ISO files are frequently used to distribute CD or DVD images. For example, if you download a Linux distribution or WinPE image, what you’ll most likely download is actually a .iso file that needs to be burned to a disc. Since Windows 7, Microsoft has added native support for burning ISO image directly to disc without using any third-party tools. Here’s how you can burn ISO to CD/DVD from Windows Explorer or Command Prompt in Windows 10, 8.1, 8 and 7.
Option 1: Burn ISO to Disc in Windows 10/8/7 from Windows Explorer
In Windows Explorer, navigate to the ISO image file you want to burn. Right-click on it and select Burn disc image.
Windows Disc Image Burner will now open. You can choose which disk burner to use, if you have more than one, in the Disc burner drop-down list. Insert a blank disc in your DVD or CD burner, wait for a few seconds and click on Burn. If you check the “Verify disc after burning” option, it will verify the content of burned CD and ISO file which will require additional time.
After the burning process finishes, the DVD/CD tray will automatically open and you will see a confirmation message if the burning process was successful.
Option 2: Burn ISO to Disc in Windows 10/8/7 from Command Prompt
If the “Burn disc image” option is missing from the right-click context menu, you can also launch the built-in Windows Disc Image Burner from Command Prompt. Here’s how to burn ISO file to CD / DVD at the Command Prompt:
Open an elevated Command Prompt. In Windows 10 or 8, just press the Windows key + X to open the Quick Access menu and then click “Command Prompt (Admin)“.
At the Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter.
isoburn.exe /Q [path to ISO file]
Disc Image Burner will launch. Insert an empty CD and click the Burn button to begin burning the selected ISO image file. If you want to verify the disc for any errors after burning, check the option labelled “Verify disc after burning” option before clicking Burn button.
Conclusion
Disc Image Burner (isoburn.exe) is available in Windows 7 or later version of Windows. For Windows Vista or XP, you’ll need to install the third-party application to burn ISO files, such as ISO2Disc, ImgBurn, etc.