If you like your CD and DVD burners to support drag and drop then CyberLink Power2Go might be the right solution for you.

CyberLink Power2Go features everything you'd expect from a burner produced by a big developer such as CyberLink, including the ability to burn onto double layer DVDs and Blu-ray discs. It's also been designed to produce photo slideshows with Digital Dolby audio and even extract audio tracks from video files.

The ease of access and speed of use is what impresses with this burner. If you want to burn any DVD or CD, simply drag them into the desktop shortcut and CyberLink Power2Go whizzes into action. It even takes it's image seriously with the option of downloading fresh new skins and templates online.

CyberLink Power2Go is a powerful and extremely quick burner that will handle all your CD/DVD and Blu-ray burning needs.

Download CyberLink Power2Go 6 in Softonic

Over the years Nero has evolved from being a simple CD burner in its earlier versions to becoming the complete multimedia suite we find in its latest version, Nero 9.

As well as the classic Nero Burning ROM tool – which now includes support for Blu-Ray – Nero 9 includes pretty much everything you need to make the most of your music, photos, videos and creativity. You'll be able to carry out complete multimedia projects, from ripping your favorite audio CDs and mixing the tracks with Nero SoundTrax to creating videos with your photos, and even design CD artwork (top and back covers, booklet and CD sticker) by yourself with Nero CoverDesigner.

All these tools are conveniently available from Nero StartSmart, a handy app launcher with two main toolbars: on top of the window, shortcuts to Nero's apps; on the left-side menu, direct access to the most frequent tasks (data burning, audio burning, copy disc, etc.) than open right on StartSmart's main area.

Nero 9 features other interesting tools that try to cover even more areas. You can use the built-in Nero Backup tool to make safety copies of your most important data, for example. Nero also includes an embedded video player and a photo editor (known as Nero PhotoSnap) though these two apps are quite basic and could have probably been left out without much remorse for the user.

Talking about extra apps, Nero has often been accused of being bloatware, and this version won't change that. It does include a large array of tools, though to be honest they're all quite straightforward and easy to use. I guess the discussion about complexity versus simplicity will still go on, but my view is that Nero 9 is no longer a simple burning tool: it's a full-featured suite that happens to include a burning app, plus many other features that make it an excellent application for all your multimedia projects.

Nero 9 follows the trend of previous versions and adds even more features. If you only need a DVD burning tool, look elsewhere; but if you're looking for a complete multimedia suite, this is your program.

Download Nero 9.0.9.4b in Softonic

Copying DVDs (for your own use, of course) is becoming increasingly difficult as manufacturers improve the security encoding on DVDs. AnyDVD however claims to be able to crack any DVD encryption code and judging by the number of downloads, Softonic users are certainly endorsing it too.

The beauty of AnyDVD is that it simply works in the background to automatically remove the copy protection of a DVD movie as soon as it's inserted into the drive. In this way, it can decrypt data without actually saving it to your hard-disk. You can watch the DVD at the same time or just insert a disk and let AnyDVD do its stuff. When you insert a disk, you are automatically prompted whether you want to decrypt it. When it has finished inspecting the disk, the program prompts you to backup the DVD using your preferred backup tool such as CloneDVD or Power DVD Copy.

The programme goes much further than this though. A handy bonus is that you can also remove the RPC region code, thereby making the movie region free and viewable on any DVD player. This is especially useful for those who buy many of their disks abroad or travel a lot. If you want to create a stripped-down version of a DVD, it can also remove unwanted movie features, including subtitles and extras for example. The programme also moves beyond decryption and allows you to control the speed of your DVD drive. This is useful if you’re having trouble playing a DVD properly or if the noise of your drive is causing annoyance. Finally, there’s also an option to display the frequency of your monitor for both NTSC and PAL displays although you probably won’t use this unless you’re having serious display issues.

The only drawback of AnyDVD is the number of daily updates that are released. Whilst this is obviously a good thing in terms of keeping it up-to-date with the latest encryption methods, the update alerts can be rather annoying and are prone to slowing your computer down.

However, this is a small price to pay for a programme that seems able to crack all but the toughest disks and for anyone who likes to create backups of their favourite DVDs, it’s an essential addition to your software collection.

