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Question

Can't boot from optical drivr

Apr 18, 2017 3:48AM PDT

I have a brand new note that won't let me boot from my optical drive. I have set it to boot in bios. When I go to chose an option to boot from dvd it won't recognize it. The problem is that I have no access to my notebook. I starts the screen, then a terminal opens to cmd.exe and then it takes me to choose an option. Since I can't do hardly anything without logging in I'm stuck. I must admit that I know next to nothing about windows since I use Linux and FreeBSD but I need this for my daughter. The only thing I downloaded was a driver from hp to get her printer working. Please help. I don't want to buy a new laptop.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
True
Apr 18, 2017 8:56AM PDT

That is with the advent of UEFI many bootable DVDs no longer boot. You have to use a version of Linux/FreeBSD that boots on UEFI or change the BIOS to allow legacy booting.

So booting has nothing to do with Windows, everything to do with the machine and your selected OS.

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still can't boot
Apr 18, 2017 10:33AM PDT

I had set it to legacy in one location but not another so I fixed that. Now it starts the install and then I get an error that I need to start booting and then install the cd so I'm completely lost. If I go to recovery I get options that I don't understand. I'm not trying to put down windows. Just my ignorance. I have been using linux since 2002 and freebsd for several months. I'm familiar with uefi and legacy but honestly I just go into bios and set it to boot from cd and that's it.

Thanks for the help. I hope I can get this to work or I'll have to replace it.

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I'm a Linux user also.
Apr 18, 2017 10:40AM PDT

I use Mint Linux. The 64 bit versions will boot and install in UEFI mode. The 32 bit versions will ONLY boot when using Legacy Mode.

You can also put a LIVE DVD version onto USB flash drive and use that to boot the computer to install the Linux.

What is the exact model of notebook you have? If it's an ARM processor instead of AMD or Intel, you will need an ARM capable Linux distro.

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OK, UEFI hurdle cleared. Next?
Apr 18, 2017 10:46AM PDT

Many SIGNATURE PCs have odd drive controllers and will require a Linux/BSD version that supports that hardware. This is a rather new issue and even seasoned UNIX OS users have to go back to the well to tank up on what's new here.

So I've cover UEFI, Legacy and now Signature PCs. What else? I find some Linux installers don't just wipe out the drive if it detects partitioned space. I have to do extra steps to give unpartitioned space for the OS to install to.

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Found the problem (I think)
Apr 18, 2017 11:25AM PDT

I can get only so far but since I downloaded a generic version of windows 10 it's looking for the specific drivers for my lenovo. I downloaded them from the lenovo site and put them on a dvd and they're an executable file but windows won't recognize them. So once again I'm stuck. As far as booting from usb that's not my problem anymore. But thanks.

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Here's a new issue.
Apr 19, 2017 11:35AM PDT

Windows 10 appears to not run installer apps until it's done installing updates. There's not much I can do about that except keep rebooting with that update option and let it finish.