Multi-Boot DVD Problem

[dar_vr]

I've got an unattended multi boot dvd, I didn't create it but I want to use it on an old machine.

The disc is bootable, I've had it working on a newer machine and vmware. The problem I think is due to drivers. The dvd drive will boot cds but not dvds, I also had a problem before with the drive not reading dvds in windows without me updating the driver.

It's an old machine that I just use for testing, one of those horrible shop bought ones. This isn't specific to any OS really. How can I boot the dvd? boot floppy?

[chriskoivu]

The BIOS in your old machine will not support DVD Drives... See if you can flash it...

The reason why it works in windows is because you are using a Windows driver and

not the Real Mode Dos driver that is typically used when you boot from a CD.. I bet

if you were to check your bios settings, you will see you cannot select a DVD drive as

a IDE device.

[LiquidSage]

is this the same dvd drive you have used on a working machine or is this an old dvd drive? If it's old....the dvd may need a firmware update or it might not support the disc brand. Try using a recordable drive...they usually have better luck.

[dar_vr]

The BIOS in your old machine will not support DVD Drives... See if you can flash it...

The reason why it works in windows is because you are using a Windows driver and

not the Real Mode Dos driver that is typically used when you boot from a CD.. I bet

if you were to check your bios settings, you will see you cannot select a DVD drive as

a IDE device.

I think this is the problem. Isn't flashing the BIOS risky in old computers? I'm not even sure what motherboard is in it, it's an Award BIOS, I'll have to install Everest or something and see what the motherboard is, it's not going to be one that's common though, not one that you can buy seperatly in shops, as I said it's one of those horrible shop setup ones...you know, like a "family computer", some mini-atx thing. It's mostly used as a backup and for testing things out.

You're right I can't select a dvd drive in the BIOS....but I don't think I can on this (newer) computer, I think it just calls it a CD-ROM drive in the BIOS but is a dvd and will read dvd. I'm not even sure

is this the same dvd drive you have used on a working machine or is this an old dvd drive? If it's old....the dvd may need a firmware update or it might not support the disc brand. Try using a recordable drive...they usually have better luck.

The drive works fine, XP detects it automatically and will work with dvd or cd no problems, on 9x it wont read dvds until I install the driver but will read cds fine. I've read the disc's content in windows on that machine with that dvd drive so I think it's the bios problem in the post above