Good day. If you have looked at my blog page, it means you need computer help or just want to read something informative to expand your knowledge. I will try not to disappoint you. Today I will talk about how to burn a folder with files to disk. As it turns out, this task causes difficulties for many users. After all, it’s not every day that you have to cut blanks...
Kinds
First, let's figure out what the marks CD, DVD, +R, -R, +RW, -RW mean.
CD and DVD
There are two types of disk media - CD (Compact Disc - compact) and DVD (Digital Versatile Disc / Digital Video Disc - digital multi-purpose / video). It is generally accepted that CDs are intended for recording data - documents, music and pictures, and DVDs are for recording video. This opinion is wrong. Both types are suitable for storing any files. The only difference between them is in capacity - a CD can only hold 700 megabytes, while a standard DVD can record files up to 4.7 gigabytes in size. Although new generation discs can hold up to 45 gigabytes of information, which is achieved by superimposing 3 recording layers on top of each other.
R and RW
In the disk designation you can find the English letters R and RW, which indicate how many times this media can be used. The letter R means one-time use, and RW can be rewritten several times.
Plus and minus
Friends, many of you have probably noticed that the type of blank is sometimes indicated with a plus and sometimes with a minus. A plus indicates that additional information can be written to the disk without erasing the data already there, and a minus, accordingly, means that this cannot be done. Thus, if a disk medium says CD+R, it means that it is disposable, but you can add new ones to existing files.
Cleaning
Used RW blanks can always be erased and then the necessary information can be written onto them. In different versions of Windows, the sequence of actions that need to be performed to clear the media of data already present there is somewhat different. Let's take a closer look at each OS version.
XP
To clean up a disk in Windows XP, perform the following steps:
- We insert it into the drive.
- Open it - go to “My Computer”, find the desired disk (usually it is signed as (E:) CD or DVD+/-RW drive), quickly double-click on it or right-click (right mouse button) and select Open.
- Right-click anywhere in the free space and start cleaning by selecting “Erase this...” and clicking “Next” in the window that opens.
"Seven"
In the seventh version of the operating system in question, the sequence of actions is slightly different:
- Insert the media into the drive.
- We open it, to do this, go to the “Computer” through the “Start” menu and make two quick right-clicks on the CD / DVD drive.
- You can try to delete only unnecessary files, for which we right-click on them and look for the “Delete” item; if there is one, select it and wait for the result.
- If there is no command for deletion, then at any point in the empty space, right-click again and start cleaning by selecting “Erase” or something similar, click “Next”, wait until the cleaning is completed and click “Finish”.
"Ten"
You can completely clear disk media in Windows 10 using two commands - “Format” and “Erase this...”. At first, the procedure for running both commands is the same:
- We insert the blank into the drive.
- Launch “Explorer” by clicking on the corresponding icon in the “Start” menu or on the “Taskbar”.
- Expand the “This Computer” directory.
- We find the item with the designation of the drive, right-click and select one of the commands “Format” or “Erase...”.
- In both cases, confirm the action by clicking the “Next” and “Finish” buttons.
Record
Once the media is prepared, you can begin recording the necessary information on it. There are two ways to achieve what you want: record it yourself, that is, using OS tools, or use special programs, if available on your PC.
On one's own
Programs are, of course, very convenient, but not every computer has them. It would be nice to learn how to cut blanks by hand. I’ll also tell you about each version of Windows separately (I won’t write further about the fact that you need to insert a blank into the system unit, I think this is already clear).
XP
Let's start with how to burn a folder with files to a CD-R or any other disk using the capabilities of Windows XP:
- Select the prepared files and copy them (“Edit” or RMB =>> “Copy”).
- Open the media through “My Computer” and paste what you copied (RMB on an empty space =>> “Paste”).
- Again, right-click on the free space and launch the burning wizard by selecting “Burn files to CD.”
- If you wish, then set a name and start “burning” by clicking the “Next” button.
"Seven"
Now let's talk about how to burn a folder with files to a DVD or any other disc in the seventh edition of the designated operating system:
- Let’s start the same way – copy the selected folders.
