How to burn files to disc using ashampoo

Begin by double clicking on your burning software's Desktop Icon or Start Menu menu-item. In this example on the AShampoo Burning Studio 2009 desktop icon. This should bring up your software's main window which normally displays the software's categorized burning options. Typical categories include DATA (Create/Copy Data CD/DVD), VIDEO (Create Video DVD), PHOTOS (Create SlideShow CD/DVD), AUDIO (Create/Copy Audio CD) and BACKUP (Copy A CD/DVD) as well as having Tools (i.e. Disk Labeller, Eraser and Ripper). It depends on the money you spent for the software. Many computers these days come with built-in CD/DVD Burning software and therefore may b

e limited in features. 

Fig 1.0  Double click on your Burning Software's desktop icon to continue




Fig 1.1  The main window with the Burning options split into categories

Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009 is aimed at the beginner and therefore keeps its categorized burning options less technical and less complicated. The individual options for category can be seen by hovering over the category (Fig 1.1 above). Its categorized burning options are as follows.

Burn Files and Folders

Allows you to create a new Data CD/DVD, using a blank cd/dvd. A Data CD/DVD is normally a cd/dvd that contains a mixture of folders and files - Music files, Photo files, Microsoft Office 2007 files, Webpages and so on. In other words. Its data is not played directly into a MP3 Player or CD Player for example because it is normally software related data (i.e. you need Microsoft Office 2007 to read the stored account.xls file or you need to double click on one of the stored files before it will work).

Another burning option in this category is the option to Update (add to) an existing (already burnt) cd/dvd. For example. If you have already recorded (burnt) files onto a cd/dvd you can record onto that cd/dvd again provided you have enough space left on that cd/dvd and have not fully closed that cd/dvd. Meaning. Each time you record something with Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009 it is known as a session (like a recording session in a recording studio). Normally cd/dvd burning software is set up to allow multiple sessions (Multi-Session) but this is something you would have to check in the software's settings beforehand.

Note well. The AShampoo UPDATE feature updates your cd/dvd by making a copy of the previous session's data before adding your new data to the current session. So when it comes to burning the current session's data, which also contains the previous session's data, the previous session is automatically unavailable/unviewable. You will only see the current session's data on the cd/dvd. If you remove any data from the current session, before it is burnt, such as a folder from the old session that data will not be retrievable unless you add it back again. So to clarify. If the previous session displays as files 1, 2, 3 and 4 and you then want to burn a new session with file 5 all is well. Your cd/dvd will display as files 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 once file 5 has been added/burnt. However. If you delete file 3 and then add file 5 your newly burnt cd/dvd will display as files 1, 2, 4 and 5 with file 3 missing/deleted.

Burn Or Rip Music

Allows you to create a new Audio CD, using a blank cd. The blank cd can either be made into a proper Audio CD that you play through a CD Player for example or it can be made into a Music Data CD whereby the audio files (i.e. downloaded music files) can only be played through a computer or mp3 player for example.

Rip music means to make a copy of a proper audio cd's soundtracks and turn those copied soundtracks into .mp3 files for example, so that you can play those .mp3 soundtracks (music files) on a computer or mp3 player for example. Therefore. With Burn or Rip you can create an audio cd from .mp3 files and create .mp3 files from an audio cd.

Multi-Session is not available with Burn Or Rip Music. On other software this could be possible. It is possible with Nero Express for example.

Copy A CD/DVD

Allows you to make an exact copy of a cd/dvd, regardless of its data type (i.e. Data DVD, Music CD and so on).

Create/Burn Disc Images

Allows you to create or burn a Disc Image (i.e. ISO) file, which is basically one file that contains a collection of files. Similar to a .zip file but not necessary compressed. An ISO (disc image) file is normally available for download, so that the person downloading it can simply burn it back into individual files again instead of having to download many individual files. ISO files, when burnt, can also make a cd bootable (automatically start) which is particularly good if the author has made a menu program for the individual files. The average beginner will probably never need to use an ISO (disc image) file but the feature is there in case.

Expert Functions

Allows you to create/modify a bootable (automatically starting) cd/dvd. As the name suggests, this is an advanced function. An example of a bootable disk is the Windows 98 bootable floppy disk that allows a computer engineer to run certain programs in order to partition a hard drive, repair parts of Windows or reinstall Windows. This kind of bootable floppy disk can be used to create a bootable image for a bootable cd/dvd.

