Can I use DVD+R to install an OS? (as opposed to DVD-R)

-4

I've been trying (since I have a pack of 100 DVD+Rs) to burn Windows 10 to one and install it on my laptop. However, whenever I try, it just boots as normal and doesn't consider the DVD ROM a boot device. Previously I used a DVD-R to install Windows 8.

I have the order set in the BIOS to be Disc > Hard Drive > Network, but it still doesn't recognize it. I’m using the official “Technical Preview ISO,” and burning it with the Windows 8.1 built-in disc burner (right-click ISO, burn disc image).

Does this mean it’s impossible to use a DVD+R (rather than a DVD-R) as an install disc for an OS? Is this instead an issue with the Windows 10 ISO? I tried again with Ubuntu on a disc from the same pack, but it, too, was ignored.

Supuhstar

Posted 2014-11-23T18:41:33.507

Reputation: 446

Do you actually think you are the first person to ever attempt to burn an ISO OS image to a bootable piece of DVD media? Did you even do a basic Google search on this topic? https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Buring+OS+Boot+DVD+Windows&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#rls=en&q=Burning+OS+Boot+DVD+Windows&spell=1

– JakeGould – 2014-11-23T19:32:32.830

It should work. Do you get any BIOS prompt when booting, like "Press any key to boot from CD"? You can check your download is not corrupt by using some SHA-1 calculating utility and comparing to the appropriate value on windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-iso.

– Andrew Morton – 2014-11-23T20:03:26.277

@JakeGould I am specifically talking about DVD+R instead of DVD-R – Supuhstar – 2014-11-23T23:33:19.317

@AndrewMorton no, it goes straight form BIOS into Windows. I tried spamming F-keys, too, but to no avail. I thought it was a bad download, so I re-downloaded it, but got the same results. I'll try that hashing method. – Supuhstar – 2014-11-23T23:39:16.580

1DVD+R or DVD-R. It doesn't matter. That is just media. How it is partitioned, formatted & burned is what matters. – JakeGould – 2014-11-23T23:40:28.723

2@JakeGould That'd be a great answer! – Supuhstar – 2014-11-23T23:41:21.123

Answers

I've found that DVD+RW is more reliable than DVD+R.

I wasted 7 DVD+Rs trying to burn ISOs of Windows 7, 8.1, and 10. But, when I burned the same ISO OS files onto DVD+RW, they became bootable!

This is because DVD+RW's Cartridge Configuration is different than DVD+R's.

If you can't buy DVD+RW then buy DVD+pro! No need to change the setting on the ISO file to make bootable; burn it into DVD+RW or DVD+pro and it will become bootable.

Tanveer Inamdar

Posted 2014-11-23T18:41:33.507

Reputation: 36

Note that RW media is designed to be used in an "RW" drive. – fixer1234 – 2016-03-29T00:59:56.210

DVD+R or DVD-R or anything else. It doesn't matter. That stuff is all just media. How it is partitioned, formatted & burned is what matters. That's why you can download an ISO and just “burn” it to anything: CD-R, DVD-R, DVD+R, USB Flash, SD, Hard Drive… Whatever. It’s all just media to put data on and read.

JakeGould

Posted 2014-11-23T18:41:33.507

Reputation: 38 217

No, you should be able to use a bootable DVD ISO image to make a bootable DVD.

In your specific case of installing Windows 10 onto a PC running 8.1, you should be able to simply right click and mount the image, and run the setup from there.

Rowland Shaw

Posted 2014-11-23T18:41:33.507

Reputation: 3 607

Wouldn't it unmount when the computer has to do its several restarts for installation? – Supuhstar – 2014-11-23T18:49:58.953

1It would, but by that point it's got everything it needs (that's how I installed it on my test machine) – Rowland Shaw – 2014-11-23T18:58:54.120

Thank you, I'll test this method! I upvoted to counteract that downvote :3 – Supuhstar – 2014-11-23T23:37:43.787