Boot Order

  • Thread starter Thread starter Murkey
  • Start date Start date
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Murkey

Just curious if there is a preferred boot device order for XP or is there
no real difference if the HD boots first or the CD?
TIA
 
Murkey said:
Just curious if there is a preferred boot device order for XP or is
there no real difference if the HD boots first or the CD?
Click to expand...

As for any OS - you can choose the unrelated hardware boot order from the
CMOS/BIOS/etc as you desire.

Trouble will occur if you choose to boot from the CD device first and happen
to have a bootable CD/DVD in there and that CD/DVD boots up and you weren't
'expecting' it to happen. In most cases - this would be nothing more than
an annoyance - but since it is plausible to have a completely unattended
CD/DVD that will wipe out everything if booted from - you take your chances.
 
Murkey

Put the CD drive first. The system will pass over the CD drive if there
is no bootable CD in the drive. Having the hard drive first means you
cannot use a bootable CD because the computer will always be looking to
boot off the hard drive. Some users just have the hard drive without the
floppy or CD drives in the boot order sequence on the basis that they
will access and change the boot order sequence in the BIOS on an as
needs basis. My system still has a floppy drive so my sequence is
floppy, CD, hard drive.


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Murkey

Put the CD drive first. The system will pass over the CD drive if there
is no bootable CD in the drive. Having the hard drive first means you
cannot use a bootable CD because the computer will always be looking to
boot off the hard drive. Some users just have the hard drive without the
floppy or CD drives in the boot order sequence on the basis that they
will access and change the boot order sequence in the BIOS on an as
needs basis. My system still has a floppy drive so my sequence is
floppy, CD, hard drive.
Click to expand...
Appreciate yours and Shenans' responses.
 
Murkey said:
Just curious if there is a preferred boot device order for XP or is
there
no real difference if the HD boots first or the CD?
TIA
Click to expand...


How can there be a preferred boot order for devices BEFORE the
operating system is even loaded? Boot order has nothing to do with
ANY operating system. It is a BIOS function.
 
Many prefer to boot from the CD first in the event a repair or reinstall is
ever needed.
One must never leave a CD installed if this sequence is used.
 
Unknown said:
Many prefer to boot from the CD first in the event a repair or
reinstall is ever needed.
One must never leave a CD installed if this sequence is used.
Click to expand...


I leave the boot order as floppy, CD, and hard drive, in that order.
Doesn't hurt if a disc is in the CD/DVD drive if it is not bootable.
Many BIOSes will require the user to hit a key if they really want to
boot from the CD/DVD disc; else, after a very short timeout, the disc
is skipped and the BIOS continues its search using the fixed disks.
If they don't provide that prompt, and if the disc isn't bootable, the
user gets a message regarding the boot error and has to remove the
disc and reboot.

Only if the CD is bootable must it not be left in the drive unless, of
course, you really do want to boot from it.
 
Look at it this way. You can always change the option by going into the BIOS
configuration, correct?

Since I nearly always boot from HD, I make the HD first. The floppy
increases booting by a few seconds. I don't know if any time is spent
checking the CD but I rarely boot from CD, so for me, I don't need the BIOS
to check the CD or floppy first. I can always change it if I need to.
 
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