[panamajack]

Originally Posted by albee1952

Hmmmm. BIOS update was easy but I still can't get it boot from the optical drive so I can run a backup.

I had an issue where in order to get the keyboard and mouse working after booting from CD-ROM, I had to connect an original PS/2 mouse and a Microsoft PS/2 keyboard. The USB keyboard and USB track ball were not recognized when I booted onto the CD-ROM with either the Win10 system repair or Acronis disks. I did not have that problem on a different HP (a DX2300).

But to make your system start from a CD-ROM, you have to get into the BIOS.

I changed the "post delay" to add 10 seconds so I could more easily get into the BIOS setup before Windows boots. If you are having trouble entering BIOS setup, start pressing the <ESC> key as soon as you turn on the computer. A menu should pop up; select F10 to enter BIOS setup. You can also tweak the BIOS to extend the post process (and watch it) so you have time to press the <ESC> key. Once in the BIOS setup, there is an entry for "post delay."

Assuming you have pressed "F10" to enter the BIOS setup, right arrow to the "Storage" tab. When you select "Device Configuration," you should see your hard disks and your CD/DVD-ROM drive. Below "Device Configuration" are two more settings.

The second item is "Storage Options." That one has an entry for "Removable Media Boot" -- set that to "Enabled."

The third item below is "Boot Order." There are separate entries for "UEFI" and "Legacy." To enter the "drag" mode, you arrow down to the item, press <Enter> to select it, and then use the up-down arrow keys to move it around.

Arrange both "UEFI" and "Legacy" items so that "Atapi CD/DVD drive" is at the top.