This tutorial will show you how to boot from a CD/DVD disc in your disc drive. This is most commonly used to install Windows or another Operating System. You can also boot from a disc to run different diagnostics. In this article I will discuss how to boot from a disc drive on many popular brands including HP, Dell, Toshiba, Gateway and Mac.

HP

With most HP computers it will automatically boot from the disc drive if a bootable disc is present in the drive upon boot up.

1. Turn on the computer
2. Insert bootable disc
3. Restart computer

Dell

With all Dell computers you must press F12 at the splash screen in order to see the boot menu. It should look something like this:

1. Turn on the computer
2. Press F12 at splash screen
3. Insert bootable disc
4. Select CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive

Toshiba

With all Toshiba computers you must press F12 at the splash screen in order to see the boot menu.

1. Turn on the computer
2. Press F12 at splash screen
3. Insert bootable disc
4. Select CD/DVD Disc Drive

Gateway

With most Gateway computers you must press F10 at the splash screen.

1. Turn on the computer
2. Insert bootable disc
3. Restart computer
4. Press F10 at splash screen

Mac

With all Macbooks and iMacs you must hold down the letter C during startup to boot from the disc drive.

1. Turn on the computer
2. Insert bootable disc
3. Restart computer
4. Hold the letter C during bootup to boot from disc drive or “SuperDrive”

Very useful if trying to intall Snow Leopard or use a diagnostic utility disc on your Macbook or iMac.

Pickled PC is not associated with any of the companies represented in this article in any way, except as an end user.