I need some help using DBAN

[NatherThePcGamer]

Alright, so i have been trying to delete all of the data off of my old computer's hard drive so i can give it to one of my family members. I have burned dban to four different DVD+r disks already and none of them seem to boot. I already set my boot device to the optical drive, turned off secure boot, and I've even checked the boot menu, but it never shows up. Also, I've checked the DVD+r's to see if they were burned correctly, and they all are. The old computer is an Acer Aspire 603g uw14

 

[Paperdoc]

When you say your burned it, how? Some software like that arrives as an .iso file type. That type of file is a complete image of the drive you're trying to make, and often it is an image of a bootable CD. BUT to get that "burned" to a CD+R you do NOT just copy it. You need to use CD-burning software like Nero that knows specifically how to burn that .iso image to the CD+R and make it bootable.

 

[NatherThePcGamer]

I used FreeIsoBurner to burn the .iso file to a DVD+R. Do i have to use a CD+R? Because the website said it was compatible with DVD+R media.

 

[Paperdoc]

I doubt it needs to be DVD+R. Any DVD type should be OK, as long as your reader can read it.

So, what happens when you try to boot from one of these disks? Does the activity light on the optical drive come on first? Does it pass on to another boot device? Or, does it simply quit with the message to insert bootable media?

 

[NatherThePcGamer]

Well, the activity light starts off blank then blinks a couple of times, but it never actually boots DBAN. I've also checked the boot device menu and the only option that is available is the windows boot manager.

 

[Paperdoc]

Have you changed the Boot Priority Sequence in BIOS Setup so that it tries to boot FIRST from the optical drive? If you make any change in there, remember to SAVE and EXIT to make your change work.

 

[NatherThePcGamer]

Already did that, i even set windows boot manager to last priority. And I even tried unplugging the hdd while trying to boot off the optical drive, it just doesn't want to boot DBAN for some reason.

 

[Paperdoc]

Are you sure the optical drive is woking OK? Can your simply read the DBAN disk to see its contents? Can you use that drive to access files on other disks?

 

[NatherThePcGamer]

Yes the optical drive works properly, and I can see the files on the disk with DBAN, and yes, i can use the drive to access other files on other disks.

 

[Paperdoc]

Wow, I'm really mystified! You downloaded the .iso image of a bootable DBAN disk, burned it to DVD+R disks, set the machine to boot from the optical drive, and it won't. It accesses the optical drive briefly, apparently decides that the disk in it is not bootable, and boots from another device. The drive and the disks appear normal.

The only other things I can suggest as tests are:
1. Try to boot from another bootable optical disk, like a Windows Install disk or something.
2. Take some of your DVD+R DBAN disks to another computer that DOES boot from its optical drive, and test whether it can do that from your DBAN disks.

Maybe those will point to which is the problem source.

 

[NatherThePcGamer]

Im going to try too remove the CMOS cell and set everything back up in the bios to see what happens

 

[NatherThePcGamer]

No luck, damn it. I have no idea what to do. This whole problem might have to do with the fact that its a pre-built acer pc, but who knows.