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Mounting Custom ISOs and Configuring Boot Priority

The Media tab in the FREAKHOSTING VPS Control Panel allows you to mount custom ISO images to a virtual CD/DVD drive and configure the boot order for your server. These features are essential when you need to install a custom operating system, boot into a recovery environment, or change which device your server boots from first.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Time

5 Minutes

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Custom ISO Mounting Is Disabled by Default

The ability to mount custom ISO images is disabled by default on all VPS accounts. If you need this feature enabled, please open a support ticket and our team will activate it for your server.Open a Support Ticket →

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Accessing the Media Tab

1

Navigate to Your Server

Click on Servers in the top navigation bar, then click Manage next to the server you want to configure.
2

Open the Media Tab

Click on the Media tab in the server management navigation.

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CD/DVD-ROM — Custom ISO Section

The CD/DVD-ROM section shows the current status of your virtual optical drive:
  • Drive Status — Shows whether the drive is Active (an ISO is mounted) or Inactive (no media loaded).
  • Available Media — Lists the custom ISO images that are available for mounting. If no media is available, you will see a “No Media Available” message.

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Mounting a Custom ISO

1

Choose Your ISO

Select the custom ISO image you want to mount from the Available Media dropdown list.
2

Mount the Image

Click the Mount button to attach the ISO to your server’s virtual CD/DVD drive. The drive status will change to Active.

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Unmounting a Custom ISO

To release the virtual drive, click the Unmount button next to the currently mounted ISO. The drive status will return to Inactive.
If you don’t see any ISO images listed, the custom ISO feature may not yet be enabled on your account. Please open a support ticket and request that custom ISO mounting be activated for your server.

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Boot Order Configuration

The Boot Order section allows you to choose which device your server attempts to boot from first:

HDD (Hard Disk Drive)

Boot from the server’s primary disk drive. This is the default and most common setting — your server boots the operating system installed on its main storage drive.

CD/DVD (Custom ISO)

Boot from the virtual CD/DVD drive. Use this when you need to boot from a mounted custom ISO image — for example, to install a custom operating system or run a recovery tool.

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Changing the Boot Order

1

Select the Boot Device

Click on either HDD or CD/DVD to select your preferred boot device. The selected option will be highlighted.
2

Apply the Change

Click the Apply button to save the new boot order.
3

Restart the Server

For the boot order change to take effect, restart your server using the power controls at the top of the page.

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Common Use Cases

To install a custom OS: (1) Mount the ISO image in the CD/DVD section, (2) Set the boot order to CD/DVD, (3) Restart the server, (4) Use VNC to interact with the installer, (5) After installation, set the boot order back to HDD and unmount the ISO.
If your server is unbootable, you can mount a rescue ISO image, boot from it, and use the recovery tools to repair your server. This is similar to booting from a USB recovery drive on a physical computer.
Custom ISO mounting is disabled by default on all accounts. If no ISO images are listed, you need to request activation. Please open a support ticket and let our team know you’d like the custom ISO feature enabled for your server.
Custom ISO availability is managed by FREAKHOSTING. If you need a specific ISO image that isn’t listed, open a support ticket and provide the name and download URL of the ISO you need. Our team will review the request and make it available if possible.

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Need Extra Help?

If you encounter any issues, our support team is ready to assist:

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Last Updated: March 2026 | VPS Support: Custom ISO management simplified.