Nero Express
6
PC

Burning DVDs with Nero Express 6

Nero is software used to burn DVDs on College-owned Gateway PCs. (Note: College-owned Lenovo PCs use Record Now, found here: Start >> All Programs >> Multimedia Center for Think Offerings. Detailed documentation is available.)

Using Nero, you can create the following types of DVDs:

Burn Data DVDs

Copy DVDs

Rewrite DVD-RWs

Please note that it is illegal to make a DVD of commercially produced material or material otherwise protected by copyright. This includes MP3 files, videos, TV shows, etc. Small portions may be copied for academic purposes. If you have questions or concerns about copyright law, please speak to an IS staff member.

Where to find this software

The Nero software is installed on all PCs with Windows XP and DVD Burners in faculty and staff offices.

To burn a DVD you will need:

  • a PC with Nero installed
  • a built in DVD-RW drive or an external DVD Burner
  • a blank, writable or rewritable DVDs to store all your information (each DVD will hold about 4.7 GB. Dual layer DVDs hold about 8GB). Note: If the data you want to store on a DVD is more than the DVD's capacity, you will need to divide it into smaller chunks and store it on several DVDs.

Creating a Data DVD using Nero Express 6 on a PC:

a) Use of a Data DVD.

  • A Data DVD is a good alternative to storing information on a floppy, zip disk, or a CD. Data DVDs hold more information than floppy, zip disks and CDs on a more durable media. They are especially helpful for backing up large files.
  • Data DVDs can only be read on a computer.
  • Data DVDs can be burned onto DVD-Rs (DVD-ROMs which can only be written on once) or DVD-RWs (DVD-ReWritables which can be used multiple times.) For instructions, see Re-Writing on a DVD-RW.

b) Steps for burning a Data DVD

  1. Save copies of any files you would like to put on the DVD in a folder on the Desktop, especially if they are on floppy or zip disks.
  2. Insert a blank, writable or rewritable DVD in the recordable/rewritable DVD drive.
  3. From the Start Menu, go to All Programs > Burn a DVD or Data DVD > Nero StartSmart.
  4. Select DVD from the pull down menu at the top.
  5. Move the mouse to Data icon, options will appear below.

  1. Click on Make Data DVD. It will open Nero Express window.

  1. The gauge at the bottom of the screen shows how much space is left on the DVD. You can choose to burn to a dual layer DVD by selecting DVD9 (8152 MB), in the drop down menu to the right of the gauge.
  2. Click on Add.
  3. In the Select Files and Folders window, the Location field shows the current folder. Choose the Desktop from the drop-down menu. A list of your files will appear in the right half of the screen. When found, click on the files to select them, then click on Add button. The files will be added to the Disk Content in the Nero Express window.
  4. When finished adding all the data, click Finished to return to the Nero Express window.
  5. In the Nero Express window, click on the Next button. The Final Burn Settings box will appear. If you are allowed to choose the speed for burning the DVD, it is recommended that you burn the DVD at 8x (11,080kb/sec) in the Writing speed field.
  6. Click on Burn.
  7. When the burning process is complete, a pop up window opens with the message: Burn process completed successfully. Click OK.
  8. Click Next to choose more options or to exit.

Copying a DVD using Nero Express on a PC:

Please note that it is illegal to make a DVD of commercially produced material or material otherwise protected by copyright. This includes MP3 files, videos, TV shows, etc. Small portions may be copied for academic purposes. If you have questions or concerns about copyright law, please speak to an IS staff member.

If you are using Nero Express on a PC with only one DVD-ROM:

  1. Insert the DVD containing the information you would like to burn, in the recordable/rewritable DVD drive.
  2. From the Start Menu, go to All Programs > Burn a DVD or Data DVD > Nero Programs > Nero Express.
  3. Choose Copy Entire Disk from What Would You Like to Burn?
  4. In the Select Source and Destination window, choose Maximum from the writing speed pull down menu.
  5. Press Copy to start. The system will scan the disk and start copying to the hard drive.
  6. A dialog box will pop up; when complete it will ask for an empty disk to write to. Insert a blank writable or rewritable DVD in the recordable/rewritable DVD drive.
  7. The box will close automatically, and the files from the original DVD will be copied on the blank DVD.
  8. When the burning process is complete, a pop up window opens with the message: Burn process completed successfully. Click OK.
  9. Click Next to choose more options or to exit.

Rewriting on a DVD-RW using Nero Express on a PC:

  1. Insert the DVD-RW in the recordable/rewritable DVD drive.
  2. From the Start Menu, go to All Programs > Burn a DVD or Data DVD > Nero Programs > Nero Express.
  3. Click on the More button in the bottom of the window and click on Erase Disc.
  4. A dialog box will pop up. Choose Quick-erase rewritable disc from the drop-down menu.
  5. Choose Maximum from Erase Speed pull down menu.
  6. Click on Erase.
  7. After the erase, you may create another DVD using the same DVD-RW.

Troubleshooting

If you see a permissions error (similar to the image below)

  • The administrator / owner of the computer you are using will need to contact the Help Desk to arrange for assistance in setting up Nero BurnRights

If you get a Buffer Underrun error - There are two ways you can fix it:

  • Choose a lower write speed (If you recorded at 8x last time, try 4x).
  • Make sure you saved the data to be burned on the drive that will allow optimal burning speed. This is usually the hard drive

If Testing and Recording Fails - There are a number of ways you can try to fix it.

  • Choose a lower write speed (If you recorded at 8x last time, try 4x).
  • Check you original media for scratches, dirt, or other damage. You may need to clean the media or save your original files to a new/undamaged disc.
  • Make sure you saved the data to be burned on the drive that will allow optimal burning speed. This is usually the hard drive.

Computing at Wellesley

Macintosh Documentation

PC Documentation

  • Susan Richman, Digital Media & Instruction, Information Services
  • Date Created: June 4, 2005
  • Last Modified: July 17, 2008
  • Expires: August 1, 2009