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BIOS problem helpmeplz
January 20, 2015 at 7:22 pm
I have an install for Windows 8.1, and I want to replace Windows 7 with it. I have an Acer Aspire M3470-G, which is pre-loaded with a Win7 installer that I have run in the past to do my annual OS reinstalls. I made a boot disc to run the Win8 installation.
So, I put the disc in the tray and shut down. When it restarts, I am given a prompt to "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD". No matter what keys I press, the only thing that happens is that it starts booting Windows 7. I have attempted this over a dozen times this afternoon.
The other problem is that I can't access my BIOS, reason being that the Acer splash screen, which is the first screen I should see, literally comes and goes too fast for my fleshy human synapses to respond to, even with the most furious keypounding. Every source I've searched for help on this suggests altering the boot order in the BIOS, but my window of opportunity to do this can be measured in milliseconds. It is, in fact, so brief that most of the time, I don't even see it. I have found virtually no information on this issue anywhere (everything I've seen on the subject involved problems with GPU installation, and that is not the issue I am dealing with), and I'm not terribly knowledgeable about computers to start with.
Any help I can get on this subject would be very appreciated.
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RE: BIOS problem helpmeplz
January 20, 2015 at 7:26 pm
Are you sure that 7 is not stored in a separate partition on your hard drive?
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RE: BIOS problem helpmeplz
January 20, 2015 at 7:28 pm
(This post was last modified: January 20, 2015 at 7:28 pm by Jackalope.)
Why would you want to install 8.1? :p
Do you know what key enters firmware setup? Press it as you're powering it on and hold it down.
One of two things may happen - it may enter firmware setup, and it may force a keyboard error, which might then give you an option to do so.
The latter depends on your firmware being set up to halt on POST errors, which may, or may not be the case. It's often the default.
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RE: BIOS problem helpmeplz
January 20, 2015 at 7:29 pm
(January 20, 2015 at 7:26 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Are you sure that 7 is not stored in a separate partition on your hard drive?
The recovery install may be, but that's not going to prevent him from booting from DVD.
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RE: BIOS problem helpmeplz
January 20, 2015 at 7:31 pm
Also - your boot DVD may be hosed. The "boot from CD or DVD" prompt usually indicates that a disc is detected, but if it's not actually bootable...
Also, you're not engaging in any sillyness like booting a DVD in a CD drive, yes?
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RE: BIOS problem helpmeplz
January 20, 2015 at 7:31 pm
What if the order for boot up does not have the DVD enabled?
I think he has to get into his BIOS.
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RE: BIOS problem helpmeplz
January 20, 2015 at 7:34 pm
(January 20, 2015 at 7:31 pm)Minimalist Wrote: What if the order for boot up does not have the DVD enabled?
I think he has to get into his BIOS.
He may, yes. Though usually you don't get the "boot from DVD or CD" prompt if DVD boot isn't enabled, or is lower priority than the hard disk.
My bet is on a hosed install media. I usually make a bootable USB stick.
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RE: BIOS problem helpmeplz
January 20, 2015 at 7:36 pm
Well, I'm out of ideas.
I did have to do that BIOS shit last August when my hard drive crashed and mine was just slow enough to detect which f-key to press. And even with that, I had to do it multiple times in order to catch it just right.
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RE: BIOS problem helpmeplz
January 20, 2015 at 8:16 pm
(January 20, 2015 at 7:31 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: Also - your boot DVD may be hosed. The "boot from CD or DVD" prompt usually indicates that a disc is detected, but if it's not actually bootable...
Also, you're not engaging in any sillyness like booting a DVD in a CD drive, yes?
It is a DVD drive, and I know that the disk works and that the installer is good; I tested it on an older machine to make sure. I'm attempting to make a USB boot, so I'll see how that works out.
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RE: BIOS problem helpmeplz
January 20, 2015 at 8:25 pm
(January 20, 2015 at 8:16 pm)Ryantology (╯°◊°)╯︵ ══╬ Wrote: (January 20, 2015 at 7:31 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: Also - your boot DVD may be hosed. The "boot from CD or DVD" prompt usually indicates that a disc is detected, but if it's not actually bootable...
Also, you're not engaging in any sillyness like booting a DVD in a CD drive, yes?
It is a DVD drive, and I know that the disk works and that the installer is good; I tested it on an older machine to make sure. I'm attempting to make a USB boot, so I'll see how that works out.
Sadly, I can't recall the name of the tool I've used to create USB boot sticks. I use it so infrequently (sticks are cheap enough I just keep em around for the next time I need one). I think I used it once to create a Windows 7 stick, and once to create the stick I use to boot my NAS box.
For what it's worth, I've found flash memory to be more reliable than DVD-R for boot media.
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