- Open the drive (two quick clicks with your tailed friend), going to it through “Start” and “Computer”.
- A window will open in which you need to specify the type of future media - it can perform the functions and have the capabilities of a standard flash drive, or remain a regular CD or DVD format media.
- When choosing the option with a flash drive, click “Next”, answer “Yes” to formatting, spend some time waiting, paste the copied folders, confirm, wait, check the result using the system’s offer.
- When selecting a standard media, click “Next”, paste the copied files into the window that opens, right-click on an empty space, select the “Burn...” command.
"Ten"
Friends, if at the moment you are interested in how to write a folder with files to disk in Windows 10, then just re-read the previous paragraph “Seven”, since the algorithms of action in these two versions of the OS are, in general, no different.
Using programs
It would be nice if one of the following programs was permanently installed on every computer, with the help of which you can easily, quickly and efficiently (to be read on any device) record data of any formats on disk media.
Ultra ISO
The first program that I want to briefly talk about is UltraISO. Using it to burn a folder with files to disk is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance, but the image must be mounted in advance (more on this another time):
- Launch the program and select “Open” from the “File” menu.
- Find the prepared image and select it (its contents should be displayed in the window).
- Expand the “Tools” menu and select “Burn CD image” or click on the “Burn” icon on the toolbar (burning blank).
- Set the recording speed (the lower the better, but the wait will take longer) and confirm the action with the “Record” button.
Alcohol 120%
If the Alcohol 120% program is installed on your PC, then you can write a folder with files to disk using it, here’s how it’s done:
- This program is designed to create virtual disks, which is what you need to do - mount the image by placing the necessary files in it (using the “Create image” command in the menu on the left).
- In the left window, in the list of commands, select “Write images” and follow the further instructions of the program.
Nero
In my opinion, the most convenient program for such purposes is Nero (users often affectionately call it “Nyurka” among themselves), I will briefly describe how to write a folder with files to disk using it:
- Launch Nero and select the type of future media – CD or DVD with data, audio CD or video DVD.
- In the next window, in the two sections on the right, find the prepared folder and drag it into the second window on the left.
- You can add documents as long as there is enough capacity, as evidenced by the green bar and scale at the bottom of the window.
- To start “burning”, press the button in the form of a blank and a burning match.
- Set the speed parameter, press the “Burn” button and wait for it to finish.
Friends, I brought only three programs. There are many of them, but they asked me to tell me how to burn discs using these particular software. If there is a need, I will describe others. Please include names in the comments. Bye everyone.
Each of us has our own ideas about free software. Some computer owners are hostile to it and prefer to deal only with commercially distributed products, the price of which includes not only the honor and respect of the developers, but also technical support services. Others are confident that enthusiasm alone will not get you far; they predict a sad future for free and open source solutions and, if possible, try to avoid them. Still others, on the contrary, believe in the bright prospects of free and open source software, actively use it in everyday work and just as zealously promote its use.
One can endlessly list the advantages and disadvantages of freely distributed products, but one cannot help but take away one important quality from them - the freedom of choice that they provide. If, when purchasing software from coin-loving developers, users usually focus on the thickness of their own wallet, then when choosing free and open source applications, they rely solely on their own needs and imagination. If you don’t like one program, you can, with a little effort, try a lot of other products whose characteristics approach, and in some cases outshine, other commercial solutions on the market. In order not to be unfounded, we decided to present a selection of applications for burning optical discs that can be a worthy alternative to paid programs and are a must-have element in the arsenal of every PC user.
⇡InfraRecorder
Developer: infrarecorder.org
Distribution size: 3.3 MB
OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
An open source CD and DVD burning program that supports ISO, BIN/CUE disk images. InfraRecorder works with rewritable and multisession optical media, can find a common language with Audio CDs and dual-layer DVDs, and is also equipped with functions for cloning discs and checking them for errors. One of the features of the application is the interface, implemented in the style of Windows Explorer and translated into forty-odd languages, including Russian. In addition to the standard editions of the utility for 32- and 64-bit platforms, the website of developer Christian Kindahl presents a portable version of InfraRecorder that works from any flash drive.
