Booting from a CD
Booting your computer from a CD is sometimes necessary when making changes to your operating system or if the OS has become corrupt. The procedure varies by computer manufacturer. When you turn on your computer, look for information on your computer manufacturer's logo screen about how to enter "setup" or "BIOS". Note: Be careful once in setup mode, since altering settings can cause additional problems with your computer. In setup mode, look for information on the "Boot Order" or "Boot Sequence" and make sure the CD-ROM drive is set to be the first device.
On many computers you can also activate a one-time boot menu to choose which device to boot from by pressing a key when the computer manufacturer's logo screen displays. Some popular computer manufacturer boot menu keys are listed below:
- Dell: F12
- Gateway (newer): F10
- Gateway (older): ESC
- HP: ESC
- Compaq: ESC
- Toshiba: F12
Once you have activated the one time boot menu, use the keyboard arrows to select the CD-ROM drive and press the Enter key.
Contact the ITS Help Desk at 4-HELP (4-4357) or its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu if you need assistance or have any questions.