How to Burn CDs and DVDs

CSC Proprietary 12/07/21 05:43 PM 008_5849_ER_Gray 1

How to Burn CDs and DVDs

Overview
• Your computer may have an IBM/Lenovo drive (burner) that will
give you the ability to write to (or “burn”) CD1 and/or DVD2 media
– If so, a program called RecordNow! may be installed that will allow
you to do so
• Windows XP is installed on your computer
– It has a built-in CD burning capability, but can not burn DVDs
• This presentation
– Describes some of your burner’s capabilities
– Directs users to the RecordNow! help file for instructions on how to
use it
– Provides instructions on how to burn CDs using Windows XP
– Includes FAQ and Troubleshooting sections

1. References to “writing to a CD” apply to both CD-R (CD-Recordable) and CD-RW (Re-Writable) media
2. References to “writing to a DVD” apply to DVD media such as –R, +R, –RW, +RW , –RAM, and Dual layer

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

What you can do with your burner:

• Read CDs and/or DVDs
– This is dependent on the type of drive you have. Some computers have
combo units that can read and/or write to CDs and/or DVDs
• For information about burning DVDs, refer to RecordNow! Help (if
installed). Additional CD burning capability can be found in the
following points.
• Burn files to CD-R (recordable) and CD-RW (rewritable) media
– The CD-Rs you produce are readable on any CD reader
– CD-RWs can be read in most newer CD readers, but not all
• Add files to a CD you have already burned (create a multi-session
CD)
– Until your CD is full, you can add files to it
– Each time you burn files to a CD, there is a 14MB overhead
– Think about burning files in groups, rather than one at a time

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

What you can do with your burner (cont'd)

• Overwrite files already on a CD

– Original files are not actually overwritten, but you can only see the
new file
• Give a name (volume label) to your CD
– To identify its contents
– You’ll see the name in Windows Explorer
• Erase an entire CD-RW
– Individual files can not be deleted

The CD/DVDs you burn may contain sensitive or

confidential data. Treat them as you would treat all
documents of this nature.

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

CD/DVD Security
• When storing and creating CD/DVDs remember
– Storing CD/DVDs
• Storage of information, both hard copy and electronic media (e.g. disk drives,
backup tapes, CD & DVDs etc.), containing confidential or sensitive data must
be stored and locked within a desk or cabinet.
– Copying or Sharing Information
• All users of licensed and proprietary material must adhere to the licensing
agreement’s terms and conditions, as stated by the vendor. The duplication of
copyright audio, video or software material from CD, DVD or via network
download is strictly prohibited. Violations may result in disciplinary actions up
to and including dismissal.
• Always classify and label the information on your CD/DVDs
– Classify as the most sensitive file on the CD/DVD
• Before Discarding
– All information, both hard copy and electronic media (e.g. disk drives,
backup tapes, CD & DVDs etc.), must be disposed of in a manner that
guarantees confidentiality and non-disclosure of the information stored.
Portable media which contains any confidential or sensitive data shall be
physically (magnetically) erased or shredded before being discarded,
reused, or returned. Do not allow obsolete CD/DVDs to accumulate.

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where can I get CD/DVD media to use in my burner?
– Follow your region's normal procurement process to acquire media.
2. What type of DVD media can I burn to?
– DVD media comes in a variety of formats: -R, +R, -RW, +RW , - RAM, Dual layer
– The manufacturer of the drive dictates the formats supported
– Most drives support DVD-R, many also support +R
– The drive manufacturer and model is typically available in the Windows Device
Manager. Once obtained, media support information should be available on the
vendor’s web site
– You can test your drive with different media to see what works
3. My computer has a burner, but RecordNow! is not installed. Why?
– RecordNow! is only licensed for use on IBM/Lenovo burners. During
commissioning of your PC, if an IBM/Lenovo drive was not detected, RecordNow!
is not installed.
– Your PC may have been built with a version of the CSC Enterprise SOE that
does not Include the RecordNow! software.
– If you have a DVD burner, the manufacturer of the drive may have DVD-burning
software available for download. Otherwise software, such as RecordNow!, must
be purchased.

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

Frequently Asked Questions (cont'd)

4. Can I burn a file directly from Microsoft Word or some
other application using Save As… ?
– In most cases, no. Even though your drive has a drive letter
associated with it and you can select it, the Windows
Operating System does not permit this. There are
applications that allow you to do this, but this functionality is
not included in the CSC Enterprise SOE at this time.
DVD-RAM media is the exception. If your drive supports this
media, you should be able to write directly to it as you would
to a floppy disk.
5. Where can I get more help?
– RecordNow! Help (if installed)
– Your local CSC Help Desk

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

Burning CDs using Windows XP

• The remaining slides provide instructions and information
about using the built-in capability Windows XP has, to burn
CDs.
• If installed and if you prefer, you can use RecordNow! to
burn CDs. Windows XP does not have the ability to burn
DVDs.

