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Making a CD-R bootable
can someone please tell me the quickest and easiest way of making a CD-R bootable. What files are needed, inc drivers (CD Rom?) and can direct CD be used?
If I am not mistaken, you cannot boot of a CD. You need a driver to access a CD drive, so in order to boot off it, there would have to be a driver in memory. Since no drivers are loaded when the computer is checked for a boot disk, you can't do it.
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To make a bootable CD the final image file must be in a special format, known as the El Torito Bootable Specification. The easiest way is with a program like Adaptec Easy CD Creator, but their are others. Your motherboard's BIOS must also support boot from CD. You might check out this web site
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Way/2996/index.html
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Way/2996/index.html
Dear Shark:
There are several BIOS which allow boot from CD. Of course, those BIOS know how to deal with a CD for boot process (this is, the "driver" is built-in into BIOS code).
There are several BIOS which allow boot from CD. Of course, those BIOS know how to deal with a CD for boot process (this is, the "driver" is built-in into BIOS code).
ASKER
Good work thanks.
Vikiing - Huh, I didn't know that (I don't know a lot of things :-). Thanks for the information. I do know, however, that Apple (or perhaps it's the Macintosh? Again, I am not sure :-) computers can boot off a CD. Those Apple folks are always one step ahead of us PC users :-)
Well, not only a Mac can boot from CD; I've already seen several PC-BIOS with CD-boot capabilities.