Skip to main content

How to burn a CD in Windows 11

CD in a CD drive on a Macbook Pro.
Chris Yates / Unsplash

Burning a CD in 2024 isn't quite as simple as it was when CD drives were in every desktop PC and laptop, but it's still straightforward if you have the right equipment. With a CD burner to hand, you can burn CDs in Windows 11 just as you could on older versions.

Whether you want to make a data CD or a music CD, here's how to burn them in a few quick steps.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

15 minutes

What You Need

  • Desktop PC or laptop with a CD burner

  • Blank CD-R or CD-RW

How to burn a data CD

Our favorite CD-burning tool for Windows, whether you're burning a data CD or a music DC, is CDBurnerXP. Download it from the official website (don't be put off by its retro aesthetic, it works perfectly well in Windows 11).

Would you consider another storage solution? What about a big external drive?

Step 1: Install the application like you would any other and run it. When prompted, select Data Disk followed by OK.

CDBurnerXP start menu.
Digital Trends

Step 2: Insert the blank CD-R or CD-RW into your CD burner.

Step 3: Select the Add button and use the Windows file explorer to find all the files you want to add to the CD. Select them, then select Open for each.

Take note of the green fill indicator at the bottom of the CDBurnerXP application window. It lets you know how much space you have left on the CD.

Added data files in the CDBurnerXP menu.
Digital Trends

Step 4: When you've added all the files that you want to your CD, select the Burn icon to begin. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your CD burning.

How to burn a music CD

Burning a music CD in Windows 11 is just as easy with our favorite CD-burning app as it is to make a data CD. Download CDBurnerXP from the official website to get started.

Step 1: Run the app once installed, and when prompted, select Audio Disk.

CDBurnerXP start menu.
Digital Trends

Step 2: Select the Add button, then use Windows file explorer to add the music files you want to add to the CD. Select Open for each one.

Take note of the green fill indicator at the bottom of the CDBurnerXP application window. It lets you know how much space you have left on the CD.

Adding music to an audio CD in CDBurnerXP.
Digital Trends

Step 3: When you've added all the music files that you want, select Burn button to begin. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish burning your CD.

Now that you've learned how to burn a CD, want to learn a little about their history? They've been an important storage technology for decades. Still, while optical disks may not be used much today, that could change again if a new storage medium proves commercially viable.

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and…
Windows’ infamous blue screen of death is changing
The blue screen of death in Windows.

The infamous Blue Screen of Death — oft-shortened to BSOD — is changing, and many fans aren't happy with its new look. While seeing the BSOD was never a good thing, the long-time version displayed a fair amount of information regarding the cause of the crash or error. And in a way, sentimentality also plays a role. The BSOD has been a part of Windows since 1990, although it has changed its look a couple of times over the years.

Now it looks like the BSOD is changing to the...well, the BSOD. The black screen of death. In Windows 11 24H2, the iconic frowning emoji is gone, replaced with a much more straightforward screen: a black background with the words, "Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart." It has a progress counter beneath, and a few lines at the bottom detailing the stop codes as well as what failed.

Read more
Windows 11 users outsmart Microsoft once again with new local account trick
A screenshot of the Windows 11 Microsoft Account setup page

A newly discovered trick allows Windows 11 users to bypass Microsoft’s online account requirement during setup, raising questions around user control and privacy. The workaround, shared by X user @witherornot1337, lets users set up Windows 11 with a local account instead of being forced to log in with a Microsoft account.

This follows previous similar methods, highlighting an ongoing cat-and-mouse game between Microsoft and privacy-conscious users. Microsoft has been increasingly pushing online accounts as a mandatory requirement for Windows 11, particularly in Home and Pro editions. This change has frustrated many users who prefer local accounts for greater privacy and independence from Microsoft’s ecosystem.

Read more
I hope Microsoft adds these 6 things to the next major Windows Update
Windows 11 logo on a laptop.

Windows 11 updates have a bit of a reputation, from slowing Intel's newest desktop processors to breaking games. Despite the occasional hiccup, we still look forward with cautious optimism.

Despite the occasional rough patch, Microsoft continues to evolve the OS, and each update feels like a chance for a new beginning. While Microsoft hasn't confirmed anything yet, the rumor mill is buzzing with what comes next, and I'm starting to feel excited. The talk of new features suggests fixes for long-standing annoyances, productivity boosts, and quality-of-life improvements worth waiting for.
What's coming to Windows in 2025?

Read more