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

CD Burning Instructions

Your CD-RW is assigned a Drive

letter. In this example it is Drive
E: but yours may be D: or some
other letter

1. Insert a blank CD
2. You’ll be given a choice to
“Open a writable CD folder”
– Choose this to automatically
open a folder to your CD-RW
drive
– You can make this a
permanent choice by checking
“Always do the selected
action”
– Click OK

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

CD Burning Instructions (cont'd)

3. Drag files you want to burn into the window
– Makes a temporary copy of your file. The original file remains
in its original location

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

CD Burning Instructions (cont'd)

4. When you are ready to burn the files to CD, click
“Write these files to CD”

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

CD Burning Instructions (cont'd)

5. The CD Writing Wizard
starts
– Enter a CD name (or
label) to identify the
CD, if you wish.
Maximum length is 16
characters
– Click Next

6. Burning begins
– You will see a progress
bar

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

CD Burning Instructions (cont'd)

7. (Optional) If you want
to burn the same files to
another CD, check the
box. If you had any files
already on your CD
before you started the
burn, they will not be on
the new CD

8. Upon completion, click

Finish

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

Alternate CD Burning Instructions

1. If the CD you inserted is not blank, or you did not choose to

Open the writable CD folder after inserting a blank CD
– Open Windows Explorer
– Click on your CD Drive under My Computer

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

Alternate CD Burning Instructions (cont'd)

2. Drag files you want to burn into the window. (If your
display looks different than is shown below, try selecting
View  Details)
– Any files already on the CD are shown

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

Alternate CD Burning
Instructions (cont'd)
3. When you are ready to burn the
files to CD, right click on the CD
Drive and select “Write these
files to CD”

4. The wizard starts as shown in the

first set of Burning Instructions

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

Advanced Options
The default settings for your CD-RW
drive should be fine, but they are
adjustable. Changing these settings
will affect all CDs that you burn.

1. To make changes, right click on

the CD Drive and select
“Properties”

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

Advanced Options (cont'd)

2. Click the Recording tab

• Be sure Recording is enabled

• You can change the location

where files are temporarily stored
before they are burned

• You can change the burn speed if

you are experiencing errors

• It is recommended to leave this

checked, otherwise Windows
doesn’t always update its view of
remaining available space on a
CD correctly
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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

Frequently Asked Questions about Burning CDs using Windows

XP
1. What if I don’t want to burn a file after I have dragged it to be
burned?
– As long as you haven’t burned the file yet, you can select it and delete it.
The file to be burned is moved to the recycle bin. The original file
remains in its original location.
2. Can I replace a file on a CD?
– Effectively yes. If you add a file whose name matches one already on the
CD, you will receive a warning message that you are about to replace a
file. If you proceed, only the new file will subsequently be seen. Although
it appears that you have replaced a file, the space occupied by the
original is not released, so the disk fills up.
3. Can I delete a file on a CD?
– No. The Windows Operating System's burning technology is not
designed to allow this.

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

FAQs about Burning CDs using Windows XP (cont'd)

4. How do I know how much room I have left to burn on a CD?
– Right click on the CD drive and select Properties. You will see how much
space is used and available. If you want to see the size of all the files you
are about to burn, select them all, right click and select Properties.
5. What if I try to drag more files than I have room for to my CD drive?
– When you select “Write these files to CD”, the wizard will tell you if you
don’t have enough room.
6. Can I save a file to a CD from Microsoft Word or some other
application using Save As… ?
– No. Even though your drive has a drive letter associated with it and you
can select it, the Windows Operating System's burning technology is not
designed to work this way. If you try, you will get an error message. The
text of the message varies, but indicates that the drive can not be written
to.
7. Is there any other way I can select files to be burned?
– Yes. Right click on a file or group of files and select Send to  CD Drive

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

FAQs about Burning CDs using Windows XP (cont'd)

8. Can I change the volume name on the CD?
– Yes. During each burn operation, you have the opportunity to
change the name of the CD.
9. Can I burn Audio CDs?
– Yes. This topic is beyond this presentation. For further information,
review “Windows Media Player” Help.
10. What if I need more advanced burning capabilities (eg. creating
bootable CDs or advanced burning options)?
– You will need full featured burning software. If RecordNow! is
available on your computer, it may have the capabilities you need.
11. Where can I get more help?
– “Windows Help and Support” in the Start Menu
– www.microsoft.com
– RecordNow! help
– Your local CSC Help Desk

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How to Burn CDs and DVDs

Troubleshooting Burning CDs using Windows XP

1. When I drag a file to my CD-RW drive it says it is Read-only
– Be sure the options are set so that Recording is Enabled (see the
Advanced Options section in this presentation)
2. I burned files to CD-RW media and they can’t be read on
another PC
– CD-RWs are incompatible with some CD readers. For maximum
compatibility, use CD-Rs.

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