In Windows Vista it is very simple to burn DVDs.
Using Windows Media Player you can create your own music CD's and using Windows Movie Maker you can make your own movies.
You can even convert your digital video tape to DVD, so you can watch it on your television.

If you want to burn files on a CD or DVD, you simply drag the files to the DVD burner drive.
For making backups you can use the new backup center.

The first thing you need to do when burning a CD or DVD is get empty discs. But which discs do I need? Do I need CD-r, CD-rw, DVD-r, DVD-rw, DVD+r, DVD+rw?

The most important is that you buy discs where your computer can write to. In other words, the discs have to be compatible with your computer. If there is in your computer only a CD writer you cannot burn DVDs.
If the drive is compatible with CDs and DVDs then you can burn both discs. But there is also a difference between DVDs. Because there are DVD+r(w) and there are DVD-r(w) discs.


Now what is the difference between DVD-r and DVD+R?

The differences between DVD-R nd DVD+R is less relevant for computers, because computers can read both. The difference between those two DVD types has more to do with the way the data for playing movies will be stored on your television. But for the average computer user this information isn't relevant. Therefore you only need to know if the DVD player, DVD writer and other devices are compatible with DVD-r or DVD+r.

To find out which formats, DVD-Ror DVD+R are compatible with your device you should read the documentation which came with the device.

Now you know which formats are compatible with your DVD writer and you have some empty discs that you can burn data to.

How to burn a CD or DVD
If you place an empty CD or DVD into your drive it takes a few seconds until your computer recognizes the disc. Then there appears a window with some options on what to do with the disc. This window is called 'AutoPlay'.
In this window you can choose from the following options: 

Burn a DVD data disc using Windows Media Player: Choose this option if you want to write music, images or video files in the Windows Media Player media library to the disc. In this case Windows Media Player will be opened. Burn files to disc using Windows: choose this option if you want to write files or folders to the disc which you want to use on your computer or another computer.

If you choose the second option you see the window below.
The title of the disc doesn't have to be the date. You can also type an own title.


Now there are some more decisions to make. You can create a so called 'Live File System disc' (also called an UDF-disc) or you can create a so called 'Mastered disc'.

If you want to use the disc as a flash drive or floppy disk, you better choose for a 'Live File System disc'.
A mastered disc is only preferable if you want to use the disc in CD or DVD players or in computers which do not have Windows XP or Windows Vista installed.

Now what to choose:

• If you want to create a Live File System disc (UDF) and the disc only has to be compatible with Windows Vista and Windows XP, you click 'Next'.
• If you want to create a Live File System disc (UDF) which also has to be compatible with other operating systems, you click 'Show formatting options' and click on the 'Change version' link. Choose here the version you need.
• If you want to create a mastered disc (ISO) you click 'Show formatting options' and choose 'Mastered'.

If you did not choose the Mastered option, it takes a few seconds to format the disc. Windows Explorer will be opened so you can simply add files and folders to the disc. Because the disc is empty there are no icons being displayed.

Best practice is to open the Explorer in its own window and to open the empty disc windows in its own window so you simply have to drag the files and folders from one window to the other.

After you have copied all the files and folders to the disc and you want to remove the disc from your computer you simply push the eject button on the drive. It can take about 15 to 30 seconds before Windows Vista has ended the session so be patient and do not force it. You can always add more files later to the disc.

Burn a masterd disc (ISO)
If you have chosen to burn a masterd disc there will be a 'remember' baloon being displayed to notice you there are files waiting to be burned to disc.

As soon as you know for sure you want to write these files to the disc, you click the 'Burn to disc' button. (in the green circle here).
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the burn process.

Close a Live File System disc (UDF)
If you copy files to a Live File System disc and you push the eject button the drive, the session will be ended so the disc can be read on other computers as well. If the disc will not be ended for some reason and there will be no data being displayed on another computer you can do the following:

• Place the disc back in the drive where you created the disc with.
• When the AutoPlay window appears you close this window.
• Open the folder 'Computer'.
• Right click on the CD or DVD writer drive icon and choose 'Close Session'.

By closing the session there will be added some data about the disc, so the disc will be readable on other computers as well.
But this doesn't mean that there cannot be added more data to the disc.

