Bios

Dell xps 8300, 1T, 6 GB
I tried to set my boot order so that if i have trouble booting I can use a rescue disc.
I booted into setup which I think is the BIOS and was able to selet DVD as first BUT a box poped up with dvd first and the other dvd as second with no other choices. I pressed escape without changing.
How do I accomplish this boot order so it is not temporary, but permanent and dvd is the first one?
Thank you
Peter

 

This may help;
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xps8300/en/index.htm

 

Yes it looks like you might have 6 layers of boot options where you set up each one individually. Instead of a list where you just move up and down the list.

So there would be an entry for 1st Boot Priority that you select not only CD but which CD to run. Then for 2nd priority you would again have to choose which device to run. etc.

I think that is what this diagram is showing.

 

I hit enter and was able to select dvd(top one on my machine) as first boot and hard drive was second.
I made no more adjustments.
I then tried F12 to see and hard drive was first.

Maybe this means F12 is for a one time boot and what I did sets the boot order to dvd.

Is it true that the pc sense no disc if it is a normal power up and then just boots up?
Then if there is an issue you can boot with a cd having set the boot order to dvd first in the BIOS.

I did save it.
Thank you

 

I just wanted to thank you all because someday I may need to boot with a rescue disc and now I will be able to.
It was a learning experience and, when you learn it sounds so ez -not so before you learn it. Thank you all very much.

 

On Dell's F12 is a one time boot menu. It just lists the possible boot devices and you can choose a number for that one time.

Yes, if the PC senses that there is no bootable disc in the DVD drive it goes to the next item in the list usually the HD and boots to that.

You can test that you have your boot order set correctly by putting a bootable disc in the DVD drive and starting the computer. It should see the disc and boot to it (without the need for F12). If it doesn't boot to it then perhaps you want to check the boot order again.

Of course, since Dell's have the F12 function you will always be able to boot to a CD using that no matter what the usual boot order is set to.

 

Thank you all for your help which has led me to better undertsand the boot sequence and the reason for setting it to dvd in the BIOS.
Peter