⇡BurnAware Free
Developer: burnaware.com
Distribution size: 5.9 MB
OS: Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/7
A tool for burning CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs. The functionality included in the program allows you to burn Audio-CD, DVD-Video and MP3 discs, create bootable and multi-session media, and also create ISO images from them. BurnAware Free includes an automatic update module via the Internet and a mechanism for checking the recorded data to ensure that the process went smoothly. The utility's interface has been Russified, but the developers haven't gotten around to translating the help. In the process, the accelerator application tries to introduce the Ask.com toolbar into Windows, so those who are planning to twirl the tool in their hands are advised to be careful when installing it on their computer. It should also be noted that BurnAware Free cannot create exact copies of CDs and DVDs - this function is present in commercial editions of the product, which are beyond the scope of our review.
⇡ Nero 9 Lite
Developer: nero.com
Distribution size: 31.6 MB
OS: Windows XP/Vista/7
A stripped-down version of the well-known package for burning discs Nero Burning ROM. It will appeal to those who love Nero products and are willing to put up with the numerous limitations of the free version of the application. The program can only burn CDs and DVDs, copy them, as well as clean rewritable discs and display reference information about the discs used. The Nero 9 Lite application was created with potential buyers of the full edition of the popular package in mind, and therefore is replete with dialog boxes encouraging the user to make a choice in favor of a commercial product. Similar to the above-mentioned program, Nero 9 Lite also installs the Ask.com toolbar in the Internet Explorer browser and does this even if the checkbox is unchecked in the installer settings. And although the unnecessary component can subsequently be removed through the Windows Control Panel, the very fact of forced installation of the toolbar cannot but be alarming.
⇡ ImgBurn
Developer: imgburn.com
Distribution size: 4.4 MB
OS: all versions of Windows, Linux (using Wine environment)
One of the most powerful tools for working with CDs, DVDs, HD DVDs and Blu-ray discs. ImgBurn supports BIN, CUE, DI, DVD, GI, IMG, ISO, MDS, NRG and PDI formats, allows the user to create audio discs from MP3, MP4, MPC, OGG, PCM, WAV, WMA and other files, interacts with any optical drives and can check the quality of data recording. The program is characterized by a huge number of parameters through which the user can flexibly manipulate the characteristics of the utility and customize it in his own way. No less interesting is the fact that all operations performed by ImgBurn are logged and shown as a report in a special window displayed next to the main application window. It hardly makes sense to recommend this program to novice users, but advanced computer owners should like it.
⇡CDBurnerXP
Developer: cdburnerxp.se
Distribution size: 6.3 MB
OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
Features of this program are a built-in manager for printing covers for discs, a module for converting NRG and BIN images to ISO, as well as a rich toolkit for creating audio CDs from files in MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC and WMA formats. Otherwise, CDBurnerXP is almost in no way inferior to ImgBurn, with the exception, perhaps, of the interface, which is easier to use and understandable to ordinary users. Thanks to the successful combination of all these factors, the utility has received special attention from many software portals and online media, including our online publication.
⇡DeepBurner Free
Developer: deepburner.com
Distribution size: 2.7 MB
OS: all versions of Windows
Another remake of a commercial product, the functionality of which was deliberately reduced by the developers. DeepBurner Free works with CD and DVD media (including multisession media), can create audio CDs and burn data borrowed from an ISO image onto discs. A Russified interface made in the style of Windows Explorer, an update checker module, settings for the drive buffer size - all this and much more is implemented in the program. For the convenience of potential users, the creators of DeepBurner Free have provided a portable version of the application, designed for copying to flash drives and subsequent launch on any computer at hand.
