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I have a HDD with Windows 8, and I'm trying to install Ubuntu 12.04 on it.

I have a CD with Ubuntu on it and a USB as well. When I choose to boot from CD or USB, my BIOS stops at Verifying Pool DMI Data and then shows an error which says :

Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause.

Why is my computer trying to boot Windows from HDD instead of Ubuntu?

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It is booting from your Hard Disk Drive probably because of the BIOS boot priority order.

Go into your BIOS (by pressing F2) and go to the "Boot" sub menu.

There, you can find the boot-order. To boot from a CD/DVD/LiveUSB, you will need to move the boot medium to the top of the boot priority list. This is usually done by highlighting the boot device (here, DVD/CD Drive) and then pressing F5 or F6 to move the highlighted device up/down.

Get the bootable medium to the top (in this case, your CD), Save and Exit changes. Your copy of Ubuntu will now boot from the CD. Also try booting from a LiveUSB.

If that doesn't work either, read on :

Assuming that you have a desktop, I suggest you to pull out the CMOS battery for 5 minutes and put it back again. Make sure all your connections are proper.This error is likely due to a hardware failure or loose contact. P.S : If you don't know what a CMOS battery is, take a look here.

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  • I now have CDROM at the top of the priority list but, my computer is still stopping at Verifying DMI Pool Data. Although, now, it isn't booting from the HDD and showing me any error. So, maybe the problem is with the hardware. In that case, what might be causing this problem?
    – Soham
    Jan 10, 2015 at 11:05
  • Did you try booting from a LiveUSB? If you didn't, try it out. If that doesn't work too, read on : Assuming that you have a desktop, I suggest you to pull out the CMOS battery for 5 minutes and put it back again. Make sure all your connections are proper.This error is likely due to a hardware failure or loose contact. P.S : If you don't know, what a CMOS battery is, take a look here Jan 10, 2015 at 12:25
  • Re-connecting the CMOS battery did work but, should I replace my CMOS battery? It's around 4 years old and my computer is always running, usually 24/7.
    – Soham
    Jan 10, 2015 at 14:10
  • Yes, you need to get it replaced. It maintains your system time as well as the BIOS settings. SInce your desktop is old, I suggest you replace it with a new one. Jan 10, 2015 at 14:12
  • If the problem persists, consider replacing it. Jan 10, 2015 at 14:14

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