Bootable CD for transferring files independently of computer operating systems

A method of booting a computer from a bootable CD so that CD image files may be transferred from the first computer to a second computer having an operating system different from the first computer by burning the files to a writeable CD comprising:

• recognizing a bootable hard disk drive disk image on the bootable CD during a BIOS routine;
• loading an operating system kernel from the bootable CD to operate the computer system and communicate with the auxiliary drive without requiring the use of a native operating system resident in the computer;
• loading a CD burning application from the bootable hard disk drive image into a ramdisk on the computer;
• replacing the bootable CD with a writeable CD;
• locating a CD image file on the computer;
• and
• executing the CD burning application from the ramdisk via the operating system kernel to burn the writable CD with the CD image file.

A method of transferring CD ROM formatted files between different operating systems comprising:

• booting a computer with an operating system kernel loaded from a bootable CD ROM to allow operation of the computer without requiring the use of a native operating system resident in the computer;
• loading a file transfer application for recognizing CD ROM formatted files on the computer and writing the CD ROM formatted files to a writeable CD ROM;
• replacing the bootable CD ROM with a writeable CD ROM;
• and
• transferring CD ROM formatted files from the computer to the writeable CD ROM using the file transfer application running on the operating system kernel.

A bootable CD for transferring CD ROM formatted files from the first computer to a second computer having an operating system different from the first computer by burning selected ones of the CD ROM formatted files onto a writeable CD ROM comprising:

• a bootable hard disk data structure for allowing a host computer to recognize and boot from the bootable CD;
• an operating system kernel for operating the host computer system without requiring the use of a native operating system resident in the computer;
• and
• an application executable by the operating system kernel for recognizing CD ROM formatted files on the computer and writing selected ones of the CD ROM formatted files to a writeable CD ROM.

A method of burning ISO 9660 images independently of an operating system comprising:

• inserting a bootable CD into a CD R/W drive of a first computer, the bootable CD comprising an operating system kernel allowing operation of the first computer without requiring the use of a native operating system resident in the computer and a CD burning application;
• restarting the first computer to boot from the bootable CD and to load the operating system kernel and the CD burning application from the bootable CD;
• removing the bootable CD;
• inserting a writeable CD in the computer;
• and
• executing the CD burning application via the operating system kernel to copy an ISO 9660 image located on the hard drive of the first computer to the writeable CD.