⇡ Ashampoo Burning Studio Free
Developer: ashampoo.com
Distribution size: 8.2 MB
OS: Windows XP/Vista/7
A product of the German company Ashampoo, distributed by the developer not directly from his own website, but through a network of partner sites. It differs from all the applications listed above in its ability to record data on CD, DVD, Blu-ray and create Audio-CD, Video-DVD, VCD, SVCD. The program supports work with more than 1,700 different drives, can copy media and create images in ISO, CUE/BIN, ASHDISC formats, and copes well with rewritable and multi-session discs. If desired, Ashampoo Burning Studio Free can be used as a tool for creating backup copies of data and then restoring information at the right time. The only thing missing in the German product is the function of creating bootable disks, which in some cases can be extremely useful.
⇡Burn4Free
Developer: burn4free.com
Distribution size: 2.2 MB
OS: all versions of Microsoft operating systems starting from Windows 98
A program for recording CDs, DVDs, AudioCDs, equipped with an interface that, when you look at it, involuntarily brings tears of sympathy to your eyes. If you brush them away and try to sort through the heap of keys, a good half of which, when pressed, redirect you to advertised sites, you can come to the conclusion that Burn4Free actually can do a lot, but getting to the functionality built into the product is not so easy because behind the ubiquitous pop-up banners. The application burns ISO images, supports working with various music formats, interacts with more than three thousand models of optical drives and is distinguished by other talents hidden under a layer of buttons of an archaic and completely stupid interface.
⇡ Small CD-Writer
Developer: small-cd-writer.com
Distribution size: 411 kb
OS: Windows (no information about specific versions)
The only program in our review for burning CDs and DVDs, created by the hands of domestic wizards. Unlike most similar programs, Small CD-Writer has a miniature size, works without installation, and does not require space for caching files. The utility allows you to create multi-session and bootable disks, burn ISO images of CDs, view all sessions on the disk and extract files from them, save projects on your computer disk. Automatic detection of the burner drive and recording speed, coupled with the most simplified interface, allows users of any level of training to work with the program. To transfer files to optical media, simply select the “Send to Small CD-Writer” menu item in Windows Explorer and click the “Burn” button in the window that opens.
⇡ Express Burn
Developer: nch.com.au/burn/
Distribution size: 470 kb
OS: all editions of Windows, Mac OS X (starting from version 10.2)
Another miniature CD, DVD and Blu-ray burner. Despite its modest size, Express Burn has such functions as recording user data, creating audio and video discs, copying optical media and working with ISO images. A distinctive feature of the program, according to the developers, is its high speed and low requirements for computer computing resources. We were unable to find any shortcomings with Express Burn. The only disappointment was the lack of a portable edition of the product designed to run from flash devices.
⇡ Conclusion
Recording to a CD of any format is quite simple. To do this, take a CD-R or CD-RW disc. The difference between these two types of discs is that CD-R files are written once and cannot be erased later. Whereas with CD-RW you can delete unnecessary files and write new ones as many times as necessary. The capacity of these discs is such that it is convenient to record text documents, pictures, photos, music, and small videos on them.
Instructions for writing information to disk
Insert the disc into the drive of your computer or laptop. Open the disk on your computer. The system can automatically open the disk folder. But if the computer does not do this, you should open “My Computer” and find the CD/DVD drive in it.
Select the files and folders that need to be transferred to disk. Then you need to grab them with the mouse cursor and transfer them to disk. Or right-click and select “Copy” from the list that appears. Click the same mouse button in place of the open disk and add files using “Insert”.
The files will be transferred to the disk. However, this does not mean that they are recorded. If you try to remove the disk from the drive at this stage, the necessary files will not be on it. To burn files, right-click on an empty space in the disk folder and select “Burn files to CD” in the window that appears. After this, a wizard window for writing files to disk will open.
In the name window for this CD, instead of the name “disc”, you can select any name in order to remember what information is recorded on this media. Or you can leave the disk without a name. You can also check the box “Close the wizard when you finish writing files”, but this is also optional. To continue the recording process, click “Next”.
The disc will begin recording, as indicated by a green bar. When it reaches the end and disappears, a new “Done” window will appear. This means the process is complete. The burned disc should pop out of the computer on its own. You can reinsert it into the drive to check for files on it. You can use this disk.
