Back-up files to CD using compression software

If your computer is equipped with a compact disc (CD) recorder, you can back up files or folders to a compact disc-recordable (CD-R) or a compact disc-rewritable (CD-RW).

Backing up data regularly should be one of the most important tasks of every computer user. Creating backups of your data and files is a very important way of staying on top of disaster and missing data. The most common ones are hardware failures, which can mean damaged hard drives but also (partially) unreadable CDs or DVDs, computer virus attacks but also human error.

When you create backups of your data, you must store them somewhere where they can’t be damaged or someone else can access them. However, it does offer several different advantages when compared to other ways, such as CD, DVD, external hard drives, and even servers as the data will be available anytime you need it.

Copy files and folders to a CD

To copy files and folders to a CD, insert a blank writable CD into the CD recorder. Double-click “My Computer”, and then click the files or folders that you want to copy to the CD. Click on either “Copy this file”, “Copy this folder” or “Copy the selected items” In the “Copy Items” dialog box, click the CD recording drive, and then click “Copy”.

In My Computer, double-click the CD recording drive. Windows displays a temporary area where the files are held before they are copied to the CD. Check that the files and folders that you intend to copy to the CD are displayed under “Files ready to be written to the CD”. Under “CD Writing Tasks”, click “Write to CD”.
After the CD Writing Wizard starts, follow the instructions in the wizard. When the process is finished, the wizard displays a check box for you to choose to create another CD like the one you just made. If you want to create multiple copies of the same CD, click “yes, write these files to another CD” and insert another blank, writable CD into the CD recorder. Follow the instructions in the wizard.