Erase CD-RW. DVD+RW.

Allows you to format (erase/wipe/blank) a RW (Re-Writeable) cd/dvd. A cd/dvd that is marked as RW means it can be formatted (erased/wiped/blanked) so that it can be used again.

Getting back to the cd burning, specifically with AShampoo Burning Studio 2009. When the main window appears (Fig 1.1 above) continue by hovering over the BURN FILES AND FOLDERS category to make its options appear (Fig 1.2 below). From there click on the CREATE A NEW CD/DVD/BLU RAY DISC option to bring up the BURN FILES AND FOLDERS window (Fig 1.3), so that you can start adding folders and files to your cd burning compilation.

Fig 1.2  Hover over the BURN FILES AND FOLDERS category and then select the CREATE A NEW CD/DVD/BLU RAY DISC option to continue




Fig 1.3  Click on the ADD button so that you can start adding folders and/or files to your cd burning compilation

The BURN FILES AND FOLDERS window allows you to add folders and files to your cd burning compilation by either clicking on the ADD button or by dragging folders and/or files into its white display area (main window). The Drag & Drop method (not exampled here) is exactly the same as described and exampled in the Copy & Paste, Drag & Drop section. In this example though I will show you the ADD method only.

After clicking on the ADD button (Fig 1.3 above) the ADD FILES AND FOLDERS file requester will appear (below), allowing you to select the folders and/or files you want in your cd compilation. If you want to select files from a folder (i.e. pictures files from the Pictures folder) you must navigate the file requester to the folder storing the files (i.e. navigate to the Pictures folder). And if you want to select the entire folder (i.e. the Pictures folder), with its files inside it as well of course, you must navigate the file requester to that folder's parent folder (i.e. navigate to your User folder (i.e. Yoingco) so that you can select the Pictures folder).

Use the blue (back) arrow  button to navigate to the previous folder visited and the up-folder  button to go up one folder level (up the folder hierarchy).

Fig 1.4  Change the folder view (file requester's display area) so that it shows picture files as LARGE ICONS (Thumbnails)

With picture files you may need to change the folder view (file requester's display area) in order to view the picture files (thumbnails). In Fig 1.4 above I have clicked on the VIEW MENU drop-down menu so that I can change the folder view to LARGE ICONS, by then clicking on the LARGE ICONS menu-item. If I could not see the pictures properly I would of clicked on EXTRA LARGE ICONS instead. These views are not from AShampoo Burning Studio 2009, they are the standard folder views of Windows 7.

Once the view had been changed (Fig 1.5 below) I then selected the picture files I wanted to include in my cd compilation before clicking on the ADD button.

Fig 1.5  Select the picture files you want to include in your cd compilation and then click on the ADD button

After selecting the picture files (Fig 1.5 above) I could of clicked on the FINISH button to go to the next phase of the burning process but, as this is an example, I decided to add more files and some folders to my cd compilation (below). It was the same process as above with the only difference being that I navigated the file requester to my Templates (J:) flash drive in order to select some folders as well as files.

Fig 1.6  Select more folders and files for your cd compilation, if need be.

Each time you make a selection and then click on the ADD button the file requester briefly disappears so that your selection can be added/updated to the cd compilation. When the file requester returns you have the choice of ADDing more folders and files to your cd compilation or clicking on the FINISH button to go to the next phase of the burning process.

Fig 1.7  After selecting your folders and files compilation click on the NEXT button to continue

After clicking on the file requester's FINISH button the main window (above) displays the folders and files in your cd compilation so far. If you want to ADD more folders and files to your cd compilation, even at this stage, you can do. You can also remove folders and files from your cd compilation by selecting the folder(s) and/or file(s) you want to remove before clicking on the REMOVE button. When you are truly satisfied with your cd compilation click on the NEXT button to continue.

One thing you might want to do before clicking on the NEXT button is to rename the cd Title. It always defaults to My Files when creating a new compilation but in this example I have renamed it YoingcoData, by clicking inside the TITLE Edit Box and editing My Disc.

The Blue Guage towards the bottom of the main window indicates and estimates the number of MegaBytes needed for your cd compilation. If your folders and files (cd compilation) will need more than 700MB then you will need a dvd instead of a cd.