Download AnyDVD HD 6.4.6.9 in Softonic

With this software you can burn CD-R, CD-RW DVD+R/RW DVD-R/RW discs. It offers the following main features:

• Writes all kind of mediums apart from double-layer DVD (follows in next version)
• Burn audio-CDs with and without gaps between tracks
• Burn on the fly / Burn-proof
• Supports most IDE, USB, Firewire and SCSI drives
• Rip Audio-CDs to harddrive, obtain track-information (ID3-tags) from Internet
• Burn and create ISO-files
• Customizeable with many settings
• Data verification after burn, create bootable discs
• Bin/nrg->ISO converter, simple cover printing and much more

Download CDBurnerXP Pro 4.2.2.984 in Softonic

Easy Burning¡ provides a simple way to backup your files in a CDR/RW. Integrated into the shell or used as a normal application, Easy Burning is compatible with any CD writer. It allows you to write anything you like, including folders, files, and images.

Download Easy Burning 2.03a in Softonic

This handy app helps you find cover artwork, album reviews, and track listings for your favorite artists and albums. It also boasts iTunes Integration to see and control what's playing. You can listen to entire albums or double-click on any track to play. It contains regional searching for USA, UK, Japan, and Germany helps find more album covers. You can automatically send artwork to iTunes in three different sizes, and artwork displays in the dock for song currently playing in iTunes.

With Album Cover Finder you can find practically any music CD cover through the automated search of specialized Internet databases. The images downloaded are relatively small at 300 x 300 pixels, but serve well as an icon for each album you have. Once you have found the cover image that you want you can save it as a BMP file or drag it directly to your MP3 catalogue.

Download Album Cover Finder Lite/Full 6.5.3 in Softonic

Image burning is one of the fastest and most efficient ways to save large amounts of data to DVD or CD.

Images are increasingly popular on torrent sites and other download portals because they allow users to download high volumes of data in a relatively small file. What's more, it's instantly ready for DVD or disk burning. ImgBurn is an ultra-lightweight CD/DVD/HD/DVD and Blu-ray burning application that everyone should have in their toolkit. It has several 'Modes', with each one performing a different task.

These include "Read" which reads a disc to an image file; "Build" which creates an image file from files on your computer or network; "Write" which writes an image file to a disc and "Verify" which checks whether a disk is 100% readable. With this last option, you can also ensure that the data is correct by asking ImgBurn to compare your disk against an image file. Finally, you have "Discovery" which puts your drive to the test to find just what kind of speeds and disk types it can support.

If you are experiencing any burning problems, it may be that your drive is not fast enough to handle the settings you have configured or that you are using the wrong kind of disks.

A very lightweight an powerful image burner that requires little experience but will ensure all your images are burned in a flash.

Download ImgBurn 2.4.2.0 in Softonic

If you only need to burn a CD every now and then there's no need to install a mammoth
recording suite on your system. Simply use Totally Free Burner and you'll be fine.

Totally Free Burner is a minimalist CD and DVD recording tool with which you'll be able to
burn audio and video CD, data CD and DVD and also images in BIN and ISO formats. Just
make your choice on the program's main window and Totally Free Burner will take to the
next step, presenting you with a new window where you can select the data you want to
burn.

While I like simple programs, I think Totally Free Burner goes a bit beyond the limit. It's
nice to have a quick, straightforward app to burn your CD without hassle, but the
program lacks basic features such as a proper documentation and a complete settings
menu, more than just the few options you get when you're about to start burning.

Totally Free Burner is a simple, quick recording tool with which you can burn CD and
DVD, though configuration options are somewhat scarce.

Download Totally Free Burner 3 in Softonic

There aren't many apps out there that give you more control over how your CD/DVD drive door is used but CD-Door Guard is one of them.

The question is, do you really need it? Well yes if you want to avoid the problem of your CD door crashing or getting stuck. CD-Door Guard is a utility that helps you to deal with drive door errors. The program works by closing the drive's door when you forget to do it and allows you to lock it if you want to protect the door from children for example.

In addition, CD-Door Guard allows you to open and close the CD/DVD door using the mouse only and can also remind you if you've left a disk inside (very useful if you've been searching for that missing music CD). CD-Door Guard's interface is extremely friendly and removes the need to worry about disk getting stuck or doors getting jammed.

CD-Door Guard is an easy to use solution for those worried about damage to their CD or DVD drive.

Download CD-Door Guard 2.6.1 in Softonic

The Cheetah DVD Burner provides an easy-to-use interface for burning DVDs. The application boasts a number of handy features to make the process of burning CDs even quicker and easier. You can carry out the following projects:

• Burn a Video DVD from an ISO, Bin/Cue, or Video_TS folder
• Backup your data on 8.5 GB DVD+R discs
• Backup your data on DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RAM
• Burn a standard CD or CD-RW
• Creates Red Book compatible audio CDs from mp3, mp2, avi, ogg, wma, and wav files
• Extract audio from an Audio CD
• Copy a Data CD
• Copy an audio disc
• Burn Bin/Cue image files
• Builds ISO Images from selected files for burning at a later date
• Convert audio files from mp3, mp2, avi, ogg, wma, and wav files
• Erase CD/DVD discs

