Dell Precision 530MT (WHL530MTGHEI31LE) PC Desktop Logo
Jin Posted on Mar 04, 2009
Answered by a Fixya Expert

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Boot a Sony DVD RW DRU-840A drive in DELL precision 530

Installed a Sony DVD RW DRU-840A drive in DELL precision 530 MT, it can be used for read/write, but BIOS cannot recognize it is a bootable device.

The BIOS revision is A11.
What can I do to make this DVD drive as a boot device on Dell 530 MT?

Thanks,

  • 4 more comments 
  • Jin Mar 09, 2009

    To eliminiate all possile interference, I have unplugged other IDE CD
    device and used different bootable DVD. Also, DELL precision 530 MT has
    hot boot key -- F12, which let users to choice boot device.
    Unfortunately, nothing works.



    I guess that BIOS does not support DVD boot.



  • Jin Mar 09, 2009

    The BIOS recognizes the DVD drive as a CD drive regardless it it is installed as master or slave on the Secondary IDE controller. This is why I believe the BIOS is the problem -- it is too old to know what is a DVD.

    If a CD drive and this DVD drive both installed, they both are recognized as CD drives.


  • Jin Mar 09, 2009

    Simply install just this DVD drive does not work due to this drive is always recognized as a slave.

    What I have found is that this 530 MT (mayeb all 530) can only boot a master CD device. Therefore, set jumper to force this DVD as the master and system can boot from it.

    Thanks for the hint.


  • Anonymous Mar 22, 2014

    I can't get my dell to boot up ,I have reset the bios , and checked the memory but still nothing

  • Anonymous Mar 22, 2014

    Dell530 won't boot

  • Anonymous Mar 23, 2014

    My crazy idea to upgrade our antique Dell Precision Workstation 530 MT with a Transcend 128GB PATA SSD (TS128GPSD330) failed because BIOS (A11) does not recognize it as disk (unknown device). There is no other disk on that cable and Master/Slave does not make any difference. Any ideas?

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  • Master 2,653 Answers
  • Posted on Mar 04, 2009
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Have you tried changing the boot order.

If you're trying to use it as a boot device you need to tell the system to boot the cd /dvd drive FIRST and of course you need to have a bootable cd / dvd in the drive.

Let me know if you're already tried this.


  • 3 more comments 
  • Anonymous Mar 09, 2009

    Every computer I've ever seen has had a cd / dvd boot option.

    Were you able to find the boot order in the bios?

    Does the bios recognize that there is a cd / dvd drive attached?

    Should look something like this:




    Don't mind the arrow. The part where the cd /dvd drive will show up is under: Primary slave or Secondary Master.

    Let me know.



  • Anonymous Mar 09, 2009

    Whether is says cd or dvd doesn't matter.

    Try removing the hard drive and just boot the cd straight.




  • Anonymous Mar 09, 2009

    Awesome, I'm glad I was able to help.

    Best of luck!


  • Anthony Cardenas
    Anthony Cardenas Mar 31, 2018

    Well team ~ that's a big part of the problem! The CD/DVD drive has appeared only one or two times in the BIOS ~ all other times it is MIA... thus, there is no way to make the CD a boot drive.

    Odd too that the USB ports WORK for the keyboard, but not for a boot drive... I tested all 4 USB ports.

    A

  • Anthony Cardenas
    Anthony Cardenas Mar 31, 2018

    'Boot drive' as in Flash Boot Drive... I WILL try to totally disconnect the SATA hard drive as recommended... perhaps THAT will wake the CD up? It's rather late now so I'll try that in the AM.

    Thanks again, Team!
    Anthony

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