Apparently Microsoft requires OEM suppliers of Windows 8 systems to set the BIOS (actually UFEI now) to Secure Boot by default. This and another setting can prevent booting from CD/DVD drives and USB devices and also prevent Windows 7 (or older) network deployments from succeeding.
To enable smooth Windows 7 (or older) installations or booting from various boot disks, e.g. for disk imaging or repartitioning, etc, you will need to do the following:
To enable smooth Windows 7 (or older) installations or booting from various boot disks, e.g. for disk imaging or repartitioning, etc, you will need to do the following:
- Enter the BIOS/UEFI using whatever method the hardware vendor provides for this
- Look for the Secure Boot option and disable this
- Look for Legacy Boot or CSM (Compatibility Support Module) and enable this
In some cases, you will need to revert these settings to enable Windows 8 to install and/or boot.