It has the following features:

Features:

• The Cheetah DVD Burner passes the Video DVD Verifier tests and Mastering Applications like the most known Philips Video DVD Verifier
• Create Bootable CD/DVD from .img files
• Supports use of high write speeds - Designed for high data rates
• Support for hardware buffer underrun protection systems, like BURNproof, JustLink, Power-Burn, SafeBurn, SeamlessLink etc
• Burn Multi-Session Data CD/DVD with all types of media
• No further writing is possible after the disc is burned
• Performs a binary compare with the source files
• Burn Joliet directories with 64 char file names

Download Cheetah DVD Burner 2.33 in Softonic

Good solid free CD and DVD burning software is often hard to find. Just when you've got a problem with your default software or need something in a hurry, you'll find that most only burn a few minutes for free or you'll have to upgrade.

FinalBurner Free is the free version of the developer's range of burning software. FinalBurner Free allows you to create data, audio, DVD disks and burn them onto CD R/RW, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD DL. However, it does not burn to BluRay or HD-DVD for which you'll have to upgrade to the pro version.

Alternatively, FinalBurner Free can also create an ISO image of a disk if you want to copy a DVD in it's entirety. There are very few advanced features or complications with FinalBurner which makes it easy for beginners although if you need to customise the burning speed and burning method of FinalBurner Free according to the capabilities of your burner, you may find it limited. However, that is not to say that there aren't any options to customise a little in FinalBurner Free as there are. Of particular note, is a new option that makes the burning of CD abd DVD labels much easier via a setup wizard within FinalBurner Free if your printer supports it.

It's not a solution for new generation BluRay burning but for standard DVD and CD burning, FinalBurner Free does a basic but efficient job.

Download FinalBurner 2.1.0.130 in Softonic

Drive emulation has many advantages. You can use it to check the integrity of your disk image (e.g. ISO) files; you can avoid burning images to CDs loading them directly from your storage device; and by and large, loading times are slashed from what you could expect to get from your CD drive. DAEMON Tools has enjoyed a lot of support, being the number one choice for several years thanks to its light system footprint and distinct lack of strings attached. Unfortunately for the loyal DAEMON Tools users, things have changed a little in recent releases and more and more people are turning to Alcohol 120% as an alternative.

The problem lies in a small program called SaveNow, bundled with the DAEMON Tools Searchbar as an optional add-on for Internet Explorer. This spyware program has only become part of the most recent versions and can be avoided during the install process by de-selecting the option to include the Searchbar.

Controls for DAEMON Tools are dictated from the task bar, with a handy context menu that pops up when you click. Being a specific CD/DVD drive emulator, the options consist of choosing the number of virtual drives you want, where the image files for each virtual disk are located so that they can be mounted, and of course you can dismount images when you’ve finished with them.

With support for a wide range of formats, DAEMON Tools makes a good choice for users who travel frequently and would prefer to do so without lugging their CD and DVD library everywhere they go. It also makes a lot of sense for those who tend to scratch their CDs, because an initial backup will see them through unlimited uses without the danger of rendering the image unusable. Alternatively though, if you’re after a complete package with burning and ripping capabilities on top of the emulation, Alcohol 120% will be right up your street.

Download DAEMON Tools 4.30.0 in Softonic

If you've been labelling your burned DVD and CD discs with a marker pen then stop - use Discus instead to create some truly original CD covers.

Discus allows you to create and print CD and DVD labels, CD case covers and inserts, DVD box covers and inserts, and more. Discus supports all direct printing onto discs via printer but this depends on whether your own printer supports this option. The great thing though is that Discus allows you to import your own photos and artwork or use one of the many predefined templates provided with the program.

The key thing you'll notice with Discus is the speed at which it does everything. It loads instantly and requires no installation - Discus can be run directly from the EXE file. As regards design and control, there's not a great deal of creativity that it allows itself. It's better to create something in Photoshop and then import it into the program. However, you can perform special text features such as curved and angled text to fit the contours of the disc.

A super fast and easy way to create your disc covers, Discus is one of the quickest ways to give your CD's and DVD's a personal touch.

Download Discus 4.06 in Softonic

Plato DVD Copy is exactly what its name states: an easy-to-use tool to copy your DVD discs.

The most outstanding feature in Plato DVD Copy is its simplicity: even users with no previous experience in copying DVD discs will be able to use it in no time. The program has a plain interface with no configuration settings, except for a few choices when it comes to select the content you want to copy (extras, subtitles, etc.)

