How to burn discs in Windows, using File Explorer or Windows Explorer

What desktop app do you use to burn your data to DVDs, CDs or Blu-Ray discs? If you are thinking Nero, Roxio, Power2Go or any other third party application for Windows, you might be interested to know that you also have a free option built right into your operating system. Both File Explorer and Windows Explorer have the ability to burn data to CD, DVD or Blu-ray discs. Stop downloading, installing or (shudder) paying for third-party software; instead, read on to learn how to use the built-in tools that are made available by Windows:

NOTE: This guide is for all modern versions of Windows: Windows 10, Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. Because Windows 10 is the newest version and because the process of burning discs is mostly the same in all Windows versions, throughout this guide we use screenshots taken mainly in Windows 10. However, when needed, we also include screenshots from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

How to start the disc burning process

To get the burning started, you need to insert a blank or rewritable disc into your disc drive. Once the disc spins up, Windows recognizes it and ask what you want to do. The AutoPlay prompt looks different in different versions of Windows, but the options provided are similar.

This is what it looks like in Windows 10:

Here's how it looks in Windows 7:

Moreover, here's how it looks in Windows 8.1:

Click or tap "Burn files to disc." If you have AutoPlay disabled, you will not see the pop-ups shown above. Instead, you have to open File/Windows Explorer and double-click (or tap) your disc drive in the "This PC" section from Windows 10, or in the Computer section from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

You are greeted by a dialog that gives you two options for burning your disc.

Make your selection depending on how you intend to use the finished product:

• Like a USB Flash Drive - This burns the disc using the Live File System, which allows you to add or remove files at will like you would on a flash drive. Discs burned in this manner are only usable on computers running Windows.
• With a CD/DVD Player - This options burns your files and closes the disc allowing it to be played in a CD/DVD player or on any other computer. Files can still be added after the disc is closed, but you will not be able to remove the files that are already burned.

How to burn discs for use like a USB flash drive

If you opt to burn a disc on which files can be added to or removed from at will, select "Like a USB flash drive" and click or tap Next. Windows will take some time to format the drive. Depending on the type of disc you want to burn, this process can take a while. This will work on both normal discs and rewritable discs.

Once the disc is formatted properly, you can use File/Windows Explorer to open the disc. When you look at its root location, you see a message that says: "Drag files to this folder to add them to the disc."

Find the files or folders you want to burn and either drag and drop them to the disc or copy and paste them. When you add files, they are automatically burned to the disc.

The file copying dialogue shows the status of the disc burning operation.

Once files are burned to the disc, you can go ahead and remove them if needed. Just select a file, right-click (or press and hold) and hit Delete.

In Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, you can also use the Delete button found on the ribbon, on the Home tab. When asked if you are certain that you want to permanently remove the file, click or tap Yes.

The files deleted from a disc are not sent to your Recycle Bin. They are truly gone after the deletion. When you have finished adding or removing files from your disc, you should close your session. This allows you to remove the disc and continue using it like a flash drive on another computer. Read on to learn how it is done.

How to close a disc burning session in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1

In the File Explorer window, go to the root of the disc you just burned and deselect any files or folders you may have highlighted. Next, click or tap the Manage tab on the ribbon and then click or tap Eject, in the Media group.

A notification is shown, that Windows is preparing to eject the disc. Wait for the session to be closed.

Each time you close a session, approximately 20 MB of data is used from your disc. Also, neither Windows 10 nor Windows 8.1 provides the option to close the session without ejecting the disc.

How to close a disc burning session in Windows 7

You have two options to close a burning session in Windows 7. If you want to keep the disc in the drive after closing the session, click "Close session," on the top of the Windows Explorer window.

If you intend to remove the disc after completion, click Eject.

Even when you click Eject, Windows 7 will close your session before releasing the disc

Read the next page of this guide to see how to burn a disc for use in a CD or DVD player, how to add files and folders to completed discs, how to delete temporary files waiting to be burned on a disc and how to erase re-writable CD/DVD discs.

