How to boot from memtest86+ CD on a native Win8 system?

[mikeymikec]

I want to run a memory check on a new laptop that runs Windows 8. Normally I would put in the CD, press the appropriate F-key during POST to get the drive boot options, select the CD drive, then it would start memtest86+ from the CD.

While I get the option to choose which boot device to start from, it accesses the CD momentarily then starts Windows, yet the drive can obviously read the disc since I can see its contents in Windows.

Is this a UEFI thing?

- edit - I tried disabling secure boot but it didn't make any difference.

To clarify, if I press F12 on startup to get the boot devices menu, I select the optical drive to boot from, and within a second the screen goes blank and back to the boot device menu. I don't think it tries to spin the disc up in that time.

 

[Matt1970]

Try this. Leave the CD tray open while in the boot menu. Now close it and as soon as it spins up try the optical drive boot.

 

[mikeymikec]

Nope. I also tried altering the boot order and it didn't help. I will probably try my USB DVD drive next in case it is some weird issue with the drive itself.

 

[ViRGE]

My guess would be Secure Boot too, but if you say you've disabled it then I trust you.

The other issue then would be UEFI versus BIOS. MemTest86 only works on BIOS systems as far as I know. It does not have the ability to boot in UEFI mode. So if your system doesn't offer BIOS emulation (commonly labeled Compatibility Support Module) then that would explain why it's unable to boot MemTest86.

Somewhat related: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2287268

 

[mikeymikec]

Ah, you're a star. The UEFI secure boot setting was in one settings page, the CSM setting was in another. It is now running a memory test 🙂

 

[Matt1970]

Moderator to the rescue. I didn't know that either.