Bootable CD from ISO

[bostonman]

I'm getting confused on making a bootable CD from an ISO file.

I know I've done this way back, but drawing a blank.

If I load PowerISO (or WinImage) it asks me for the ISO file (Paragon.Hard.Disk.Manager.12.Professional.10.1.19.15839.Advanced.Recovery.CD.based.on.WinPE.iSO). I double click it, but it opens it and shows me the sub-directories.

If I'm thinking (and remembering) correctly, PowerISO should take the ISO file and automatically generate the necessary steps to burn it as a bootable CD, correct?

[themadhippy]

I double click it, but it opens it and shows me the sub-directories.

What about right clicking?

[50ShadesOfDirt]

If it is a bootable ISO, then yes you can boot from it when in a booting scenario (as in booting up a PC). If you open it while running under an OS already, then it will list the folders. The boot record is in there, but you aren't yet in a boot scenario.

So, if it is an OS iso, the "burning" programs (rufus, others) will take the ISO and write it out to CD/DVD/USB such that you can boot from it, when you go to install that OS. Use a program like rufus to write it to a medium like CD/DVD or USB.

If it was an installable ISO, as in a software program, then it probably doesn't have a boot record, but it does have an "autoplay" setup, so it launches when you stick it in a dvd drive.

ISO these days means a "container" file that holds the contents of a CD/DVD, even though there is no physical CD/DVD ... more systems coming out these days without an actual CD/DVD player, and most systems will allow you to boot from USB (bios settings).

Hope this helps ...

[coromonadalix]

with poweriso or others  you could grab the boot file / sector  and save it

I was able to make some w95 w98  cd-roms bootable, some of them needed the floppies .... old souvenirs 

saved my as@$# a few times

[golden_labels]

Platform not specified: assuming some Windows, based on program names.

Not knowing PowerISO, but aren’t you by any chance creating a new file system and trying to add files instead of burning an image? Optical media authoring programs usually have a separate workflow for burning image files. Looking at screenshots of PowerISO, it should be under “Burn” option: it has a choice between burning “the current compilation” and “Image file”. You want the latter. It also allows you to manually type the path, without clicking anything.

Note that you probably don’t want to touch “make bootable CD” and similar features. This sounds like a thing for authoring your own media. ISO will already contain all the necessary data.