Other recording programs
There are also separate disc burning programs that require installation on your computer. Such programs have a user-friendly interface and help the user with clear instructions during the process of burning to disk. They are simple to use: you need to insert the disc into the drive, run the program on your computer, and then follow the instructions that appear.
The most popular and convenient recording program is Nero. It allows you to record different types of information on different types of disks, and does it quickly and reliably. Another convenient program is BurnAware Free. As the name suggests, it comes in a free version, although it also has a more comprehensive paid version. But in order to burn a disc without any problems, the program is very suitable. No inconvenient functions, everything is simple and clear. Of course, the commercial version contains more features that will be useful for advanced users, for example, the ability to copy disks or create images for them.
A more powerful program is Ashampoo Burning Studio Free, also a free version, but it will delight the user with a wider range of functions than BurnAware Free. The downside is slow loading. There are several dozen similar programs, so you can always choose the most suitable option from them.
Files important for work must be constantly backed up. On computers equipped with Windows, the required data is saved using operating system tools that allow them to be copied to CD/DVD/BD disks. To record , the computer must have a recording device, a program that controls this process, and, of course, a blank disk. Further actions are described below.
Necessity
Information in a computer is stored on a hard drive, also known as a hard drive. It is of limited volume. Although the capabilities of hard drives are constantly growing and are now measured in terabytes, the amount of stored data is also constantly increasing. This is due to the quality of the information. There always comes a time for the user to save existing data. Optical discs allow you to store them for a long time.
It is also impossible to deny the case when it is necessary to transfer data from a computer to someone. Unfortunately, situations occur when the Internet is unavailable, and a flash drive is too expensive a device to give away instead of a DVD or CD. Therefore, knowledge of how to use a recording device is simply necessary.
Disk types
An empty medium is called a blank. Let's look at the types of disks.
It is better to save programs and data on a CD-ROM, but it allows you to write more than 650 MB, which can then neither be erased nor added.
You can already create several sessions on a CD-R, but the volume is still small - 650 or 700 MB. In this case, the data is also not erased.
CD-RW – assumes multiple recording and erasing of unnecessary records, up to 650 MB.
DVD-ROM discs already allow you to write data with a total volume of 4.7 GB, but again once, you can only read it.
DVD- /+R – a multi-session recording is created, the disc size is equal to the previous one.
DVD-/+RW discs work like a flash drive, repeatedly writing and deleting files , their volume coincides with the previous one. They have earned popularity because of the cost.
A variety of types are observed in DVD-RAM, but they require the same player, the size varies from 2.6 - 9.4 GB.
Files totaling 8.5 gigabytes in size are written to DVD-/+RDL in several sessions, which greatly simplifies the process.
The largest size BD, they come in two variants 25 GB and 50 GB, respectively. If they have indexes R and RDL, then they work in single-session recording mode, and with indexes RE and REDL in multi-session recording mode.
Recording methods
Write downspecial software will help you transfer information to optical media. In the latest versions of Windows operating environment, these software tools are built-in. For example, in Windows 7, select a disk from which to copy, a directory (file), and enable the “Burn ...” function.
"Record..." function.
The system's response to the selection of this function.
System response.
Help information when asking for help from the system is shown in the figure.
Help window
The next step, which is to set the media name and file system, is shown in the following figure. In LFS, files are recorded one at a time, so there is no need to reserve space on the computer; it is possible to edit and resave them, but this is not supported by players. The Mastered system allows music and video files to be read by players, but they need to be recorded in a group and require space on the hard drive.
Recording options
After the request to drag and drop the files with the mouse, copying is carried out.
Copy operation
The message about the remaining balance is very approximate. As copying progresses, the time is updated. In reality, the recording of these elements lasted 24 minutes instead of 17 hours.
Should I close the session?
Rewritable optical media do not require session closure, but Mastered does not. The session on CD-R, DVD-/+R discs is closed. If LFS is used, each recording session is closed after the last data block. It must be remembered that this ensures compatibility when further using the disk with external devices and computers. Please note that information can be recorded in less than the volume specified on the disk.
