc. It is not being read by the computer. The disc is single layer (4.5) and it is a new disc, I've created two of them so far. The error I get is that it's not a recognized file format. Another PC with Vista64 can read it ?

 

[pscowboy]

Does it boot on another pc? Again, forget about it being read or not.

Another variable is that there is a boatload of inferior media out in the world.
I personally only use, and recommend, Verbatim or JVC purchased only at SuperMediaStore, Amazon, or Newegg. That way you can be fairly certain you're not getting knockoffs. You could be a victim of bad media.

Does your W7 disc boot in your dvd drive? If you don't have one, borrow one. This would eliminate the optical as the problem.

Are you using Imgburn at 4x speed to burn your discs?

 

[JerometheGiraff]

The disc does boot on another Windows7 machine. What is wrong with the DVD drive on this computer ? I can verify it is a Verbatim DVD. I don't have the Windows7 boot disc at hand, hopefully I gave enough information to rule out what could be the problem. I didn't use image burn, it was a backup program that created and burned the ISO.

 

[Dwarf]

Can you swap DVD drives from a computer that is capable of booting up from this disk to the computer that isn't. Following that, does the disk now boot up from both machines, neither, the one it originally used to boot up with, or the computer that it couldn't boot from (the PC in question).

I think what you might have done is borked the drive when you installed the latest firmware (assuming, of course, that it didn't come with the latest firmware and that you upgraded it). Don't worry, I've done that myself with one of my previous drives (which I ended up replacing).

 

[JerometheGiraff]

I updated the firmware driver about 6-8 months ago, realized the other day when I had done the firmware update that it wasn't updating, nothing since it was at the latest version. It is quite possible it is the firmware, I find it odd, all other DVD work, except this boot dvd, when I go to the command prompt and switch to the DVD drive, I'm told it's an unrecognized file format. Is there a way to downgrade to a previous firmware ?

 

[Dwarf]

I'm not aware of any way to downgrade a firmware upgrade, but assuming that you can obtain the previous firmware version from somewhere (preferably the manufacturer's website), then I would think that the procedure would be the same as a normal upgrade (but follow any given instructions carefully).

Did you try my suggestion of swapping drives to see what happens? I still think that the easiest option would be to replace the drive.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

I'm going to see if I get a reply for downgrading the firmware, if no reply by tomorrow. I'm going to get a new drive, only option I have.

 

[seavixen32]

Seems like the best option.

Mind you, if it was the manufacturer's firmware that screwed the drive, I think they are morally bound at least to replace the drive free of charge.

Whether they will or not is a different matter.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

Solved. My DVD player cannot boot, bootable DVD discs, only bootable CD discs, most likely due to the firmware upgrade.