Can't boot Windows 7 from DVD/CD

I have an IBM Lenovo Thinkpad T61. I have changed the BIOS boot order with the ATAPI DVD first. I hear the DVD spin up but I never get the black screen with the question to boot from the CD. The computer then boots up to Vista. I have Windows 7 commercial bought 3 computer use. I am using the 32 bit CD. I have changed the boot order numerous times and no different. I saw a post that referenced a Maid drive
or something like that and not sure if that may be the problem. Thanks for the help and email here or .

Stuart

Hi swestm3 and welcome to Windows 7 Forums

Have you tried your Windows 7 DVD in another Computer to see if it will boot from the disk ? (testing the DVD)

Have you tried to just press Enter key on boot (maybe push several times) as you may be just missing the Press Enter key to boot from CD message.

Download a copy of Partition Wizard. It's free and you can get it as a bootable CD ISO image. Burn the image to a CD and the reboot the computer. Wipe the hard drive clean and repartition it.

Then restart the computer and put you install DVD in, it should start to install then.

The post reference was to RAID not maid. In your case, the computer could be confogured for either. But, in relation to your problem, the type of Hard disk configuration has nothing to do with the problem. You have either a bad DVD drive, or a bad DVD. Try Veedaz suggestion first, using another computer. If the DVD fails, get a replacement.
Anything can happen with computers, but I don't feel that Nibiru's suggestion would help, as you are not getting that far - but who knows?

Just had the same issue with a friends work laptop.... the tech support people had set the boot order as DVD then hard drive, but disable DVD boot in another menu!

Check that your DVD is actually bootable in BIOS.

If you still have XP or Vista (or any other MS OS) on your computer install Win 7 from that installation. It will still ask you all the options that you want including formatting the hard drive.