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Vista’s built in CD/DVD burning software works for creating data disks, but doesn’t offer the ability to use a disc image file to burn a disc. If you need to burn an image file, you’ll need a third-party application to do it, and thankfully, their are many to choose from. I use ImgBurn, which is not only free, but supports a ton of image types, and works great in Vista. ImgBurn not only handles CD’s and DVD’s, but is already capable of doing HD DVD and Blue-ray discs as well. The download is only 1.5MB, and once install, isn’t much larger than that, so it’s very resource friendly. It even supports command line switches, so it could be run from a batch file.
Download ImgBurn from their website. The install is a snap, you can probably just click ‘Next’ as you go through, accepting all the default settings.
I won’t go into every feature here, as that would take forever, and bore you silly. Instead, I’ll walk you through the process of burning an image to a disc with the most common options.
- Start ImgBurn.
- Click on the Browse for a file… button in the Source section of the window.
- Find your file. ImgBurn supports the following file types: .BIN, .CDI, .CDR, .DI, .DVD, .GCM, .GI, .IBQ, .IMG, .ISO, .LST, .MDS, .NRG, .PDI and .UDI. If your file isn’t in the list, choose All files, and give it a try, who knows, it may work!
- Now, where do you want to burn this file to? In the Destination area, if you have more than one burning device, choose the one you want to use from the drop down list. If you haven’t put in a disc yet, you can do so now. Note that even though I have a ‘CD’ size image, I’ll be burning to DVD media since I don’t have CD media handy.
- An option that I always use, and that is selected by default, is to Verify the disc. If you select this option, when the burn is finished, ImgBurn will eject the disc and then reload it, and compare it against the original source to be sure the burn was 100% successful. In the past I didn’t use this option when archiving data with Nero, and paid the price when I found I couldn’t get files off some of the discs. Now I always ‘Verify’ even though it extends the time it takes to make a disc.
- With all of that done, it’s time to burn! Click the Write button and ImgBurn will start doing it’s thing.
- ImgBurn will show the progress as it burns the disc, then the tray will automatically eject and close again (if you have a laptop you may have to push the drawer back in yourself) and then ImgBurn will verify that the burn worked properly.
- When the verify is finished ImgBurn lets you know by playing a loud obnoxious musical riff (you can delete the sound files from the program installation directory if you don’t want them), and of course it also displays a dialog window as well. That’s it, you’ve now got a working disc with your image on it!
For me, ImgBurn is one of those no-brainer installs. It’s free, efficient, and works with everything. Sure you can spend a bunch of money on a more ‘full featured’ disc burning package, but it probably still won’t have all the options of ImgBurn. Besides, supporting free software like this that works so well (donate a couple bucks to the author if you like it!) not only helps you get great working tools at almost no cost, but also helps push the big software companies into innovating with their own products.
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Comments
ITsVISTA Tip 50: Reset your lost Vista password without a reset disc | ITsVISTA
Apr 16, 2007 at 7:35 am
[...] the software), create a bootable ISO CD/DVD using the steps I describe in my post called "ImgBurn: A free Vista compatible disc image burning package". You'll find the iso image file at C:Program FilesActive Data Recovery SoftwareActive [...]
ITsVISTA Review: Active@ Password Changer - Reset your forgotten password | ITsVISTA
Apr 23, 2007 at 10:52 am
[...] provided. You can use your favorite image burning software to create the disc as I demonstrate in this article about ImgBurn. To use this disc, follow my ITsVISTA Tip 51: How to change your password in Vista [...]
Ross Snowden
Apr 27, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I use ImgBurn as well, and get great results burning ISO DVD files to blank DVD-R’s. I’ve only encountered one problem. When I used it (ImgBurn) for the first time, I got an error message which (upon reading the FAQ on the author’s site) turned out to be the Windows sidebar blocking use of my DVD writer. Has anyone else come across this problem as well? I get around it be just closing the Windows sidebar when burning an image to disc. Does anyone know how to go about having the Sidebar *not* accessing my DVD writer so that I won’t have to remember to close it down?
Ross Snowden
May 13, 2007 at 12:25 am
Update:
The DVD drive no longer gives me an error message that the drive is being used; even with the sidebar running. Either an ImgBurn update or a Windows update or perhaps modifying the gadgets running in the sidebar rectified the problem. I did remove the gaget that displys the photos in random order (installed by default) … maybe that had something to do with it. Anyway, it works without having to close the sidebar, so I’m happy with that.
Pammie Williams
May 14, 2007 at 10:10 pm
Can I rip a movie from a current DVD which I have and store on my computer, then burn a disc of it. Just a query thanks.
Joe
May 15, 2007 at 8:33 am
No, ImgBurn doesn’t break the encryption on a DVD. You can use something like DVD Shrink to do that part. I know DVD Shrink can use Nero to immediately burn a ripped disc back to disc, not sure if it can create an ISO file that ImgBurn can use.
Ross Snowden
May 15, 2007 at 9:07 am
DVD Shrink *can* make am ISO file that ImgBurn can use to write to a blank DVD.
The better utility for decrypting a dvd is (should you want to back up any of your purchased commercial discs) DVD Fab Decrypter.
Joe
May 15, 2007 at 10:53 am
Thanks Ross. Looks like DVDFab has some cost, but if you’re not afraid to spend a few dollars, it will probably save you time and effort.
Ross Snowden
May 15, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Actually, you have to dig a little on the DVD Fab Decrypter site: there is actually a freebie version that doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but otherwise functions very well. It was just updated recently.
http://www.dvdfab.com/free.htm
jamal
Jun 29, 2007 at 4:50 am
thanx for the burning its just great thanx a lot who ever created this tool, it took me 4 months to find something I really appreciate the effort it was done with, great job!
Zee33
Sep 2, 2007 at 8:03 am
If you can , try finding a program called DVD Decrypter . It has since been removed from most websites but am sure that it can still be found . The latest version is 3.5.4 . I feel that his is probably the best piece of software out there . If you find it , download it and keep in a safe place so you will have it forever .
Ross Snowden
Sep 2, 2007 at 3:13 pm
You’ll wan’t DVDFab HD Decrypter:
http://www.dvdfab.com/
This is better, trust me. There is a free version without all the bells and whistles if you follow the link at the very bottom of the main page that says “Free Stuff”.
Bob
Apr 26, 2008 at 11:08 pm
I just tried to burn on imgburn a video that i had in my documents. All seemed fine..Completely Succesful etc. When I took disc out of computer it was Blank. STRANGE!
Jubilee
May 29, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Hi!
I’m a newbie wannabe following the tracks of the above questions. If your the guy who invented the ImgBurn …anyone who uses the word ‘whilst’ is my kind of person.
Question: I am attempting to use DVD Decrypter, DVD Shrink and then the ImgBurn. I keep getting the message: : Failed to set data for DVDDecrypterPlayDVD movie on Arrival. Whereso havest I gone wrong?
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