From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Jan 18 04:20:42 2015 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [8.8.178.115]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher AECDH-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 862E8F2F for ; Sun, 18 Jan 2015 04:20:42 +0000 (UTC) Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [67.158.26.137]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (Client CN "wonkity.com", Issuer "wonkity.com" (not verified)) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 2FA6D64A for ; Sun, 18 Jan 2015 04:20:41 +0000 (UTC) Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by wonkity.com (8.14.9/8.14.9) with ESMTP id t0I4K2Zj006573 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 bits=256 verify=NO); Sat, 17 Jan 2015 21:20:02 -0700 (MST) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost) by wonkity.com (8.14.9/8.14.9/Submit) with ESMTP id t0I4Jx3x006559; Sat, 17 Jan 2015 21:20:02 -0700 (MST) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 21:19:59 -0700 (MST) From: Warren Block To: Chris Maness Subject: Re: Acer Aspire AXC-603-UB17 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References: User-Agent: Alpine 2.11 (BSF 23 2013-08-11) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.4.3 (wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Sat, 17 Jan 2015 21:20:02 -0700 (MST) Cc: "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.18-1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 04:20:42 -0000 On Sat, 17 Jan 2015, Chris Maness wrote: > I purchased a little Acer Aspire to run as a small FreeBSD server. The > price was right for what came with it. However, changing the boot order in > the BIOS seemed to have no effect. As if the DVD drive was not even > installed. If I set manual boot selection, the FreeBSD install CD was not > an option at boot time. To check to see if the DVD drive is functioning I > allowed it to go through the whole windows install procedure. Sure enough > -- the DVD works. I have tried several other boot disks to no avail. > > Moreover, after going through the setup, Windows seemed to have hijacked > the whole boot process, and I can't even get into the BIOS. What is the > deal? Does M$ have some kind of deal with Acer to make it impossible to > install another OS? I have never purchased a computer with the OS already > on it. I have always built my own PC's, but for $209 I figured it couldn't > be beat. > > Has anyone else had a similar experience with ultra cheapie Windows boxes? Likely UEFI with SecureBoot enabled. Turn SecureBoot off, enable "legacy" or "CSM" booting in what was formerly known as the BIOS setup screens.