In the line of do-it-yourself PC repair, it is often necessary to obtain utilities that start by themselves off of a CD or DVD and do their magic without an operating system. Many guides online, including several hosted right here at Icrontic, require you to do this. However, for many, the stumbling block is properly creating the disc from the ISO so it boots correctly.
Enter the ISO file. Technically speaking, it is a single file that represents the entire contents of a CD or DVD-ROM in the ISO 9660 file system. More loosely, however, it has been adopted as the general term that represents any one of dozens of CD or DVD image types that have cropped over the years from different companies. Case in point, Nero has .NRG, Clone CD has .CCD and Alcohol 120% has .MDF. While virtually every CD burning program has its own native image type, the .ISO file is such a universal and pervasive standard that they can all support it.
For the sake of simplicity, however, we're going to use a program that everyone can acquire free of charge. It's expressly designed to burn ISOs so it is perfect for our application. This application is "ISO Recorder V2" which can be found here, courtesy of Alex Feinman. This version is compatible with Windows XP SP2 and Windows 2003. The Windows Vista version can be found here.
Step 1
Install the program by accepting the license and selecting your install locations. There are no options to configure because the program integrates with Windows when you right click on a file.
Step 2
Right click on that ISO and select "Copy image to CD."
Step 3
Insert a blank CD or DVD into the drive you wish to burn to, then select that drive from the drop-down box in the "Recorder" section. If the disk is valid, it will be listed as "Blank Writable Usable." If this is the case, hit next.
Step 4
At this stage, your PC will now burn the ISO to disc. The disc will automatically eject when the burn is done, and hitting "Finish" concludes the process.
Now that the disc is burned, proceed with any diagnostics you might require. As always, the Icrontic forum is here to help with any issues that might trip you up on your way to resolving your issues. We invite you to join, stay and enjoy!