Closing the current session
Erasing information
This operation is only possible for RW disks. To delete information, you must use the right mouse button. This operation will destroy all files located on the disk, click the “Next” button and wait for it to complete.
August 17, 2015This article contains instructions for repeatedly writing to laser CDs and DVD RW discs in Windows 8. To burn CDs and DVDs on Windows 8, you do not need any additional programs - there is a built-in laser disc burning tool.
Laserdiscs are divided into two categories:
- One-time entry. Data can only be written to such a disk once. The designations of such disks are CD-R, DVD-R, DVD+R.
- Multiple recording. Data can be written to such a disk more than once. The designations of such disks are CD-RW, DVD-RW, DVD+RW.
If you insert a blank CD-RW or DVD-RW disc into the drive, Windows 8 Explorer will automatically prompt you to format this disc when you try to open this disc:
LFS more often called UDF. File system for batch burning to CD and DVD discs. Allows you to use a laser disc in the same way as a regular one. That is, copy and delete files in the simplest way, as if it were not a laser disk, but a regular disk or flash drive. The UDF file system is particularly used on DVD-Video discs.
Mastered This is a disc recording in the ISO9660 file system with the Joliet extension. The ISO9660 file system is the traditional laser disc file system. Audio CDs, MP3 discs, discs with computer programs are recorded in this file system.
Burning CD and DVD RW discs UDF (LFS)
The UDF file system is used for batch recording on laser discs. Depending on the version, it is supported by different versions of Windows. For example, Windows XP supports UDF versions 1.50, 2.0, 2.01.
The UDF file system is also used in video and audio recording and playback systems, for example in DVD players (DVD-video discs are made using UDF version 1.50). There are video camera models that record filmed material onto DVD-RW discs.
In order to use such a disk, you first need to format it. If you insert a blank CD-RW or DVD-RW disc into the drive, Windows 8 Explorer will automatically prompt you to format this disc (when you try to open this disc in Explorer):
Formatting into the UDF file system can take quite some time, for example, a 700 mb CD-RW can be formatted in 10 - 12 minutes. DVD-RW discs are formatted faster.
If the RW disk is not empty (there was a recording on it), it can be formatted differently. After the disk is recognized and appears in Explorer, you need to right-click on it and select the “Format” menu item:
Then specify formatting options in the dialog box:
After formatting is complete, you can copy files to this drive directly through Windows Explorer:
However, you need to remember that the writing speed on a UDF disk is much lower than on a regular disk or USB flash drive. In addition, when using the UDF file system, compatibility problems with household players are possible. For example, you burn MP3 files to a UDF disc, but this disc will not play on your car player.
If you are recording a disc for playback on home appliances, it is better to use the ISO9660 file system:
Burn CD and DVD RW discs ISO9660
Data of any type (photos, MP3, movies, programs) can be recorded on RW discs in ISO9660 format. The advantages of this file system are that it is supported by home players to a greater extent than UDF. The disadvantage of recording in this format is that the recording must be done in one go. You cannot write or delete individual files on a disk with this file system at different times.
Re-writing to RW discs is possible, but the entire disc must be erased before doing so.
This is an inconvenience of discs in ISO9660 format. The ability to record only once and the need to erase the entire disk when recording again.
The ISO9660 file system can be used in two ways. If you insert a blank (erased or new) RW disk, then Windows 8 Explorer will automatically prompt you to format this disk (when you try to open this disk) and you need to select the second type (Mastered):
If there is already a recording on the RW disk, then it needs to be erased. After the disk is recognized and appears in Explorer, you need to right-click on it and select the “Erase this disk” menu item:
After that
You can now write files to the disk.
Writing files in ISO9660 format is done in two stages. First you need to copy the files to this disk:
You can drag files with the mouse from another window. Or you can go to another folder, select and copy the necessary files, then open the RW disk again and paste the copied files onto it:
The files are inserted and the disc is ready to be written. If you need to add more files, it's not a problem, just repeat the previous step. Find the files you need, copy them and paste them onto the RW disk.