Add more data later to the disc
You can always add more data to the CD or DVD later. You place the disc back in the drive and when the AutoPlay window appears, you click 'Open folder to view files'. You can also right click on the 'Computer' folder and select 'Open'.
Now you can just like the first time drag the files and folders to the disc to add them.

Erase a disc
CD-rw and DVD-rw discs can be erased so you can write new data to them. By erasing the disc you erase the entire disc, you can not erase a few files from it.

 

This can only be done to a Live File System -rw disc (UDF).
So before erasing the disc you have to be sure that the files on the disc are needed anymore, because the entire disc will be erased. There is no recycle bin for it. If there are files you want to keep then drag them from the disc to a folder on your hard drive and after that erase the disc.

To erase the disc you do the following:

• Place the disc in the drive.
• Choose 'Open folder to view files' in the AutoPlay window, or open the disc via Explorer.
• Click 'Erase the disc' to erase the entire disc.
• Right click on a file to delete that file. To delete multiple files hold Ctrl and click the files. (UDF disc only).

Format Cds and DVDs
You can format CDs and DVDs in two ways: mastered (ISO) and Live File System (UDF). The mastered (ISO) is almost compatible with every device. If you create a CD which has to be played in your CD player in the livingroom or in your car or if you create a DVD which you want to watch on your television, you should choose masterd (ISO). This because only a mastered disc is compatable with these devices.

The Live File System (UDF) is a bit more complicated. The advantage of UDF is that you can copy files and folders simpy by dragging them to the disc. It isn't necessary to burn temporary files first.
The disadvantage of the Live File System (UDF) is that UDF isn't compatible with CD players, DVD players, stereos and sometimes in other computers. How compatible a UDF disc is with other computers depends on which UDF version is chosen.

UDF 1.02: This can be read by Windows 98 and some Apple computers.

UDF 1.5: Is compatable with Windows 2000, XP and Server 2003. Can possibly not be read by Windows 98 computers and Apple computers.

UDF 2.01: Compatible with Windows XP and Server 2003. Earlier Apple computers can possibly not read these discs. This is the version which will automatically be chosen when you don't choose another version manually.

UDF 2.5: Specially designed for Windows Vista. Only use this when the disc only has to be read by Vista computers.

You can erase a disc using the AutoPlay window. You can also open the 'Computer' folder. You right click on the disc drive and select 'Format'. In this screen you can erase the disc.

Write disc directly from Windows Explorer
When browsing your files using the Windows Explorer you see a toolbar in the window with a few buttons. There is also the button 'Burn'.
Using this button you can write files to disc on any time, simply by clicking that button. This function works best when there is a -rw or +rw disc in the drive which is formatted as UDF.

Simply browse trough your files on your computer and when you see a file which need to be burned on the disc click on the file and click 'Burn' in the toolbar.

Write data disc using Media Player
As told before, when there is an empty disc placed in the drive and the AutoPlay window appears there is the option 'Burn a DVD data disc using Windows Media Player. You can choose this option to write music files and other media files to a DVD.
Remember that this is a data disc and it cannot be played in your stereo of DVD player in the livingroom (if they support MP3 they do can be played). But you can play them in every computer.

After you have chosen this option in the AutoPlay window, Windows Media Player will be opened and there will be a tab called 'Burn'. Here you can drag your music files, video files, tv recordings, etc. to the right pane to burn them to DVD.
To start burning click the 'Start Burn' button.

Working with Windows DVD Maker
Using Windows DVD Maker you can make DVDs which can be watched in every DVD player. You don't need a computer to watch the DVD.
A few things you need to think about before you are going to use Windows DVD Maker:

• Your computer must have a DVD writer.
• The disc type you are going to use, has to be compatible with the DVD writer (-r, +r)
  We recommend to use +r.
• If the video you like to burn on a DVD is on a video tape at the moment, use Windows Movie Maker to import the tape.
• You can add both moving videos and images. (the images will be showed as a slide show).

If you have rent a DVD movie sometimes, you know that a DVD often starts with a main menu with options about what to show from the DVD. For example you can click on 'Scenes' to see a particular scene.

These menus with scenes can also be added to the DVDs you create with Windows DVD Maker.