# Need help booting to a CD **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-booting-to-a-cd/532027 "2010-03-10T20:47:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-booting-to-a-cd/532027/21 "2010-03-11T04:31:21Z")
[http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/linux/create-a-bootable-ubuntu-usb-flash-drive-the-easy-way/](http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/linux/create-a-bootable-ubuntu-usb-flash-drive-the-easy-way/) > **[Run Ubuntu from USB with Persistence ▷ Pen Drive Linux](https://www.pendrivelinux.com/put-ubuntu-on-usb-using-windows/)** > > How to easily Run Ubuntu from USB. Create a Live USB Ubuntu bootable flash drive with persistence from within Windows. Install Ubuntu from USB ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-booting-to-a-cd/532027/22 "2010-03-11T04:37:12Z")
I used the procedure in **yoyodyne** ’s second link, and it went off without a hitch. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-booting-to-a-cd/532027/23 "2010-03-11T05:11:19Z")
Another option would be a USB external CD/DVD drive. ---
**Author:** ![rockypg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@rockypg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockypg)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-booting-to-a-cd/532027/24 "2010-03-11T05:40:02Z")
Booting from USB is the best alt way. faster than cd/dvd too! If your BIOS doesn’t let you do that, there are a million other ways including: from windows (plus meddling with loadlin) or from a network. [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation#Installation%20without%20a%20CD](https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation#Installation%20without%20a%20CD) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-booting-to-a-cd/532027/25 "2010-03-11T09:38:59Z")
For possibly useful info: if you’re ever trying to get a really old computer boot from some device it was never designed to boot (such as USB, or CD for some older machines), there’s a nifty little utility called Plop Boot Manager that will add the required functionality. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-booting-to-a-cd/532027/26 "2010-03-11T12:27:25Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Ouch. Not cheap to replace. Does the BIOS support booting from USB drives? [$78](http://www.power2battery.com/ibm-thinkpad-z61t-z61m-z61p-dvdcdrw-combo-drive-p-463.html?zenid=6k1tgce4rashkhc6ge4ngj0775). Not too horrible. Unless you install it and find it’s really the controller that’s at fault. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-booting-to-a-cd/532027/27 "2010-03-11T12:57:59Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > So, yeah, the drive is definitely not recognizing media. When I put a dvd in, it says drive not accessible. When I put a CD in, it says media not loaded. Is it spinning up the disc at all? If the drive is removable (they usually are), it might be worth taking it out and putting it back in - to reseat the connectors. Also worth checking all the way through the BIOS to see if there isn’t some setting somewhere that’s disabled the drive (perhaps to conserver power). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-booting-to-a-cd/532027.md?page=1)