Can't Change Boot Order

[mhtnyc]

Hi,

I have a Medion MD5950 laptop with:
Motherboard: MEDION M295M
Phoenix BIOS version number: A.0EP-59D5-0812, date 9/26/02.

I have Win XP Home (came with laptop) dual booted with SuSE Linux 8.2, using the GRUB bootloader.

I'm trying to install SuSE 9.1 with the CDs, but I can't get the BIOS to boot from CD. I went in, and changed the boot order, which now reads as follows:
CD-ROM
External Device
+Hard Drive

I realize that the + in front of Hard Drive means that the BIOS will check it as it goes through the list; no + means it's ignored. I attempt to use the space bar to enable CD-ROM in the list (as is the procedure with all othe BIOSs I've seen), but all I get is a beep.

The drive (QSI CD-RW/DVD-ROM SBW-241) is otherwise functional, and shows in the BIOS as primary slave, so I doubt that there are any issues with the drive itself.

I contacted the laptop manufacturer, who advised me to check if it will boot from the manufacturer's restore CD, and it does. I didn't proceed any further because doing so would flush everything and restore back to factory settings.

However, it will not boot from any other CDs (which I have successfully tested on other machines). The support person claimed that the BIOS was not locked, although there was information regarding BIOS locking as an anti-piracy measure on their website.

I was then advised to upgrade the BIOS with the files from their website. I then made a bootable CD using WinImage and Nero (I don't have a floppy drive on this laptop). However, I still can't boot to CD in order to run the upgrade. No matter what I do, I can't get CD-ROM into the boot order.

Does anyone have a suggestion or solution? Thanks!

 

[EMO-TOCROSS]

you're saying you can't get the CD-ROM drive to boot first, are you pressing buttons once the computer starts. Because you should get a little message, it varies where it occurs depending on different bios programs. And the message says "Press any key to boot from CD" . I've had some issues with some of the computer's i fixed where it doesnt even say Press any key to boot from cd.. So I just had to tap keys when the computer started and then the computer booted from the cd. If you dont press any keys, The computer boots up the harddrive. Or, have you already tried this?

 

[Praetor]

I realize that the + in front of Hard Drive means that the BIOS will check it as it goes through the list; no + means it's ignored. I attempt to use the space bar to enable CD-ROM in the list (as is the procedure with all othe BIOSs I've seen), but all I get is a beep.

The plus means that you can expand the list (well it should)

No matter what I do, I can't get CD-ROM into the boot order.

Im not sure i understand ... the CDROM is in the boot order :S in fact... its the first thing that's checked. Something that might be available ... read the screen right at the beginning there might be a key combination you can press to activate a mini-bootdevice selector (usualyl Shift+F12 or something wierd if its there)

 

[aegis]

I'm sorry for bumping an old thread, but I am having the same problem with my laptop. It's an ECS G732. I have changed the boot order so that it boots to the CD drive first and the hard drive last, but it still boots to the hard drive.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.