How to Make a Bootable CD on Windows [Step-by-Step]

Creating a bootable CD is a critical skill for troubleshooting, installing an operating system, or running recovery tools. A bootable CD contains software that allows a computer to boot directly from the CD and run an operating system or utility, bypassing the installed operating system.

Bootable CDs are ideal for legacy systems that lack USB boot support and create persistent and immutable recovery tools. This guide details how to make a bootable CD, covering the tools needed, steps for different operating systems, and best practices.

How to Make a Bootable CD on Windows

This section will give a detailed protocol for making a bootable CD on Windows. Best Practices for Making a Bootable CD:

• Use high-quality CDs: Cheap discs may fail during the burning process or degrade over time.
• Verify compatibility: Make sure the ISO file meets your system requirements.
• Test thoroughly: Boot the CD on multiple systems to ensure proper functionality.
• Back up important data: Burning a CD will erase all existing data.

Part 1. Preparations Before Making a Bootable CD

To make a bootable CD or DVD, you will need the following items:

1. A blank CD/DVD: Make sure it can hold your bootable files.
2. CD/DVD drive: A functional drive that can write to a disc.
3. ISO file: A disk image of the operating system or tool you want to use. You can download a new ISO file from the Windows webpage or use a third-party driver to create one for your existing system.
4. CD/DVD burner software: Popular options include:

• Rufus
• Image Burn
• Windows Media Creation Tool (for Windows operating systems)
• AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional: Automatically downloads iso and creates a bootable WinPE ISO file, which can be used to boot a virtual machine or burn to other devices.

Part 2. Steps to Make a Bootable CD Windows

This part will tell you how to create a bootable CD using a new Windows ISO file or using a system ISO. You have more flexibility to install the operating system.

Method 1. Make a bootable CD using the system ISO

If you need to quickly set up a new computer, you can use the existing system settings. AOMEI Partition Assistant supports users to create an ISO file of their own system and burn it to a CD to make it bootable. As a versatile disk management tool, it simplifies the creation of bootable CDs.

The tool is compatible with all versions of Windows 11/10/8/7 and Windows XP/Vista. And the operation is simple, even if you are unfamiliar with the operation, you can easily solve the problem.

This professional tool provides two situations:

• 1. Make bootable WinPE media. Use Windows AIK (Automated Installation Kit) to configure and deploy the operating system to new hardware
• 2. Users want to put the Windows system on a USB drive for use, use "Windows To Go Creator" under the All Tools tab.

You can choose according to your needs:

2. Make bootable WinPE media

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. Click the "Tools" main tab and select "Make bootable media". Confirm the operation and click "Next" to continue.

Tip: AOMEI Partition Assistant will detect whether you have installed Windows AIK/ADK. If not, please download and install Windows AIK/ADK.

Step 2. Choose the way to create WinPE bootable media according to your needs and click "Proceed".

In addition to burning to CD/DVD, you can also create a bootable USB device or make a bootable ISO file.

Step 3. The USB drive needs to be formatted, and all the data on the USB drive will be lost. If there is important data, please back it up first, and click "Yes" to continue after confirmation.

Step 4. Wait for the process of creating a WinPE bootable USB drive. When it is completed, you can click "Finish".

If your computer cannot start or cannot perform certain operations under Windows, you can use bootable media to boot the PC to WinPE to perform the required operations, such as:

• Repair damaged MBR
• Boot to WinPE to recover partitions
• Reset Windows password
• Resize partitions
• Convert drives

2. Put the Windows system on CD/DVD drive for use

AOMEI Partition Assistant also provides the Windows To Go Creator for users to put the Windows OS on CD for use:

Step 1. Download the free software, install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard.

Step 2. Click "Tools" > "Windows To Go Creator" on the main interface.

Step 3. Check "Create Windows ToGo for personal computer" and click "Next".

Step 4. Select "Create Windows To Go with system disc/ISO", select the prepared ISO file, and click "Next".

Step 5. Select the USB drive you prepared and click "Proceed".

Once completed, you can insert the bootable USB into the target computer, change the boot order in BIOS, and boot the PC from it.

Method 2. Make a bootable CD from Windows ISO file

This section will introduce two tools for making bootable USB:

• MediaCreationTool: Most users tend to use.
• Windows USB/DVD Download Tool: Supports creating a copy of the ISO file onto a USB flash drive as an installer.

Let's see how to make a bootable Win ISO CD/DVD through MediaCreationTool:

Step 1. Download MediaCreationTool and run it as an administrator.

Step 2: Select "Accept" in the license terms screen.

Step 3. Select "Create installation media for another PC" and select Next.

Step 4. Select the language, version, and architecture (64-bit or 32-bit) of Windows.

Step 5. Select "ISO file" and click "Next".

Step 6. Select the DVD/CD you prepared from the list and click "Next".

Step 7. Once completed, the tool will start downloading the latest Windows installation files to your device.

How to Boot from Bootable CD

After creating a bootable CD, you can use it to load the operating system and run Partition Assistant under that system to troubleshoot the computer and recover data. To boot from a Windows PE USB flash drive or CD/DVD, you need to enter the BIOS/UEFI and change the boot order under the boot menu:

1. Enter the computer's BIOS setup and confirm that the optical drive is first in the boot order.

2. Insert the bootable DVD or CD containing the bootable image file into the optical drive.

3. Restart the computer in Windows or use the power button to hard reset.

Conclusion

Creating a bootable CD is a valuable skill, especially for maintaining old systems and ensuring compatibility with old devices. With the right tools and careful steps, you can successfully create a bootable CD and use it for a variety of purposes. If you don't have a CD/DVD drive, consider a bootable USB drive or an external hard drive to store large ISO files.

Using AOMEI Partition Assistant to create a bootable CD ensures reliability and ease of use. The powerful features of this tool make it the best choice for managing bootable media, dealing with partitioning issues, and performing recovery tasks.

FAQs About How to Make a Bootable CD Windows 10/11

1. How to boot to a CD in Windows 10/11?

To boot your system from a CD in Windows 10/11, follow these steps:

• Insert the bootable CD into your CD/DVD drive.
• Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings by pressing a specific key (e.g., F2, F10, or DEL) during startup.
• Navigate to the "Boot Order" or "Boot Menu" section.
• Set the CD/DVD drive as the primary boot device.
• Save the changes and restart the computer.
• The system will boot from the CD, loading the intended operating system or tool.

2. How do I burn an ISO to a CD and make it bootable?

To burn an ISO file to a CD and make it bootable:

1. Obtain a blank CD/DVD: Ensure it has enough space for the ISO file.
2. Download ISO burning software: Tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant, ImgBurn, or Rufus can create bootable CDs.
3. Open the software and load the ISO file:
   • In AOMEI Partition Assistant, use the “Make Bootable Media” option.
   • In ImgBurn, choose “Write image file to disc.”
4. Insert the blank CD/DVD: Select it as the target device.
5. Start the burning process: The software will write the ISO and make the CD bootable automatically.
6. Test the CD: Boot it on a system to ensure functionality.

3. How to burn an ISO to a bootable CD on Windows 10/11?

Windows 10/11 includes built-in functionality to burn ISO files to CDs. Here's how:

1. Insert a blank CD/DVD into your drive.
2. Right-click the ISO file and select Burn Disc Image.
3. In the Windows Disc Image Burner tool:
   • Select your CD/DVD drive.
   • Check the box for Verify disc after burning (optional).
4. Click Burn to start the process.
5. Once the burning is complete, test the CD by booting it on a computer.

For advanced features like creating a bootable CD with system tools, consider using software like AOMEI Partition Assistant, which simplifies the process.