How to Boot a Computer from a CD
This wikiHow teaches you how to start a computer from a CD rather than from the computer's internal hard drive. This is useful if you're trying to install a different operating system on your computer. Insert the CD into your computer. To...
Method 1 of 2:
On Windows
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Picture 1 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Insert the CD into your computer. To do so, place the CD logo side-up in your computer's CD tray. The CD must have a version of Windows on it. -
Picture 2 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Open StartPicture 3 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD - On Windows 8, place the mouse cursor in the top-right side of the screen, then click the magnifying glass.
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Picture 4 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD ClickPicture 5 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD -
Picture 6 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Click Restart. This option is near the bottom of the pop-up menu.- If you have programs running, you may be prompted to click Restart anyway before you can continue.
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Picture 7 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Press and hold Del or F2 to enter setup. This key may also be a different key. Most computers will display a message on startup that says "Press [key] to enter setup" or something similar, so look for this message when your computer restarts to confirm the key you should press to access the BIOS.- Consult your computer's manual or online support page to confirm your computer's BIOS key.
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Picture 8 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Navigate to the Boot tab. You'll use the arrow keys to select it.- The Boot tab may instead say Boot Options, depending on your computer's manufacturer.
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Picture 9 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Select the CD-ROM Drive option. To do so, press the ↓ arrow until this option has a box around it. -
Picture 10 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Press the + key until CD-ROM Drive is first. This will place it at the top of the boot options list.- You may have to press a different key as indicated by the key legend on the far-right side of the BIOS screen.
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Picture 11 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Save your settings. You should see a key prompt (e.g., F10) at the bottom of the screen that correlates to "Save and Exit"; pressing it will restart your computer, using the CD drive as a reboot point.- You may have to press ↵ Enter to confirm the changes.
Method 2 of 2:
On Mac
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Picture 12 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Insert the CD into your computer. To do so, slide the CD logo side-up into the CD slot on your Mac. The CD must have a version of Mac OS on it to qualify as a boot option.- Some Macs don't have CD slots. If your Mac doesn't have a CD slot, you'll need to purchase an external CD drive.
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Picture 13 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD ClickPicture 14 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD -
Picture 15 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Click Restart. This option is at the bottom of the Apple menu. -
Picture 16 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Click Restart when prompted. Doing so will cause your Mac to begin restarting. -
Picture 17 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Hold down the ⌘ Command key. You'll need to hold down ⌘ Command as soon as your Mac begins restarting, and keep holding it until the Startup Manager window appears. -
Picture 18 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Click the CD icon. It will typically say something like "Mac OS X Install DVD" below it. Clicking this icon selects it. -
Picture 19 of How to Boot a Computer from a CD Press ⏎ Return. Doing so will prompt your Mac to boot from the CD drive.
Update 05 March 2020
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