Burn ISO images to CD or DVD with Microsoft tools

If you use Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 or Windows Vista, you'll be able to burn an ISO image to a CD or DVD by using a pair of command-line tools. These utilities, called CDBURN and DVDBURN, are not third-party freeware — they're part of Microsoft's own Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools.

This toolkit is itself available as a free download and doesn't require Windows Genuine Advantage validation. The tools it includes are designed to help administrators streamline management tasks such as troubleshooting operating system issues, managing Active Directory, configuring networking and security features, and automating application deployment.

Both CDBURN and DVDBURN use the built-in IMAPI CD Burning COM Service to burn images to CD and DVD. This is the same service used by Windows Media Player, so it needs to be enabled and working properly in order for these programs to function.

How to use CDBURN:

Usage:
cdburn <drive> -erase [image [options]]
cdburn <drive> image [options]

Options:
-erase Erases the disk before burning (valid for R/W only)
-sao Writes the image out in "session at once", or cue sheet, mode (default is "track at once")
-speed Speed of burn, or 'max' for maximum speed
-imagehaspostgap Use if your image already contains a 150 sector postgap

The [image] must be provided unless the -erase flag is set.
If both an image and -erase are provided, the media will be
erased prior to burning the image to the disc.

How to use DVDBURN:

Usage: dvdburn <drive> <image> [/Erase]

CDBURN and DVDBURN have the same limitation: They can only burn from an ISO image; they can't work from a collection of files. As an intermediate step, you can use Alex Feinman's tool ISO Recorder to build an ISO image from files in a directory.