The data CDs have been for many years a simple and inexpensive method to switch files. Today they are less used, but certainly no less useful.
For whatever reason you need to burn a data CD, we are here to help you find out how to burn a CD , guiding you step by step and suggesting which CD burning programs to use.
First, you need to know that a common Compact Disc has the capacity of about 700 megabytes (MB) and to burn it you need:
- A blank CD (new or so-called blank );
- A CD burner ;
- A CD burning program.
Both Windows and Apple computers have standard programs for burning data CDs . In our guide we will explain how to burn using both these programs already installed, and other programs that you can download for free from the web.
Read also | Complete guide on how to burn a DVD
- Burn a data CD with Windows 10
- Burn a data CD with Windows Media player
- Burn a data CD with an Apple computer
- Burn data CDs with free programs
Burn a data CD with Windows 10
For Windows 10 users , burning a data CD is very quick and easy. Insert a blank disc into the optical drive, then go to “This PC”, a section that you can find in the left bar within any folder or by typing “This PC” in the Windows search bar at the bottom left .
A window will open, and in the “Devices and Drives” section you will see your blank CD. Click on it and a window will open asking if you want to create a CD “As a USB flash drive” or “With a CD / DVD player”. Choose the first option to create a data CD, click “Next” and drag all the files you want to copy onto this CD into the folder that opens. Finally, click on “Write to disk” .
The computer will let you choose the name you want to give the CD and the burning speed. Regarding the latter, it is recommended to choose the lowest speed, because it is the one that offers more guarantees and gives fewer errors.
Once burning has started, please wait patiently and don’t interrupt the process. If the CD is not rewritable, in fact, by stopping the burning you will no longer be able to use it.
If you don’t have a computer with a Windows 10 operating system, but an older version or if you have Windows 10, but you want to use another type of program to burn CDs , you can use the music player installed as standard on all Windows computers: the Windows Media Player . Let’s find out how to burn a data CD with Media Player in the next paragraph.
Burn a data CD with Windows Media player
To burn a data CD with Windows Media Player , launch the program and in the media library choose the “Burn” option, then select “Data CD” in the “Burn Options”.
Insert the CD into your optical drive and drag all the files you want to insert into the CD into the right column of Windows Media Player . Once the list is complete, click on “Start Burning” and wait for the process to finish.
Wait for the process to complete and, at that point, take the disk that the PC will have automatically ejected.
Burn a data CD with an Apple computer
Even Apple allows you to burn data CDs simply with the standard programs already installed on your computer.
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To burn a data CD , insert the blank CD into the optical drive and wait for the disc icon to appear on the desktop. Double-click on it to open the CD window and drag the files you want to copy into it . Finally, choose file, click on “Burn” and follow the instructions.
In a few minutes your Mac will eject the CD and the burning will be complete.
Burn data CDs with free programs
If the options for burning data CDs with standard programs have not convinced you and you want to have more versatile but free programs that can be downloaded easily on the web, then you just have to choose between these that we are about to illustrate:
- BurnAware free : It is a free program to burn CD , which offers you several possibilities. First download and install it on your PC. Once installed, insert the CD into your optical drive and open BurnAware free. Choose, from the various options that will appear, “Data disc” and then “Add file” to insert all the files you want to burn on the CD. Finally, click on “Write” and burning is started;
- CDBurnerXP : Also this program will need to be downloaded and installed. Once on your PC, insert the disc into the optical drive and open the program. Select “Data Disc” and then drag all the files you want to burn into the window that opens. Finally, click on “Burn”;
- Burn for Apple : If you have a Mac and don’t want to use the stock applications to burn, then you can download the Burn program for free. Insert the CD, open Burn and go to the “Data” tab to create a data CD . Drag the files you want to burn and click “Burn”. Select the “PC” option from the drop-down menu to make sure the data CD can also be used on Windows computers and choose the burning speed.
Before concluding, however, one last tip! When you select the files to put on the CD, especially when there are many files, the risk is that these will appear in a somewhat scattered order. If you don’t care in what order the files will appear on the CD, then that’s not a problem. If, on the other hand, you need the files to be displayed in a precise order, then pay attention to how you put them in the burning programs: the rule is that the files will appear in the order from top to bottom, so order them how you want them to appear by dragging them up or down.
Well! Now you know how to burn a data CD and above all you understand how easy it can be. In case you are sure you need to burn a compilation of songs we recommend that you choose one of the most suitable programs to burn Audio CDs .
