Windows Vista: The Complete Reference (Complete Reference Series)

All CD drives on computers can read CDs, but many can write CDs as well. Windows Vista includes software for burning CDs.

What Are CD-R and CD-RW?

You can create two different kinds of CDs:

• CD-R (compact disc-recordable) discs Can be written on once (they are WORM , or write once, read many). They can't be changed after they are written (though you can write on them many times until they are filled up). You can read CD-R discs in normal computer CD-ROM drives, as well as in audio CD players, so CD-R is the type of CD to use when creating music CDs or CDs to distribute to lots of people. Blank CD-Rs are relatively cheap (we've seen them for as little as 10 cents apiece in the United States).

• CD-RW (compact disc-rewritable) discs Can be written and rewritten many times, like a floppy disk. CD-RW discs can be rewritten about 1000 times. You can use them as removable storage for sets of files that you want to update regularly (as a backup media). However, they are only readable in other CD-RW drives, and sometimes only by the same model of drive. So, for example, you might put all your documents on a CD-RW and conveniently carry them to the other side of the world, where you could read and update them on another computer with a compatible CD-RW drive.

Both types of writable CDs hold approximately the same amount of data: about 650MB for 74-minute discs and about 700MB for 80-minute discs. CD-R drives can write only CD-R discs, not CD-RW discs. CD-RW drives can write both types of discs.

CD-burning Basics

To create (or burn) a CD-R or CD-RW, you collect a group of files that you want to save on the CD, and then write them in one session. You can write multiple sessions to both CD-R and CD-RW discs, but not all CD-ROM drives will be able to read them: audio CD players usually see only the first session on a CD-R disc, and data CD-ROM drives usually see only the last session.

Previous versions of Windows required third-party software to save files on CD-Rs and CD-RWs. If you do a lot of work with CD-Rs and CD-RWs, you may still find it convenient to get software like Easy Media Creator Suite (http://www. roxio .com) or Nero Burning (http://www.ww2.nero.com/enu/index.html). However, Windows Vista integrates CD into Windows Explorer. When you put a CD-R or CD-RW disc into your CD-R or CD-RW drive, Explorer recognizes what kind of disc it is and integrates it into the folder tree.

Burning CDs from Windows Explorer

Once you know what you want to store on a CD, and whether you have a CD-R or CD-RW drive, follow these steps to create a CD-R or CD-RW disc:

1. Buy some blank discs from your local computer store or mail-order or online catalog. Be sure to check whether you are getting CD-R or CD-RW discs.

2. Place the disc in the CD-R or CD-RW drive and close the drawer . Windows Vista indicates that it has detected a CD by displaying the AutoPlay window, asking you which task you want to perform: Burn A CD With Windows Media Player or Burn Files To Disc Using Windows.

3. Click Burn Files To Disc to display the Burn A Disc window (see Figure 8-6).

   Figure 8-6: Give the new disc a title.

4. Type a title for the disc, such as a brief description of the contents.

5. Click Next to display a new blank window.

6. Drag or copy all items that you wish to store on the disc into the new disc window. Your data automatically burns to the CD.

7. Try out the CD in the type of drive in which you want it to work (audio CD player, computer CD drive, CD-R drive, or CD-RW drive).

Another way to add items to a CD is to open Windows Explorer, click the file or folder to burn, and click the Burn button on the Task toolbar. This burns the file or folder to the CD.