With Plato DVD Copy you can choose to copy DVDs from a physical disc or a source directory, and also copy it to another directory or burn it straight away on a new disc. Plato DVD Copy can even compress contents to fit a single-layer disc.

What more advances users will miss in Plato DVD Copy is definitely having more options like frame rate selection, a range of codecs to choose from, compression method to use and so on.

Plato DVD Copy is the perfect tool for those who have never copied a DVD before, though more experienced users will miss a bunch of advanced settings.

Download Plato DVD Copy 7.76 in Softonic

Design and create professional CD/DVD and Jewel Case Labels with this award winning software. CD Box Labeler Pro's easy-to-use interface let you create labels in minutes. Don't spend hours on making labels, CD Box Labeler is created to make things easier for you, but still powerful to make professional CD & DVD labels.

Features:

• Font preview
• Image preview
• CDDB Support
• Multiple image support
• Rotate, flip, mirror images
• Filters & effects on images
• Support for shaded colors
• Rich text (multiple font, sizes, styles colors etc.)
• Read contents of the CD
• Ability to print on commercial made labels
• Ability to print on plain paper

Download CD Box Labeler Pro 1.9.9 H in Softonic

Rescue lost files from a bad or trashed CD or DVD! Save important documents, precious pictures or video from the family, your only system backup...IsoBuster can do it all!

IsoBuster is a highly specialized yet easy to use CD and DVD data recovery tool. It supports all CD and DVD formats and all common CD and DVD file-systems (set of files and folders). Start up IsoBuster, insert a CD or DVD, select the drive (if not selected already) and let IsoBuster mount the media. IsoBuster immediately shows you all the tracks and sessions located on the media, combined with all file-systems that are present. This way you get easy access, just like explorer, to all the files and folders per file-system.

Instead of being limited to one file-system that the OS picks for you, you have access to "the complete picture". Access data from older sessions, access data that your OS (e.g. Windows) does not see or hides from you etc. Combine this all-revealing functionality with far better read and recovery mechanisms, scanning for lost files functionality, workarounds for a wide range of drive and software bugs, limitations or shortcomings and you have an enormously powerful data recovery tool. IsoBuster is must-have-software for every PC user and offers a solution for everybody.

Download IsoBuster 2.4 in Softonic

CDRoller is a powerful, easy-to-use and low-cost toolset for CD/DVD data recovery. You'll be able to save corrupted files quickly and very easily.

Key Features:

• Effectively retrieves the data off the discs created by "drag and drop" CD/DVD writing software
• Recovers CD and DVD data created by standalone devices
• "On-the-fly" unpacks the files initially compressed by Roxio (Adaptec) DirectCD.
• Retrieves back up files from the discs recorded in several stages (multisession discs)
• Includes a bult-in UDF Reader
• Finds and retrieves the lost files on UDF discs
• Identifies the lost files on ISO/Joliet discs with the damaged file system
• Rescues the data from scratched, damaged or defective discs
• Provides direct access to the hardware, bypassing the Windows File System
• Digitally extracts audio tracks into a wide set of wave formats
• Tests CD/DVD readability
• Extracts ISO Image file
• Catalogs files and folders into CD/DVD library
• All features are integrated into a common and easy-to-use intuitive shell

CDRoller supports industry-standard ISO 9660 file system, including Microsoft's extensions for long file names support, so-called Joliet extensions. CDRoller also supports the discs formatted in UDF file system, including versions 1.02, 1.50, 2.0, 2.01 and also so-called UDF Bridge format.

Download CDRoller 7.61 in Softonic

PowerISO is a powerful CD/DVD image file processing tool, which allows you to open, extract, create, edit, compress, encrypt, split and convert ISO files, and mount these files with the internal virtual drive. It can process almost all CD-ROM image files including ISO and BIN.

Download PowerISO 4.2 in Softonic

SoftDisc is an image file creating/editing/managing tool. It also lets you emulate a virtual CD or directly burn a CD image file which is handy when, for example, you need a CD in use when playing a game.

The program lets you store disk information in ISO format. It allows you to record info on disk from local and network hard disk drives as well as removable media. What's more, once you have created an image file, you can modify it in any way you like.

SoftDisc integrates UltraISO, Daemon Tools and Nero in one making it an all-in-one solution for your CD/DVD images. It is capable of handling up to four virtual CD-ROM drives and is able to simulate various protected game CDs. The interface is nice, XP-ish and Explorer-like.

Download SoftDisc 3.02.320 in Softonic

Virtual CloneDrive works and behaves just like a physical DVD drive, although it only exists virtually. Image files generated with CloneDVD software can be “inserted” into the virtual drive from your harddisk or from a network drive and thus be used like a normal DVD.

Download Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.0.3 in Softonic