Can't see CD drive to boot from

delllaptop user · Jan 2, 2015

Although my CD drive is seen in BIOS and Windows Explorer it does not show up on the BIOS boot options. How can I enable it to boot from.

digitaldoc · Jan 2, 2015

Go into the bios settings as the computer is first powered on. From there, you can select an order for devices to boot from. It needs to be ahead of the hard drive.

delllaptop user · Jan 2, 2015

digitaldoc :

delllaptop user · Jan 2, 2015

In my BIOS setup menu I have set Cd drive at the top of the list but when I press F12 on start up to choose Boot option it does not show the CD drive as an option and boots from HDD

I should add that I have removed the original CD drive and replaced with a HDD caddy in which there is a SATA drive with my OS on it to boot from.

Ijack · Jan 2, 2015

I would expect that to appear as a hard disk (which it is) not a CD drive.

digitaldoc · Jan 2, 2015

Yes, bios should know a CD from a HDD. Make sure the CD drive is connected to the motherboard and receiving power.

delllaptop user · Jan 2, 2015

Ijack :

In my BIOS Boot options it only offers HDD or NIC, so if my second drive was displayed as a HDD where would I see it to select it in my BIOS Boot options menu.

delllaptop user · Jan 2, 2015

digitaldoc :

I am not sure quite what you mean when you say "make sure the CD is connected to the monitor". The CD drive ( HDD ) shows up in Windows explorer and I can save to it etc. It is only in the Boot options menu that nI cannot see it to select to boot from.

Ijack · Jan 2, 2015

delllaptop user :

Well, that's why you can't boot from it. It sounds as if your computter only allows you to boot from the primary hard disk, not others. Is it a laptop? Normally they only have one hard disk so there would be no point in putting that option in the BIOS. You'd probably be better off leaving the computer as it was designed - with a CD drive.

digitaldoc · Jan 2, 2015

delllaptop user :

Corrected- I meant motherboard. One wire for power from the PSU, and the other for data from the MB.

delllaptop user · Jan 5, 2015

Ijack :

delllaptop user :

Well, that's why you can't boot from it. It sounds as if your computter only allows you to boot from the primary hard disk, not others. Is it a laptop? Normally they only have one hard disk so there would be no point in putting that option in the BIOS. You'd probably be better off leaving the computer as it was designed - with a CD drive.

I have just used EasyBCD boot manager, which is free to use, and I can see the drive and it is very easy to set it up to boot from. Thanks for everyone's help.

digitaldoc · Jan 5, 2015

Good deal!

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Can't see CD drive to boot from

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