How can I force boot my computer from the cd rom.?

In some cases (at least with Dell) even if you set BIOS to boot from a removable device CD/DVD, USB, etc. you still have to press a hotkey (F12?) during BIOS splash screen to select the boot device if that was not the last device booted. Maybe that is a safety feature to make sure that you do not boot something (possibly malicious) that you did not intend to.

The only virus I ever caught was a boot sector virus spread by floppy disks when those were still around. But I imagine a CD or DVD could potentially infect a computer if you accidentally boot from it or have your OS set to autorun it when a disc is inserted.

But then I have not tried booting CD/DVD or USB on a computer that has "secure boot" enabled or UEFI. Maybe you need to disable secure boot in BIOS to boot anything other than the default.

Make sure that the image is burned to the disk correctly, and that the image is of your system (32 or 64 bit architectures.) I have a stubborn laptop that I have to remove the hard drive for a few seconds as it is booting to make sure that it loads to the correct drive.

Your drive is worn, it takes a lot better accuracy to boot than to use it normally.

Whenever I see a computer that isn't performing it's basic tasks I always suspect malware as the culprit. It is possible that it may not be but it's always best to make sure your computer is clean. The best way to get it done is to put your computer into the Safe Mode and then run complete scans with your anti-malware, such as Malwarebytes, and your antivirus software. In case you're not familiar with Safe Mode here's how to do it. If you are running Win 8 or Win 8.1 just Google how to put your computer into Safe Mode. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>These instructions are a bit lengthy so bear with me.

Most malware “programs” these days prevent you from deleting them or even finding them when you run your antivirus programs or any other sort of protection software. So what you have to do is run Windows in a mode that doesn't launch the executable files normally included in malware.

When windows boots up normally it launches not only windows but all of the software you have installed on your computer. There is a thing called SAFE MODE in Windows that only launches the basic windows files so it can run itself and it doesn't launch all of your other programs. In the Safe Mode it also does not launch any malware programs.

Using the Safe Mode is pretty simple and once you are boot up in Safe Mode you can run your antivirus programs and should be able to rid yourself any malware problems you have.

Here is how you run SAFE MODE in these versions of Windows (ME; 2000; XP; Vista; Win7).

BOOTING UP IN SAFE MODE:

You may very well have malware that is preventing you from doing things or your computer or it may cause your computer to run very slow.

The best way to work this problem is to boot your pc into the SAFE MODE. This is a mode where your computer only boots windows files and nothing else. So if there is malware present it doesn't boot up and preclude you from running antivirus/malware programs to clean up your pc. Here's how to get there.

1. Boot or reboot your pc and when you start seeing the screen becoming active start tapping the F8 key repeatedly at one half second intervals until you see a black screen with white lettering. Be patient this may take a short while (30 seconds or so) depending on how fast your computer normally boots up.

2. Look at the list of Safe Mode options near the top of the displayed page and use the arrow keys to move the highlighted line up to the SAFE MODE WITH NETWORKING line and then hit enter.

3. Give the pc a few minutes to fully boot up. It will boot with a fairly normal looking desk top screen but will have the words "Safe Mode" in all 4 corners of the screen.

4. Hopefully you have Malwarebytes installed. If so update the malware definitions using the Updates link and download the latest definitions.

If you don't have it installed, use your internet browser (Internet Explorer; Firefox; Chrome; etc.) and go to download.com, use the search box and search for Malwarebytes and download it and install it. Look for the Download box in dark green. You may have to click on two successive ones. When it asks you if you want a Typical or Custom installation select custom. Be cautious with each successive screen during the installation process. If you see any little check boxes or offers of additional software for free, decline it. This is not Malware necessarily but for the most part it is software that is not needed or wanted. Once Malwarebytes is installed, double click on the icon to run it.

5. Click on the Scan circle in Malwarebytes screen and run a full scan. Put a check mark in the little box that is titles Automatically Repair. Malwarebytes will remove all of the found problem items.

6. Reboot the pc into the normal boot up mode.

7. Run Malwarebytes any time you feel your computer isn’t performing well. My best recommendation is to get into the habit of running it when you are done with your computer for that session or for the day. Just put a check mark in the box to Automatically Repair and put one in the box that says Shut Down. You will have to put one in the Shut Down box each time you want it to run a scan, fix problems, and then shut off your pc.

It’s a great little program to clean up your pc and I’ve been using it for a few years now.

This should remove any malware/viruses you may have on your pc that is hindering its’ performance.

Hope this helps