# Windows 8 (eight) install. Why U no recognize disc in drive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873 "2013-05-20T21:34:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kdeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@kdeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kdeus)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/1 "2013-05-20T21:34:49Z")
I cannot get Windows 8 to install. Specifically, I cannot get my machine to see that there is a disc in the drive. The back story: I have two old desktops with Windows XP installed on both. But they are inherited from my wife’s office, so I want to wipe the hard drives and install a new OS. I bought a Windows 8 install disc through Amazon. It is a system builder disc. I installed both hard drives in one computer. I formatted one of them. Now I have the option to start one in Win XP, or start with a blank HD, or start them with the key to an old Corolla. But I can’t get the computer to recognize that there is a disc in the drive, ever. Your assistance much appreciated. **kdeus** ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/2 "2013-05-20T22:00:34Z")
Are the drives CD drives and the disk DVD? Is the boot order set to go to the HD first in the BIOS? ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/3 "2013-05-21T00:06:59Z")
Does the System Builder copy of Windows 8 require [UEFI](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface)? Since all new computers with Windows 8 ship with one, I fear this might be the case… your older computers don’t have UEFI. ---
**Author:** ![kdeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@kdeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kdeus)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/4 "2013-05-21T03:06:27Z")
The CD drive is a DVD/ CD-RW drive. Thats what it says in “my computer” and also how the setup page identifies it. The boot sequence is set to CD/DVD 1st, then internal hard drive. Booting in that sequence, with the Windows 8 disc in the drive, I get Win XP from the Hard Drive. Interestingly, I had the Master/slave switch set to slave, and I got the floppy but not the DVD drive to appear. Then I put the Master/Salve/IDE switch on the DVD to Master, and I get the DVD but not the floppy. How can I tell if my disc requires UEFI? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/5 "2013-05-21T10:56:50Z")
> [@kdeus](#): > > The CD drive is a DVD/ CD-RW drive. Thats what it says in “my computer” and also how the setup page identifies it. > > The boot sequence is set to CD/DVD 1st, then internal hard drive. Booting in that sequence, with the Windows 8 disc in the drive, I get Win XP from the Hard Drive. > > Interestingly, I had the Master/slave switch set to slave, and I got the floppy but not the DVD drive to appear. Then I put the Master/Salve/IDE switch on the DVD to Master, and I get the DVD but not the floppy. > > How can I tell if my disc requires UEFI? what CPUs do these systems have? are you by chance trying to use a 64-bit version of Windows on hardware that can’t run it? ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/6 "2013-05-21T11:42:26Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > what CPUs do these systems have? are you by chance trying to use a 64-bit version of Windows on hardware that can’t run it? In Windows 7 it would boot normally from the DVD and then pop up a message that the hardware is 32bit and Windows cannot be installed. The problem here is that the computer won’t boot at all from the DVD. Some suggestions: 1. See if the Win 8 DVD is bootable at another computer 2. See if the computer you are trying to install will boot from another bootable CD or DVD 3. Try with an external USB DVD reader if you can find one 4. There should be a tool that transfers the Windows 8 DVD onto a bootable USB stick. There was such a tool for Win 7. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/7 "2013-05-21T20:49:05Z")
> [@kdeus](#): > > How can I tell if my disc requires UEFI? My understanding is that full versions of Windows 8 don’t require UEFI, but can optionally use it if it’s present. However, I’ve never tried to install Windows 8 on a computer without UEFI, so I just thought of that as a possible cause. I’m afraid I can’t tell you what happens. If Microsoft did their job, it should display some kind of error or message. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/8 "2013-05-21T22:12:51Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > If Microsoft did their job, it should display some kind of error or message. I don’t work in Windows, so this isn’t my baliwick. But in defense of my company, even we’re not so good that we can produce valid error messages from a _program that’s never run_, which is what it sounds like is happening in this case. ---
**Author:** ![AHarris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@AHarris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHarris)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/9 "2013-05-21T22:27:41Z")
> [@kdeus](#): > > The CD drive is a DVD/ CD-RW drive. Thats what it says in “my computer” and also how the setup page identifies it. > > The boot sequence is set to CD/DVD 1st, then internal hard drive. Booting in that sequence, with the Windows 8 disc in the drive, I get Win XP from the Hard Drive. > > Interestingly, I had the Master/slave switch set to slave, and I got the floppy but not the DVD drive to appear. Then I put the Master/Salve/IDE switch on the DVD to Master, and I get the DVD but not the floppy. When you boot the computer to XP, does it see the Windows 8 DVD (or any other DVD’s)? If it doesn’t, then most likely, there is something wrong with the drive. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/10 "2013-05-21T22:56:57Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > I don’t work in Windows, so this isn’t my baliwick. But in defense of my company, even we’re not so good that we can produce valid error messages from a _program that’s never run_, which is what it sounds like is happening in this case. silly boy. everything that goes wrong on a PC is Bill Gates’s fault. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/11 "2013-05-21T23:29:10Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > I don’t work in Windows, so this isn’t my baliwick. But in defense of my company, even we’re not so good that we can produce valid error messages from a _program that’s never run_, which is what it sounds like is happening in this case. … fair point. If the problem is that Setup runs but can’t install on UEFI you’d get an error message. If the problem is that the computer never recognizes the disk as bootable in the first place because only UEFI computers would recognize it, then you’d get… what we’re seeing here. That said, I’m not sure UEFI is even the issue here. You could try a different DVD drive and see if that helps? (Use a USB-connected one if you don’t want the hassle of opening up your case.) ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/12 "2013-05-21T23:59:53Z")
Will Win 8 even run on a machine that’s set up to run Win XP? Does it have the speed, memory, space on the hd, etc. to work? ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/13 "2013-05-22T00:05:59Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Will Win 8 even run on a machine that’s set up to run Win XP? Does it have the speed, memory, space on the hd, etc. to work? [Easily.](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/system-requirements) Vista was kind of bloated, but both Windows 7 and Windows 8 are really slimmed-down-- the only thing a XP machine might be lacking in is RAM, and that’s only if it’s _really_ old, like literally the first year XP was out. ---
**Author:** ![kdeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@kdeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kdeus)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/14 "2013-05-22T03:36:32Z")
Thank you for the lively discussion. I will: (1) try and play a movie on the DVD drive (to see if its really a DVD drive), (2) try booting my other PC to the Win 8 disk, and (3) try swapping the DVD drive with another. But tomorrow, not tonight. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/15 "2013-05-22T18:35:07Z")
I would copy the install files to a USB drive or your hard drive. It should run from anywhere you launch it. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/16 "2013-05-23T15:29:07Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > I don’t work in Windows, so this isn’t my baliwick. But in defense of my company, even we’re not so good that we can produce valid error messages from a _program that’s never run_, which is what it sounds like is happening in this case. Seeing as you can use the same disk to install the UEFI and BIOS versions, it’s obviously possible to create some sort of hybrid install disk. It thus should be possible to make one part of the hybrid disk boot using the BIOS just to give you an error message. In my experience, it is more likely that the computer’s BIOS doesn’t support booting from the filesystem on the DVD. Or, yes, that it’s not a DVD drive or otherwise can’t read DVDs. I would recommend a USB install, but I don’t think you can pull that off just by copying files, as you’d have to also make the USB drive bootable. That is, unless you can install from within Windows XP, but then there’d be no reason to use USB. Just run the setup program from the DVD within Windows XP. (I’ve never used a system builder disk, so I don’t know if they include the ability to install from a running Windows installation. Nor have I tried installing Windows 8 from within Windows XP, only within Windows 7.) ---
**Author:** ![kdeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@kdeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kdeus)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/17 "2013-05-30T18:41:44Z")
My other PC (“Work computer”) did not boot from the Win 8 DVD when so commanded, but does show files on the Win 8 DVD. I booted up the Project computer and tried to read a DVD (Disney’s “Hercules”). I tried three different positions with the DVD drive Master/ Slave/ IDE switch: -IDE: DVD appears on “My computer,” but does not show any files or open in a window. -Master: Same. DVD appears on “My Computer” but does not show any files or open in a window. -Slave (middle position): Got “Drive 2 not found” on startup, F1 to continue. DVD appears in “My Computer” but actually opens this time and shows… nothing, from the Hercules DVD and nothing from the Win 8 DVD. Interestingly, an ancient (1991) audio CD (The MIT Logarhythms, “Together in Bakona”) opens and plays normally. My current theory is that I have a CD drive that is masquerading as a DVD drive. I think I am going to go out and buy a new, internal DVD drive. ---
**Author:** ![kdeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@kdeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kdeus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/18 "2013-05-31T02:58:59Z")
I’m sorry, the DVD drive shows up in “My computer” but not the disc that is in the drive (for Master and IDE, above). ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/19 "2013-05-31T21:26:44Z")
> [@kdeus](#): > > My current theory is that I have a CD drive that is masquerading as a DVD drive. I think I am going to go out and buy a new, internal DVD drive. I think that it’s more likely that the drive is messed up, possibly misaligned or even dirty, bad enough that it can’t read a DVD, but not bad enough for the less dense CD. It just would be really weird to label a CD drive as a DVD drive. ---
**Author:** ![flano1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f14d63/32.png) [@flano1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flano1)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873/20 "2013-05-31T23:39:39Z")
had the same problem…forgot to check data cable connection…oops. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-eight-install-why-u-no-recognize-disc-in-drive/658873.md?page=2)