How to Copy a Software CD to Portable Media

Transfer your software install CD to a USB flash drive for installation on your netbook.

Not every computer these days ships with a CD or DVD-ROM built in (especially "netbook" laptops). For this reason, it can be tricky loading new software on these machines. If you have a USB flash drive on hand, you can easily transfer the files from the compact disc to the portable media to install the application on the drive-less computer. This method will work for almost all software discs, except for those that must be booted in to (Windows installation CDs, Linux Live CDs and recovery CDs).

Things You'll Need

• Software CD
• USB flash drive

Instructions

1. Insert the CD into the computer's disc drive.

2. Insert the USB flash drive into an open USB port. If you are using another form of portable media, such an SD memory card, insert the card into a card reader connected to the computer.

3. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to "My Computer." Right-click the CD/CD drive and select "Explore."

4. Select the entire contents of the CD by opening the "Edit" menu and selecting "Select All." Open the "Edit" menu again and select "Copy."

5. Navigate back to "My Computer." Right-click the portable media and select "Explore."

6. Paste the contents of the CD onto the portable media by opening the "Edit" menu and select "Paste." It may take a little while to copy the entire contents over. Once completed, the software contained on the CD will now be on the removable portable media (USB flash drive, memory card).

References

• Ask Leo: Copy an Install CD to a USB Device