Follow these instructions to copy (or ‘burn’) a set of files and/or folders to a CD-R disc, using only the features of Windows XP itself. With Windows XP, you can copy files to a CD without the use of a special CD burning application (such as Roxio, Nero Burning ROM….).
1. Place a blank CD-R disc in the CD/DVD drive.
After a few moments, Windows should display a “CD Drive” popup window, with a list of several options.
2. Click to select “Open writable CD folder using Windows Explorer”, and then click the OK button.
A Windows Explorer window, also titled “CD Drive”, will appear, representing a special folder for use as a ’staging area’ to place files to be ‘burned’ (copied) to the CD.
3. Open ‘My Computer’ or another Windows Explorer window. If necessary, re-position this window so that it doesn’t hide the ‘CD Drive’ window.
4. Select files or folders in the ‘My Computer’ / Windows Explorer window, and drag and drop them to the CD Drive window. Alternately, right-click the files or folders, and select Send To from the context menu, and then select “CD Drive” (the name of your drive could be different). There is typically room for about 700MB of data on a CD-R disc.
The files shown in the CD Drive window are copies of the original files — which are still present in their original locations on the hard disk drive. Therefore, you can delete any of the files listed in the CD Drive window without deleting the original copy of those files on the hard disk drive. Make sure, though, that you are deleting from the CD Drive window (“Files Ready to Be Written to the CD” should be displayed above the list of files in the window).
5. When you’re satisfied that the list of files and folders in the CD Drive window is complete and correct, click the “Write these files to CD” link at the upper left of the CD Drive window. This command is listed beneath the heading “CD Writing Tasks”.
6. The Windows CD Writing Wizard should appear. Respond to its prompts, and finally click its Finish button to copy the files to the CD.
Don’t use the computer while the CD ‘burning’ operation is underway, so that none of the computer’s resources are diverted to other tasks.
7. The CD will probably be ejected automatically from the CD/DVD drive, once all of the files have been written. If not, wait for the drive’s light to go out, and then push the eject button on the drive to eject the CD.
8. We recommend that you insert the CD back into the drive, and use Windows Explorer (or ‘My Computer’) to verify that all of the files have been successfully written to the CD.
)
