How to Burn a CD on Windows 11

For a car stereo, an older computer, or a relative who still plays CDs, Windows 11 can make the disc itself, even though the option is easy to miss. For files, open the disc drive from This PC in File Explorer, choose With a CD/DVD player, add your files, and select Finish burning. Music for a regular CD player needs Windows Media Player Legacy instead.

These steps are for current Windows 11. Menu wording can vary slightly between builds.

Which Kind of Disc Do You Need?

Windows 11 uses different tools for different discs, so settle this first.

What you want	What to make	Tool to use
Share documents, photos, or other files	Data CD	File Explorer
Play music in a car stereo or CD player	Audio CD	Windows Media Player Legacy
Write a downloaded .iso file to disc	Disc image	Windows Disc Image Burner
Duplicate a CD you own	Data or audio CD	Copy or rip it to the PC, then burn

The first two rows matter most. MP3 files on a data CD are just files, so many car stereos and CD players will not play them. An audio CD uses the format those players expect.

What You Need Before You Burn

• A drive that can write. Many drives only read. To check yours, right-click Start, open Device Manager, and expand DVD/CD-ROM drives. Names with RW, RAM, Recorder, or Writer usually mean it can burn.
• A blank disc. CD-R can be written once and is the safest choice for audio CDs and older players. CD-RW can be erased and reused, but some older players will not read it.
• Enough room. Microsoft’s burn and rip page lists an audio CD at up to 80 minutes and a data CD at about 700 MB.

Burn a Data CD in File Explorer

When you open a blank disc, Windows asks how you plan to use it. Microsoft has no current page covering these File Explorer screens, so the names below may differ slightly on your PC. There are two choices:

• With a CD/DVD player writes everything in one go and finishes the disc so most computers and players can read it. Choose this for a disc you will give away or use elsewhere.
• Like a USB flash drive lets you add and delete files over time, much like a removable drive. Older computers and most CD and DVD players may not read it, so keep it for discs that stay with you.

With a CD/DVD Player

1. Insert a blank CD. If a prompt appears, choose Burn files to disc and skip to step 3. If nothing appears, carry on with step 2.
2. Open File Explorer, select This PC, and open your disc drive. (This File Explorer walkthrough shows where This PC sits.) If the next window does not open by itself, select the drive, then look for Burn to disc in the command bar or under the three-dot See more menu.
3. In the Burn a disc window, type a Disc title, such as Family Photos 2026.
4. Select With a CD/DVD player, then Next. An empty disc window opens.

5. Drag or copy your files into that window. Nothing is on the CD yet; Windows is only collecting what to write. To pick several files, hold Ctrl as you click them. You can also right-click a selection, select Show more options, then Send to, and choose the disc drive if it is listed.
6. Wait for any copying to finish, then click a blank area so no file is selected. Select Finish burning, which appears under See more or a Drive Tools tab, depending on your view.
7. In the wizard, check the title and pick a Recording speed. Go slower if an earlier disc failed. Check Close the wizard after the files have been burned if you want it to close by itself, or leave it unchecked if you may want another copy of the same files, then select Next.

8. If your files are music, a screen may offer Make an audio CD or Make a data CD. Pick one and select Next. The audio choice opens Windows Media Player Legacy, if installed.
9. Select Finish if the wizard is still open when the burn ends.

Like a USB Flash Drive

1. Insert the disc, open it from This PC, and type a Disc title.
2. Select Like a USB flash drive, then Next. Windows formats the disc.
3. Drag files onto the disc from another File Explorer window. They are written as you go, so there is no Finish burning step.
4. When you are done, select the drive and choose Eject, from the Drive Tools tab or the See more menu. Wait for Windows to finish closing the session before you take the disc out.

Burn an Audio CD With Windows Media Player Legacy

The Media Player app that comes with Windows 11 is a different program, and it is not the tool for burning discs. You want the older one, which Microsoft offers as an optional feature in some editions of Windows 11. To add it:

1. Open Start, then Settings, then System, then Optional features.
2. Select View features and search for Windows Media Player Legacy.
3. Check the box, select Next, then Add.

Then make the disc:

1. Open Windows Media Player Legacy and select the Burn tab at the top right of the library.
2. Select the Burn options button, then Audio CD.
3. Insert a blank CD-R.
4. Drag songs from your library to the list pane, in the order you want them to play.
5. Check the total time in the list. A 72-minute playlist fits; at 95 minutes, select tracks you can lose and use Remove from list.

