Windows 7 forum: Windows 7 Boot Problem

I've found machines that lost the ability or never could boot from DVD as well as incorrectly made Windows 7 DVDs.

Tell a lot more. Share what other bootable DVDs you tested with and how you created your dvd.
Bob

Booting from DVD is causing issue just like you posted. TELL ME WHAT OTHER DVD YOU ARE TESTING WITH.

And again, I know the issue and have been fixing it by swapping out DVD drives and in rare cases a BIOS update.
Bob

Sorry but those other media appear to be CD not DVD.

I've seen this issue and will share that it is a well known issue. I'll share the fixes I'm using but there are some that want it to be something else. Not much you can do for those folk.
Bob

Looks like your machine can't boot this Windows 7 DVD.

I shared I know the issue and what I do about it. I forgot to add I will try the other type of DVD media if I think it would help. That is if they have DVD-R I'll try DVD+R.

At this point we have it covered.
Bob

I ran across a machine that not only needed the USB keyboard support enabled but failed when you enabled USB mouse support.

THERE ARE NO FIRM RULES ON THIS. I bet I'll encounter a machine that wants it some other way.

-> The boot issue is likely your USB keyboard was not enabled when need be to press the key to tell it you want to boot from DVD. Why this differs from your other bootable media may forever be a mystery but so far I've found if I can't boot from CD and the USB keyboard setting is the issue this applies to CD, DVD, Linux, Dos, Windows and all such. Not limited to Windows 7.
Bob

Many machines don't offer DVD in the BIOS screens but it seems to boot from DVD if the drive, media and settings are set to CD first in the boot order.

But many drives lose the capability to boot as they age. I always try the CD LENS CLEANER (which some packages now list it as CD/DVD LENS CLEANER) and I always test if the machine can boot from said drive with CD and DVD versions of any other bootable media.

The number of times I've had to replace a CD/DVD drive is now something I've lost count of.
Bob

Since I posted last mail. I solved the problem.
Problem:
Windows 7 installation DVD doesn't start.
Solution:
I found out that only master drive in DELL machine can handle bootable CD or DVD. In my machine, CD drive was set as the master drive. I went to BIOS and set up the CD drive "off". Then I rebooted. The installation DVD started without any issue.

My complaint:
I consulted DELL help desk, but they said that BIOS not recognizing DVD drive is not a problem that I am having. Then they cut off when they found out my 4-year service term has been expired.
If they gave me the easy solution, then I could have saved many hours. There must be many thousands people having the same problems that can be easily solved if DELL help is better organized.