Can't boot to DVD created from ISO image

I downloaded the ISO image from MS student software center. It took FOREVER to download but it finally completed. I followed the instructions it had and burned the ISO image to a DVD and that seemed to work without a hitch. The problem is no matter what I do the system will not boot to that DVD. I set the boot sequence to CDROM with no HD or anything else even in the list but it still just boots from the HD. I get the message to "press any key to boot from the CDROM" and I do..but it always just boots from the HD.

I have tried 3 different image burning software packages; Nero, ImgBurn and Active ISO Burner and I get the same result with all of them. I have tried burning at a slower speed and that hasn't worked. I have tried to find an option to make the disk bootable in the burning process but can't find one. I'm not completely computer illiterate but I don't have much experience doing this specifically and so far what I thought would be pretty simple is kicking my ass (and eating up half a dozen DVDs).

I have searched various forums trying to find a solution but I have either already tried the suggestions I found or the info I found was not exactly the same scenario I have. Is there something I have to do to the ISO image before burning it to make it bootable? I can't find info on how if that is the case. Any help is greatly appreciated.

BTW, I'm using XP Pro atm..I'm trying to burn/boot to a Win7 x64 disk. When I finish burning the disk and it runs (before I restart) I get an error message saying my OS is not compatible with the OS on the disk and I need to restart and boot from the disk. This makes me believe that the disk is reading correctly..but for some reason it's just not bootable.

I don't think I can do that because I'm running 32 bit XP and trying to install 64 bit 7. It was my understanding that the only way I could do that was to boot to the disk and install fresh. Please do correct me if I'm wrong.

cpro said:

I don't think I can do that because I'm running 32 bit XP and trying to install 64 bit 7. It was my understanding that the only way I could do that was to boot to the disk and install fresh. Please do correct me if I'm wrong.

Hi there
you CAN EXTRACT files on a 32 bit system even though it's a 64 bit ISO.

Re- Create a Bootable USB / ISO via the Tutorials and then boot it.

Should work like a charm. If you can do it on to a USB then install will only take around 10 - 15 mins on a typical system.

Cheers
jimbo.

Based on some other info I found I decided to verify the DVD I was burning with the ISO burning software. According to the software creating it..the DVD was indeed bootable. This lead me to believe the problem is with how XP boots and that it was possibly ignoring the DVD because it was 64 bit when I was using a 32 bit OS. Even when I set the CDROM to be the only boot device in the boot sequence and pressed F12 during the boot process to get a boot menu it wouldn't allow me to select the CDROM from the boot menu.

The workaround that I found was to insert my 32 bit XP disk and reboot. Hit F12 to get the boot menu. I verified that I could indeed select the CDROM as a boot option but before selecting it I swapped in the WIN7 64 bit disk. Sure enough, it allowed me to boot to the CDROM and proceed with the installation. I am now fully installed with the 64 bit WIN7 OS and it's working great.

I see lots of others posting with a similar problem so hopefully this will work for others having this problem.

So how'd you get a CDROM drive to install from a DVD?

Well that's what BIOS calls it. The drive is both obv.