Unable to burn CD/DVD from within a virtual machine using ESXi host CD/DVD device
Article ID: 435034
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
Attempts to burn a CD or DVD from within a virtual machine fail or behave inconsistently when using a CD/DVD device connected to the ESXi host.
Environment
VMware vSphere / ESXi
Virtual Machines using CD/DVD drive
CD/DVD device types:
ESXi host CD/DVD device
Emulated CD-ROM
Client device (remote passthrough)
Cause
In ESXi, CD/DVD devices connected from the host are presented to virtual machines using emulated or abstracted interfaces that do not provide full direct access to the physical optical device.
Optical disc burning requires direct communication with the device and support for the full MMC/SCSI command set. This level of access is not provided when using ESXi host CD/DVD devices or emulated CD/DVD configurations.
You can write or burn a remote CD only through passthrough mode access.
Resolution
To successfully burn a CD/DVD from within a virtual machine:
Use the Client Device option in the vSphere Client
Ensure the CD/DVD drive is configured in passthrough mode
Perform the burn operation from a system where the physical optical device is directly accessible
Alternatively:
Perform disc burning on a physical machine outside of ESXi
Create an ISO and mount it to the VM
Additional Information
Emulated CD/DVD devices provide read-only functionality
Host-based CD/DVD access does not expose full device command capabilities
Client device passthrough enables direct access required for write operations
Supporting references:
Configure a Datastore ISO File for the CD/DVD Drive
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