Fig 1.8  Click on the WRITE CD button to continue

After clicking on the NEXT button (Fig 1.7 above) AShampoo Burning Studio 2009 checks your cd/dvd drive to make sure there is a cd/dvd inside it, that has enough space on it to burn your cd compilation. If all is well you will see a Green Circled Tick inside the main window (above) and the WRITE button will not be faded out, otherwise you will see a Red Circled X if there is not enough space on the cd/dvd or if there is an error in general. So assuming all is well, click on the WRITE button (i.e. WRITE CD button) to begin the actual burning process.

Fig 1.9  Prebuffering - putting the data into memory sections (buffers), ready for burning.




Fig 1.10  Writing the Data CD (Burning/Copying/Recording the data, from memory onto the disc)




Fig 1.11  Closing the session - Putting a Session End marker on the disc




Fig 1.12  The data (cd compilation) has been burnt (copied/recorded) onto the disc successfully




Fig 1.13  Do you want to record the data again or EXIT?

When the burning process has finished you are given two important, but optional, options before clicking on the EXIT button. The first important, but often overlooked, option is the chance to verify the data. Clicking on VERIFY THE CD double checks the cd tracks to make sure the data has been recorded (burnt) without errors. The second, less, important option is the chance to burn the data (cd compilation) again without the need to create the compilation. Clicking on WRITE SAME CD AGAIN re-burns the data using the data from memory that is usually stored as an image file for this exact re-writing purpose. If you do not need any of these options simply click on the EXIT button to complete the whole burning process.

BURNING  OPTIONS

If you want to set up personal burning options before burning a cd for example you can click on the CHANGE OPTIONS button on the main window (Fig 1.8 above), before writing/burning the data. Any options set here will be permanently set (on) until you clear (off) them again.

Fig 2.0  Tick the options you want to use generally before clicking on the OK button

As you can see, the Options window has tick options on it that allow you to verify the data, finalize the cd and so on. Here is a brief outline of what each one does.

SIMULATE RECORDING BEFORE BURNING

This option gives you the chance to test run your cd compilation. It simulates the burning process, without actually physically burning your cd compilation. So if anything goes wrong you will receive an error message but you will not waste a cd.

VERIFY WRITTEN FILES AND FOLDERS AFTER RECORDING

This is the same as VERIFY THE CD, as described above. Once a cd compilation has been burnt the cd tracks and data are scanned for errors. Verifying a cd is good if your data is important. Otherwise if it is just casual data, whereby you trust your cd recorder and burning software anyway, there is usually no need to verify. Especially if you could get hold of the data at any time, because you have a copy of it on your hard drive for example.

FINALIZE THE CD

FINALIZE means you cannot Multi-Session (re-record on) a cd. Or put another way. Once this session's data has been burnt you will not be able to burn any more data on this cd again. This is a good option if you are making a data cd for a friend for example whereby once their data is on the cd there is no need to record anything else onto that cd. It acts as a "Do Not Over-Write" safety precaution.

BURN CD IN "AT ONCE" DISC MODE

This option puts AShampoo Burning Studio 2009 in AT ONCE mode, which means your data can be burnt in one go instead of burning each track individually. For Data CDs this is not much of a difference because they only contain a single data track. However, if AT ONCE mode is clear (off) for Audio CDs there may be very short periods of noise between the individual audio tracks. Therefore, it is recommended you use AT ONCE mode when burning Audio CDs.

COPY ALL DATA TO HARD DISK IMAGE FIRST

This option is good if you have an old, slow, computer. It saves your cd compilation to your hard drive first, as an image file, and then burns it to the cd one piece at a time (from image to memory, memory to cd). If this option is clear/unticked (off) the data is written straight to memory instead of from the image file.


The above concentrated mostly on a cd and general data (Data CD) but the above applies equally to a dvd, a music cd and so on. In other words. You ADD to your compilation in the same way as above for a dvd or cd. To burn a Audio CD for example simply select CREATE AN AUDIO CD and then start ADDing your audio files. The guage will tell you how many Minutes, as opposed to MegaBytes, you have used as you ADD audio files. Once your audio compilation has been created click on the WRITE button to burnt it.

If you want FREE, Basic (No Frills), Burning Software there is AShampoo Burning Studio 6  and Nero 9 Lite . And if you only burn discs occasionally you could also download a Free, 30 Days, Trial burning software. Many of them are full versions but for 30 days only. After that they may become limited in features and/or functionality or just stop working altogether. Either way, you should have burnt your discs by then. A good reason to backup your data if nothing else.