Wayne Williams looks at the latest version of the free disc-writing software for all types of CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs
BurnAware Free 5 has all the discauthoring options you’ll ever need, covering CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and back-up discs. It’s very easy to use and the main options are accessible through its brand new, more intuitive front screen. It’s now also faster and more reliable.
For tasks such as disc-to-disc copying and audio ripping, there are commercial Home and Professional versions available, priced at $29.95 (around £19) and $39.95 (£25) respectively. The free edition comes bundled with the AVG browser toolbar, so be sure to select the custom option when installing if you want to avoid it.
1. BurnAware’s interface lets you choose which type of project to create. There are 13 choices, sorted into four categories: Data, 1 Multimedia, 2 Disc Images 3 and Utilities. 4 Select one and the program will open that component in a new window. You can have several windows open at the same time.
2. If you want to burn a data disc, select that option and drag your files onto the window. The disc icon 1 gives a visual representation of how much space remains, with the exact figure displayed alongside it. 2 Use the drop-down box 3 to change the type of disc.
3. You can alter the write speed 1 and have the program remember your preference by ticking the box beside it. 2 The Refresh button 3 manually updates the list of items to burn. There’s also information about the disc 4 and further options 5 available. Click Burn 6 to start writing.
4. The Options window can perform a test write 1 and choose what the program should do once the disc has been written. 2 You can change the name, date and description on the disc in the Labels tab. 3 The Recorder tab 4 is where you can adjust the write speed and buffer size.
5. You can create an audio CD in the same way. Just drag your music tracks to the window 1 (it supports a range of audio formats, including MP3), and the program will show you how much space they’ll take up on the disc. 2 Tracks will be converted to CD audio as they are written.
6. Right-click an audio track and select CD-Text to change the song’s information. 1 You can change the length of pause between tracks. 2 Click the Disc tab 3 to fill in the album title and other details.
7. If you’ve downloaded an image file, such as the release preview version of Windows 8, you can write its contents directly to disc by selecting Burn Image from the menu. Click the Browse button 1 and navigate to the .ISO or .CUE file. Select it, choose the type of disc to write to and click Burn. 2
8. You can also create your own disc image. ‘Copy to Image’ will make an image file from the disc currently in the drive, while Make ISO produces an image from a selection of files, and can also create a bootable disc. If you’re not sure what type of file system to use, select the default choice at the top. 1
