How to Burn a DVD on Windows XP
By Mikhail Polenin
When attempting to burn a DVD using Windows XP, you will notice that you are not able to do it like you would with a CD-R/RW. Unfortunately, Windows XP does not come with integrated DVD burning capabilities. You will have to either purchase a DVD burning program from your local computer accessory store or, if you are lucky, use the software that came with your DVD burner. The good news is that Windows XP at least can read a DVD without third-party applications. However, burning a DVD is a different story.
Inserting and Burning Your DVD Using Nero
Step 1
Install Nero if you haven't done so yet. A link to the site to download the program is in the Resources section of this article. This is important to do before placing a DVD you want to burn in the drive. The installation process is easy. If you have any problems, the operating manual of Nero contains very concise information for the installation process.
Step 2
Place the DVD in a drive that has DVD burning capabilities. It is important that your drive can do this. Third-party software cannot "force" a DVD to burn in a drive that can only read one.
Step 3
Wait for the DVD to finish the verification process in its drive. You will know when this process is finished when the drive lights stop blinking and the disk no longer sounds like it is spinning in the drive.
Step 4
Open Nero Burning ROM from the "Start Menu."
Step 5
Select from the top left hand corner the option named "DVD" when the Nero Burning ROM window opens. This will tell Nero that you are burning a DVD, not a CD.
Step 6
Select what kind of DVD you want to burn from the menu below where you selected whether you are burning a CD or a DVD. This tells Nero how it will encode the DVD during the burning process.
Step 7
Select the "Label" tab in the window if you want your DVD to have a custom name. It will help you stay organized if you label the DVDs you burn.
Step 8
Click "New" on the right of the screen to begin selecting what files you want to burn.
Step 9
Browse your hard drive to select which files you want to burn onto your DVD. You can select the files by dragging them from their hard drive locations on the right and dropping them into the DVD contents on the left.
Step 10
Click the icon with a DVD and a lit match below it after you are done sorting the contents of your new DVD.
Step 11
Click "Burn" on the next screen.
Tips
- If your DVDs keep burning erroneously, lower the speed of burning and close all applications that are actively running before trying again.
- If you want to burn temporary data on a DVD, you should use a DVD-RW which can be erased at any time.
- Some DVD burning applications give you the option to verify the data on the disk after it is done burning. With this option enabled, the disk's integrity will be tested automatically for you and you will be told if any of the data is corrupt or not. However, you should be aware that this process takes a long time. You should expect the process to take almost as long as it took to burn the DVD.
Writer Bio
Mikhail Polenin has been working with computers since 1997. His experience also expands to astrophysics, masonry, electricity and general appliance repair. He's written about various different subjects regarding astrophysics and electrical circuits for various online publications. Polenin attended the New World School of the Arts and the University of Florida.