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How to Burn a CD
Also see: CDR's
and CD-RW's | DVD Recordable
NOTE: These instructions are for
Roxio. For Nero instructions
click here What Is Burning a CD?
When you burn a CD you take data, such as audio
files or program data, and write it to a CD-R (compact disc, recordable) or CD-RW
(compact disc, rewriteable). A CD-R disc will hold 72 to 80 minutes of music, or
640MB to 700MB of data and can only be used once. A CD-RW is rewriteable and a
bit more expensive than a CD-R. A CD-RW must be formatted before use which takes
about 45 min but once complete can be used like another drive in My Computer for
drag and drop functionality.
If you have purchased a CD-RW (CD Burner) it is
your responsibility to overcome the learning curve of how to use it. We have
provided the following information to help you get started. We encourage
everyone to read this before even attempting to burn for the first time. What you will need:
- A CD-R or CD-RW drive. This is
different from a DVD or CD-ROM (compact disc, read-only
memory) drive. These come
in a wide price range. There are many configurations and speeds. The higher
the speed, the quicker the burn.
- A CD burning program. Roxio's
Easy CD Creator (previously Adaptec before the buyout) is a good, easy-to-use program. It comes standard with most
CD-RW drives. It comes in a Basic version and a Platinum version. (see below for basic instructions).
For more info visit: www.roxio.com .
Another well known program is Nero, it is a matter of preference
although different CDRW makers ship with different software. That is not to
say that if it comes with Nero, you can not buy and use Roxio. For more
info visit: www.nero.com. For step by
step Nero instructions click here
- Blank recordable CD-R or CD-RW discs.
- WAV audio files. If you want to
put MP3s onto an audio CD, you'll want to convert them to WAV files FIRST
in which case they will need to be converted.
A good MP3 to WAV converter is Music Match Jukebox,
which also converts WAVs to MP3s. See our download
page for additional options.
Preparation:
Turn off your screen saver. Close any other programs. It's a good idea to start
with a freshly booted computer. Better-safe-than-sorry works here. You don't
want the burning program to crash and leave you stuck with a "coaster"
just because someone sent you an instant message in the middle of things. (A
coaster is slang for a dead CD-R). For
purposes of these procedures we are using Roxio. Nero instructions can be found
at: www.nero.com
Basic Procedure for copying Data using Easy
CD Creator:
There are 2 different approaches. Creating a CD
for the first time and updating a CD that you have already
created:
Creating a CD-R for the FIRST
time:
 Insert
blank CD-R in your CD burner drive
 Open
the Roxio Easy CD Creator program (usually found on Start/Programs/Roxio
Easy CD Creator)
 Click on
DATA (DATA CD)
 To Add
data…drag from upper window (local hard drive) to the bottom
window. Everything up to this point is merely preparation for
the next step.
 And
finally, click on CREATE or BURN
CD (depending on your version) , this starts the "Burning" process copying
the data to the CD. When finished close everything. You may be prompted to
"Save the Session" (selections). Most people do not but it is your decision.
Updating (adding additional
data to) a CD-R that you have already burned to :
Insert
the CD-R in your CD burner drive that you have already copied data to.
Open
the Roxio Easy CD Creator program (usually found on Start/Programs/Roxio
Easy CD Creator) It may come up automatically.
Click on
DATA (DATA CD)
To Add
data…drag from upper window (local hard drive) to the bottom
window. In version 6+ a message will pop up saying something like, "...there
is data on this CD would you like to add to it?" Say YES.
In older versions of Roxio, 5 and
previous, you must click on
CD from top menu / then IMPORT SESSION This is very important. If you
do not do this and drag data to the bottom window you will encounter errors.
When going through the CD burning process you are generating a
"session". Once the session exists i.e., after creating your first
burn, you must open it off the existing CD before proceeding...that is Importing
a Session. Choose
most recent dated session. This will bring in (import) the contents of the CD-R
to the bottom window.
And
finally, click on CREATE or BURN
CD (depending on your version) , this starts the "Burning" process copying
the data to the CD. When finished close everything. You may be prompted to
"Save the Session" (selections). Most people do not but it is your decision.
Procedure for copying Audio files
- Install Easy CD Creator if you have not
already done so.
- Click on your Start menu and Easy CD
Creator icon. You'll see a Welcome window pop up. You are offered a
choice of two radio buttons; Data CD or Audio CD. Select Audio CD and click
the Next button.
- The next page lets you select the songs you
want to add. On top there is a Look-in mini window to help you locate the
folder that contains your WAV files. Once you see it in the large window
below, double-click on the file to open it. The large window now shows the
contents of the WAV file folder. You'll see the song title, file size, and
file type for each file, as well as the last time it was modified.
- You can preview any song by double-clicking on
it. The preview window will pop up. It has play, pause, and stop functions.
Preview mode is great for putting together a set list or just deciding which
files you want to use.
- When you have your first song picked, click on
it once. The name of the song you choose will be highlighted. Click the Add
Now button to the lower right in the window, and it will be added to the
queue.
- The queue is located to the left of the Add
Now button and is represented by a horizontal bar. You'll see the song in
the queue and in the main Easy CD Creator window.
- To add more songs, repeat the select-and-add
process. You'll see that the songs are color-coded and that they correspond
from window-to-window. When you have finished adding songs click on the Next
button.
- The page that comes up allows you to add the
disc title and artist name to the CD. When you're finished click on the Next
button.
- The next page lets you close the session or
keep it open. If you leave it open, you can edit the session or add songs at
a later time. But you can't play the CD until the session is closed, so
click the Close-the-session radio button and click Next.
- The Test page then comes up. It gives you the
option of "testing" or simulating the entire writing process. If
the burn goes well the first time, you probably only need to do the test
once -- ever -- unless your burner hiccups later on in its life. Choose
either the Perform-the-test, or the Do-not-perform-the-test radio button and
click the Next button.
- You'll see the Ready-to-create-CD page. If
you're ready to burn the CD click on the Create-CD-now radio button and then
the Finish button. Otherwise click the Create-CD-later radio button, then
click the Finish button to save as a CD layout file that you can burn at any
time.
Once the CD creation process is started, you just
have to wait for the actual burning to happen. It can take anywhere from a
couple minutes for a one or two song CD to over an hour-and-a-half for a full
length CD plus testing. When it's done, a Completed window will pop up and the
CD tray will open.
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