Burning a disc for use in a CD or DVD Player

If you want a disc that is more widely usable among your non-Windows devices, after you insert it into your Windows PC, choose to use it "With a CD/DVD player" and click or tap Next.

Adding files to the disc is essentially the same as previously described, the only difference is that the files are not automatically burned to the disc as you add them, just to a temporary files folder.

First, make sure that you add all the files you want to be burned to the disc.

When files are added and ready to be burned, Windows displays a notification in which it tells you that "You have files waiting to be burned to disc."

To start the burning process, you just have to click/tap the right button. In Windows 10, click or tap the "Finish burning" button from the Manage tab in File Explorer.

In Windows 7, you will need to click "Burn to disc."

In Windows 8.1, click or tap "Finish Burning," in the Manage tab and the Media group.

Before the burning process starts, you will have the chance to provide a name for the disc and select the recording speed. Make your selections and then click or tap Next. From here on, this procedure is the same in all versions of Windows.

If you chose to write audio files to the disc, Windows asks whether you want to create an Audio CD that can be played on any standard audio CD player, or you want to "Make a data CD." Choose the option you want and then click or tap Next.

Now you will need to wait while your files are recorded to the disc. The amount of time required for this step depends on the amount of data, the type of disc, your hardware configuration and the speed you selected.

Once done, you are given the option to create another disc with the same files. If you want to make another copy, click or tap "Yes, burn these files to another disc."

If not, just go ahead and click or tap Finish.

How to delete temporary files from disc before burning

When burning a disc for use with a CD or DVD player, the files you add to the disc before burning are temporary files. Once you burn them, you will be unable to remove them from the disc, but you are free to delete before completing the burning process.

To remove individual files, select the files that you want to remove, right-click (or press and hold) and hit Delete. It is just like deleting a file from any other folder in File/Windows Explorer.

You can also right-click or tap anywhere inside the CD or DVD disc, and then choose to "Delete temporary files." This works on all Windows versions and instantly removes all the temporary files that have yet to be burned.

In Windows 7 you also have the option to click the "Delete temporary files" on the top toolbar, in the Windows Explorer window.

How to add files and folders to completed discs

Once you have completed your disc, regardless of what format you chose, you can re-insert your disc and continue to work with it. With a disc that was burned for use as a flash drive, you can add new files as often as you want as well as delete files already burned to the disc. Just keep in mind that each closed session removes 20 MB of usable space from the disc.

With discs burned for use with a DVD or CD player, you can add files, but you will not be able to remove them once they are burned. Adding files to a closed disc works exactly like adding them to a new disc.

In Windows 7 you might also notice that the progress bar changes to "Adding data to the disc image...". In Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, it will keep saying that it is "Burning the data files to the disc…"

How to erase re-writable CDs/DVDs

Some discs, including CD-RW, DVD-RW or BD-RE, can be erased regardless of which format you use to burn them. File/Windows Explorer can to wipe these discs for you. The procedure to get started varies from Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 to Windows 7, but the steps after you get started are the same.

In Windows 7, open Windows Explorer and go to the Computer section. There, select the disc that you want to erase, without opening it. Click "Erase this disc" on the top toolbar.

In Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, open File Explorer and go to This PC/Computer section. There, select the disc that you want to erase, without opening it. Click or tap the Manage tab on the ribbon and then click or tap "Erase this disc," in the Media section.

The resulting wizard will provide you the option to select "Close this wizard after this disc is erased." If you do not want a notification when the job is complete, select it before you click or tap Next.

You need to wait while the disc is wiped for you. The time the procedure takes depends on the amount of data on the disc, the type of disc and your drive.

If you have not checked "Close this wizard after the disk is erased" you will see a notification dialog explaining that the disc was successfully erased. Click or tap Finish.

If you have checked "Close this wizard after the disk is erased," the wizard will close when the job is done.

Conclusion

As you can see, burning data using File/Windows Explorer is quick and easy. However, as many manufacturers include bundled burning software, many users fail to ever notice this feature or make use of it. It is a shame because, for most people's needs, File/Windows Explorer can easily handle all data burning requirements. If you are using third-party software, give it a try, you might be able to save yourself some time, money and disc space.