NationStates Jolt Archive

Got a question for you tech savy people out there. A bit ago I was cleaning up my computer, deleting the random crap that dell stuffs on new machines.

Except in the process I fear I deleted my dvd burner software.

So I put it to you folks, does nayone know where I can find software to use on my computer for dvd burning? I've seen some programs but they're usually brief trial periods then you have to buy it, and since I'm never a fan of paying for my own mistakes...anyone know any programs for this that are free to use?

i remember a long time ago Smunkee made a very similar thread to this, but can't find it now. Someone provided her a program for this, anybody remember what it was?

I use CloneDvD, for ripping and burning, which I'm sure is available gratis at various locales you'd have access to.

But wait, perhaps not, if you aren't already downloading your prior software there.

Hmmm. Sorry.

what exactly are you using this burning software to burn?

really big file folders?

or .iso's and the like?

if it's the latter, i'd recommend daemon tools (http://www.daemon-tools.cc/dtcc/download.php) as an alternative.

just run it, and set up a virtual dvd drive. then use the program to mount the .iso in the drive (basically, you trick your computer into thinking that there is a little round piece of plastic spinning in an actual physical drive in your computer, when in reality, it's all done with software.

that's what I did after I 'accidentally deleted my dvd burning software' ;)

I use daemon tools regularly, for um...private purposes, just a little Bit.

I want to BACK UP those ISOs, and for that I need a program that will allow me to copy large (larger than 700mb) ISOs to a blank DVD.

Basically, to answer the question, I want software that will allow me to burn files in size excess to what would fit on a CD.

Nero's not bad. I like that you can make a DVD out of .mpg/.avi/.ogg etc vids that can be played on a TV-DVD player - complete with title page and all.
Of course you do need to pay for it.

Of course you do need to pay for it.

See, this is the bit I'm trying to avoid :p

See, this is the bit I'm trying to avoid :p

Heh shit man just, google DVD burn opensource.

See, this is the bit I'm trying to avoid :p
YOu can still quite a bit with their demo version, iirc.

Blindwrite, (http://www.afterdawn.com/software/cdr_software/cdr_applications/blindwrite_suite.cfm) Alcohol120% (http://www.alcohol-soft.com/) and CloneCD (http://www.slysoft.com/en/clonecd.html) are good at handling all kinds of image files. NERO (http://www.afterdawn.com/software/cdr_software/cdr_applications/nero.cfm) is a great all-purpose burning program, though not recommended for sabotaged image files (copy protected and such).

People asking this particular question frequently want to know how to play movies and games.

NERO can to a limited degree convert some types of video and sound to something playable by a DVD, but not always, and it's not terribly good at it even when it can. You'd be better served with either watching it on your computer, in which case all you need is VLC player (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/) as it allows you to drag & drop pretty much anything from 99% of all video formats in existence, to entire DVD images. Or you can waste a couple of minutes reading up on how to use TMPGEnc (http://www.tmpgenc.net/en/e_main.html) and use that to convert the video into something a standalone DVD player can use.

There's no reason to burn sabotaged game images, but if you want to anyway, the first three programs I linked to are the right tools for the job. If you changed your mind and don't want to, you'll need a virtual CD/DVD drive. A virtual drive works sort of like a hard-disk partition. For all intents and purposes, your computer will think it has a CD/DVD drive, and apart from the slight anomaly that you'll have to 'mount' image files instead of placing a CD in a tray, it works exactly the same way in all respects. Plenty of programs can create virtual drives (including Alcohol120%), but the best and most userfriendly is Daemon Tools. (http://www.daemon-tools.cc/dtcc/download.php)
To play the most thoroughly sabotaged images, you'll need more than a virtual drive or a good burning program. Typically it'll be in the form of a launcher, like YASU (http://cdmediaworld.com/hardware/cdrom/cd_utils_8.shtml) (Yet Another SecuROM Utility) or another of a small army of anti-sabotage utilities, which you can find on Daemon's site/fora, by following that last link, or by *shock* Googling.