Writing (Burning) Files and Folders to CD in Windows XP
With the growing size of data files, the use of floppy disks to save your information is no longer very practical. One floppy disk will hold up to 1.44MB of data - however a medium sized word processing document with pictures is likely to be larger than this, and you will only be able to store a small number of photos (and not at a high quality!) on a floppy disk. If you want to store music files don't even attempt to use floppies!!
If you need to store files, the best option now is to write (or burn) them to a CD or DVD. It is rare to find a new PC without a CD writer, and most now come with DVD writers installed as standard.
This document describes writing files to CDs, not DVDs.
Using Windows XP to burn a CD
The following instructions are specific to Windows XP and will not work in any earlier operating system.
Also note that if your computer has come with other software to burn CDs there is a chance that the process described here has been disabled. In this case you will need to use the software provided with the computer.
With the advent of Windows XP, Microsoft have added a lot of features to the operating system to tackle tasks that are now regarded as everyday ones for home users - one of these is the ability to burn CDs. Windows XP includes a wizard (automated instructions and steps) to guide you through this.
When you insert a blank CD-R or CD-RW into your CD writer you will be presented with a list of choices asking you what you want to do with it (the choices may be different to those displayed here, however the top choice should always be in the list):
Notice that at the bottom of this list is an option to Always do the selected action - if you tick this option you will not see this list again when you insert a blank CD, the computer will automatically perform the previously selected option.
If you don't see a similar list when you insert a blank CD it could be for this reason.
If you choose the Open writable CD folder using Windows Explorer option and then click OK you will see a window showing the contents of the CD (since it's a blank CD you've put in, this window will be blank also):
you should now copy (remember to copy and not move or cut!) the files and folders that you want to write to the CD into this window.
The following document contains more information on copying files and folders:
Moving, copying and deleting files and folders in Windows
Notice that the files and folders you have copied into this window have small down-arrows on their icons, and also appear under a heading of Files Ready to be Written to the CD.
You have now prepared this CD to be burnt and all that remains to be done is to click on write these files to CD at the top of the left hand panel.
This will launch the CD writing wizard screen which will take you through the process of burning the CD.
The name of the CD will default to the current date, however you may want to change this to more accurately describe the information you are writing to the CD.
(If you want the wizard to remain running after you have burnt this CD remove the tick from the option at the bottom of the window.)
Now click Next >.
If you are attempting to write too much information onto the CD you will see the following message:
If you do see this message you should select Close the wizard without writing the files, click Finish and then delete some of the files waiting be written to the CD. Then try to write them again.
TopIf you are able write the files to the CD you will see the following status window:
When the wizard has completed and closed you will see that the window displaying the files and folders on your CD has changed slightly:
The black arrows have gone from the icons, signifying that the files have now been written to the CD, and the heading has changed to Files Currently on the CD.
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