Windows upgrade problem

One of my machines has had 32 bit Windows 8.1 on it for years, the parallel interface card I had in there was no longer needed, so I took it out and started installing 8.1 x64. Goes through the usual stuff, gets the key, checks the keyboard language and things. It gets to the point where it says remove the CD and boot into Windows normally. It doesn't, it comes up in the BIOS. In case the SSD was dodgy, I started again with its other SSD in there alone, a MUCH newer "drive". Same result, BIOS. Any ideas as to whet gives?

I think I have seen something that may be significant, (it goes without saying - I have not fixed this yet). I was fiddling with this again earlier, without better results, BUT, I did notice something which may be significant. On the BIOS page, there is a panel which shows the "boot order", my guess is that the system, when it starts, looks at this list and starts at the top and works down until it finds something that works, not an unreasonable thing to have. I saw that this "list" was rather short, in fact, it is not a list at all, there is just a single line saying the cd/dvd drive. The SSD I am trying to load is not there. Should it be? If so, how do I get the SSD onto the list and how did it come to be absent? There must be some kind of BIOS editor.

What BIOS do you have?

There should also be a BIOS screen that shows you which hard disks have been detected.

Most modern BIOS's automatically populate the boot order list with bootable devices it knows about and has detected.

Check the basic things
- the power and SATA cables are properly plugged in at both ends.
- try a different SATA port on the motherboard.
- try a different SATA cable.

The BIOS announces itself as UEFI 1203 x64.

I agree, the list should be populated, it is not however.

I have tried swapping the power and signal cables with those that normally connect to the DVD drive, (which was obviously working).

My girl has some kind of event this evening and I am constantly being given "helpful activities" to perform.

I've put a question about this on the UEFI site, awaiting a response.