Need to make repeated copies of the same CD? Or do you want to burn a CD image from an .ISO file acquired via the Internet, perhaps of another operating system? If you don't want to open up your CD burning application, you can burn CDs via DOS in Windows XP with the cdburn command.

To use the cdburn command, you'll need to first download and install the Windows 2003 Resource Kit.

To burn a CD, just enter a command in the following format:

cdburn [DRIVE:] [IMAGE]

For example, the following command burns the 5-2-3-linux.iso ISO image on a CD-R placed in the e: drive:

c:\isos\cdburn e: 5-2-3-linux.iso

If you want to erase the current image on a CD-RW first, use the -erase modifier:

c:\isos\cdburn e: -erase 5-2-3-linux.iso

Or, don't provide an image, and cdburn will just erase the contents of the CD-RW.

Other command line options you can place after the image name:

-sao

The cdburn command defaults to "track at once" mode. This option uses "session at once" mode.

-speed

Speed of burn, or max for maximum speed.

-imagehaspostgap

Use if your .ISO image already contains a 150 sector postgap.

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