6. Select Start burn and wait for it to finish.

These button names come from Microsoft’s burn and rip page, which does not mention Windows 11 by name. Burn options also has a Data CD or DVD choice, though File Explorer is simpler for plain files.

If Legacy is not offered on your edition, a data CD still works for players that read MP3 files, and a dedicated burning program can handle audio.

Burn an ISO File to a CD

An ISO is a single file holding a complete disc’s contents, and burning one recreates that disc. Check the size first: right-click the file and select Properties. Anything over about 700 MB will not fit on a CD, and many ISOs need a DVD.

1. Insert a blank disc.
2. In File Explorer, right-click the .iso file and select Show more options (or select the file and press Shift + F10).
3. Select Burn disc image. The Windows Disc Image Burner window opens.
4. Pick your drive under Disc burner.
5. Check Verify disc after burning if the disc matters, such as an installer. It takes longer.

6. Select Burn, then Close when it finishes.

Microsoft has no current page covering this tool, so these labels may differ slightly on your PC. If Burn disc image is not in the menu, or you want more control, here is how to burn an ISO file with ImgBurn.

Copy a CD You Own

Windows 11 has no one-click disc copier. You move the contents to the PC, then burn them to a blank disc, so one drive is enough.

Copy only discs you own, for your own use. Rules on personal copies vary by country, and Microsoft’s page warns that unauthorized duplication of copyrighted material may violate copyright law. If a disc has copy protection, stop there: bypassing it is a separate legal issue.

Copy a Data CD

1. Insert the original and open it from This PC.
2. Create a new folder on your PC and copy everything from the disc into it.
3. Eject the original and insert a blank CD.
4. Burn that folder using the With a CD/DVD player steps above.

A bootable disc may not start from this kind of copy, because it needs an image-based copy instead. See this method for duplicating a disc you already have, or burning several copies.

Copy a Music CD

1. Open Windows Media Player Legacy and insert the original.
2. Open Rip settings, then Format, and pick WAV. Compressed WMA and MP3 files lose quality that burning will not restore.
3. Select Rip CD. The tracks are saved to your Music folder.
4. Eject the original, insert a blank CD-R, and follow the audio CD steps above using those tracks.

Track names may not fill in. Press reports since January 2026 say the album information lookup was removed or stopped working, so you may need to rename tracks by hand. The Media Player app can also rip CDs (three-dot menu, Rip settings), but to burn them you still need Legacy or a dedicated burning program.

Home movies on DVD need a different process: backing up a home DVD.

If Your PC Has No Disc Drive

Many newer PCs ship without one. An external USB drive is the straightforward fix: once connected, it appears under This PC and works with every method above. Look for burner, writer, or RW in the listing, because some external drives only read.

Before buying one, ask whether you need a disc at all. A flash drive is easier for sharing files, many car stereos have a USB port, and backing up to an external hard drive holds far more than a CD.

Fix Burning Problems

• The drive is not in This PC. Check the cable or try another USB port, then look under DVD/CD-ROM drives in Device Manager.
• Burn to disc or Finish burning is missing. Open See more, click a blank area so no file is selected, and check that the drive can write.
• “There was a problem burning this disc. The disc might no longer be usable.” An older Microsoft article written for Windows 8 ties this message to starting the burn while files are still being copied to the disc. Let the copy finish first.
• The original will not copy or rip. Wipe it with a soft, clean cloth, check for scratches, and try again. A badly scratched disc may not read fully.
• The burn stops partway. Try a lower Recording speed and a different brand of disc, and close other programs. A failed CD-R is usually ruined.
• It works on the PC but not in the car. You probably made a data CD. Burn an audio CD on a CD-R instead.

To confirm a burn worked, reinsert the disc, then open a few files or play a track. A finished CD-R cannot be erased, so a mistake means starting again with a new disc.

Other Questions About Burning CDs

Can I burn songs from a streaming service?

Usually not, since downloads inside streaming apps are generally locked to the app. Burn files you own without copy protection, such as plain MP3 purchases.

Does this work for DVDs too?

The File Explorer method does if you have a DVD writer, and a data DVD holds about 4.7 GB. A data DVD is not a movie disc, though. For watching one, see how to play a DVD on Windows 11. Blu-ray generally needs other software.

How long does a burn take?

It depends on how much you are writing and the speed you choose, so a small data disc finishes much sooner than a full audio CD at a low speed.

How should I label and store the disc?

Use a soft-tip marker on the label side and skip stick-on labels. Keep a second copy of anything important somewhere else.

Make One Test Disc First

If you need several copies, burn one and test it in the player or computer it is meant for, then repeat the same settings.