How to Reboot a Computer From a CD

Do you need to reboot a computer from a compact disc? Do you need to reinstall Windows or run a virus scan directly off of a CD? This is a very easy thing to do and you may find it more useful than you might have thought.

Instructions

1. Understand the benefits of booting or rebooting from a CD. If you're asking yourself why would I want to reboot my computer from a compact disc, the answer is simple: Usually you are being told to do so by a program or by instructions for fixing something. When you boot from a CD this will usually allow the computer to run directly from a program on the CD rather than your computer's operating system, which would normally limit the changes you can make to the operating system or files because they are in use.

2. Start or shut down and restart your computer. After the computer starts and you hear the initial beeps, you will see some instructions on the screen about entering setup. You will need to follow the instructions by hitting the correct key to enter setup. If the screen with the instructions goes by too fast then you can either restart or try one of the standard keys the Bios programmers use, such as the delete key or the F2 or F12 key.

3. Change the setup. You may have to go through several menus or submenus to find the option to change the boot order. You may have to use the arrow keys or "Pageup" and "Pagedown" keys to go through the devices you can choose from and then use the spacebar or "Return" key or another listed key to select or move the device to the top. Use these keys or the instructions provided to make the CD the first device to boot from. After making this change, choose to save the settings and exit.

4. Place the CD in the CD tray. You can do this now or actually already have the CD in place. You will need to do this before the computer is restarted. Make sure you have a bootable CD, so check to make sure it is either a Windows CD or program CD that has a bootable program on it.

5. Restart the computer and make sure it boots from the CD and doesn't follow the normal Windows startup. If the computer is booting into Windows you will need to restart and recheck the BIOS to see if the CD is set as the first device and make sure the CD and the CD-ROM are working.

6. Hit a key. If you are rebooting from a Windows CD, you may have to hit a key to confirm you are booting from the CD, otherwise Windows may boot normally. Other programs may have instructions also.