Technical Support Question

[Robert Bonomi]

Chip Oakley <silverskymusic2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Thanks for your reply.
>
> The boot CD will boot on the other machine, but not on the computer for my
> intended install of BSD.
>
> I set the boot order to boot first from CD ROM in phoenix BIOS.
>
> It is a Samsung Laptop it is windows 7 home edition I called Samsung and
> they have no information on overriding a windows password only restoring to
> an older version which got my here in the first place.
>
> There is a prompt at Startup stating press any key to boot from CD.
> Pressing any key only leads to that same screen in windows asking for the
> password, except for the function keys that lead to BIOS configuration.
>
> Am tempted to remove the drive and insert a new one, not sure as there is
> memory on the drive available and nothing really wrong with it.
>
> Cant imagine there is not a fix somewhere.

First things first. 
  1) DOUBLE CHECK the CD you're trying to boot from.  Make sure it boots in 
     the other machine, *and* what O/S it boots into.
  2) Go into the BIOS settings on the Samsung -- look at _all_ the settings.
     especially for the 'boot device' list.  Make sure you are *not* trying
     to boot from a 'recovery partition', or 'installation disk' choice.
     Better yet, tell us _exactly_ how all the boot device options read, IN
     the order they are displayed.
  3) IF you can, _remove_ the hard disk from the list of boot devices.
     If not, *disable* the IDE device probing/disk type for the disks, but leave
     the CD drive active..
  4) now try booting -without- a CD in the drive.  The 'desired outcome' is a
     '*failure* to boot' message -- with a fair chance that it will ask you to
     insert a bootable disk and retry.
  5) If it gives a retry option, put the CD in the drive and do what it says 
     to retry.  If no retry option, put the CD in the drive, and give it the
     well known three-finger salute.