New AW17 will not start if anything is connected to USB ports

I've had the machine a month now although I have yet to use it. Last Sunday I began installing the software I require to work with but on rebooting the machine would not go beyond the start screen with the loading bar. I discovered that it would start perfectly only if I disconnect all drives connected via the USB ports. Once booted I can reconnect them, most of the time without issues however, occasionally I get the usual Windows 7 remark about a device not being recognized.

Well, it is nice to know that I can at least use the machine if nothing is connected to it but, realistically, it should have no problem booting with peripherals attached to it.

Is this a known issue and, if so, is there a fix available for it please?

 

Seems like your boot order is messed up. Go into the BIOS and check.

 

Because the Dell tech wanted to reinstall Windows he had me change the boot order so that CD/DVD was in the #1 slot. What should it be after that?

 

Just make sure the first one is your primary HDD/SSD. The second can be CD/DVD.

 

Hmm, tricky! It is set up as Legacy Boot (whatever that means). Secure Boot is off.
The current order is as follows:
1. Hard Drive
2. CD/DVD RW
3. Network
4. Intel SSD

A bit about my system...
I have 2x 512 Gb SSD's in RAID 0 configuration plus a 1 Tb E-SATA drive.

I'm guessing that the Intel SSD needs to be in the #1 slot but, if that is the case, why would the Dell tech have placed the Hard Drive there? I'm worried that maybe the so-called Hard Drive may be my primary SSD but, if that were the case, should my 1 Tb slave drive be shown in the boot list also?

And, if the Intel SSD is last in the list, I assume that it will automatically boot when no O/S has been found on any of the other 3 options in which case, why would having anything connected to the USB ports prevent that from happening anyway?

 

Whichever one has your OS installed is your primary. It needs to be #1. I'm assuming that means Intel SSD needs to be #1.

 

I am unable to make any changes to the boot order. In the BIOS it is set to Legacy, whatever that means? The up/down keys have no effect in the BOOT secion of the BIOS. Even if I hit F2 on startup I still cannot make any changes. I called Dell support but was told that the person handling my dossier is on vacation for 2 weeks.

Can anyone tell me how to alter the boot order with a machine preconfigured to Legacy please?

 

To change my boot order I have to use the F5 and F6 keys.

 

F5 and F6 do nothing with mine. Do you have to press anything else?
The F2 boot screen says to select the option wanted and then click Enter but when I select Intel SSD and click Enter the PC boots straight into Windows.
The F12 boot screen just won't allow any access to the boot order.