Using a Recordable Drive

You can use your CD-RW, DVD/CD-RW, or DVD-RAM/-R/-RW/CD-RW drive to create data CDs, music CDs, or copies of CDs. You can use your DVD-RAM/-R/-RW/CD-RW drive to create data or video DVDs.

Identifying drive types

Your Gateway notebook may contain one of the following drive types.

Look on the front of the drive for one of the following logos:

CD drive		Use a CD drive for installing programs, playing audio CDs, and accessing data. You cannot use this drive to create CDs or DVDs or play DVDs.
CD-RW drive (recordable CD drive)		Use a CD-RW drive for installing programs, playing audio CDs, accessing data, and recording music and data to CD-R or CD-RW discs. You cannot use this drive to create or play DVDs.
DVD drive		Use a DVD drive for installing programs, playing audio CDs, playing DVDs, and accessing data. You cannot use this drive to create CDs or DVDs.
Combination DVD/CD-RW drive (recordable CD drive)		Use a combination DVD/CD-RW drive for installing programs, playing audio CDs, playing DVDs, accessing data, and recording music and data to CD-R or CD-RW discs. You cannot use this drive to create DVDs.
Combination DVD-RAM/ -R/-RW/CD-RW Drive (recordable CD and DVD drive)		Use a combination DVD-RAM/-R/-RW/CD-RW drive for installing programs, playing audio CDs, playing DVDs, accessing data, recording music and data to CD-R or CD-RW discs, and recording video and data to DVD-RAM, DVD-R, or DVD-RW discs.

Creating data CDs and DVDs

Use Roxio Easy CD Creator to create data CDs and DVDs. Data CDs and DVDs are ideal for backing up important files such as tax records, letters, MP3s, digital movies, or photos. For information on creating music CDs, see Creating music CDs.

Use your movie creator software to create video DVDs. For more information about using the movie creator software that came with your notebook, see its online help.

Important

We recommend that you do not use your notebook for other tasks while creating CDs or DVDs.

Important

If you record copyrighted material on a CD or DVD, you need permission from the copyright owner. Otherwise, you may be violating copyright law and be subject to payment of damages and other remedies. If you are uncertain about your rights, contact your legal advisor.

To create a data CD or DVD:

1. Insert a blank, writable CD or DVD into your recordable CD or DVD drive.

2. If a CD Drive dialog box opens, click Create a CD using Roxio Easy CD Creator, then click OK. The Select a Project window opens.

- OR -

If a dialog box does not open, click Start, All Programs, Roxio Easy CD Creator, then click Project Selector. The Select a Project window opens.

3. Move your pointer over make a data CD, then click dataCD project or dataDVD project. The Easy CD Creator window opens.

4. Click the arrow button to open the Select Source Files list, then click the drive or folder where the files you want to add to the writable CD or DVD are located. If you do not see the folder you want, browse through the folders in the Source pane.

5. Click the file you want to record (hold down the Ctrl or Shift key when you click to select multiple files) in the Source pane, then click Add.

6. After you have added all of your files, click record. The Record CD Setup dialog box opens.

7. Click Start Recording.

Creating video DVDs

Use your movie creator software to create video DVDs. For more information about using the movie creator software that came with your notebook, see its online help.

Important

We recommend that you do not use your notebook for other tasks while creating DVDs.

Important

If you record copyrighted material on a DVD, you need permission from the copyright owner. Otherwise, you may be violating copyright law and be subject to payment of damages and other remedies. If you are uncertain about your rights, contact your legal advisor.

After you connect your digital camcorder to your notebook, creating a video DVD typically consists of three basic steps: capture the video, edit the video, and record the video to a DVD-R or DVD-RW disc.

To create a video DVD:

1. Insert a blank, writable DVD-R or DVD-RW disc into your recordable DVD drive. You cannot use a DVD-RAM disc to create a video DVD.

2. If a dialog box opens, click Take no action, then click OK.

3. Use your video authoring and recording program, such as Pinnacle Expression, to create video DVDs. For more information about using the program that came with your notebook, see its online help.

Creating music CDs

Use Roxio Easy CD Creator to create music CDs from other music CDs or MP3 files. For information on creating data CDs, see Creating data CDs and DVDs.

Important

We recommend that you do not use your notebook for other tasks while creating CDs.

Important

If you record copyrighted material on a CD, you need permission from the copyright owner. Otherwise, you may be violating copyright law and be subject to payment of damages and other remedies. If you are uncertain about your rights, contact your legal advisor.

Important

Some CDs have copy protection software. You cannot create MP3 files from these CDs and you may not be able to listen to these CDs on your notebook.

To create music CDs:

1. Insert a blank, writable CD into your recordable CD drive.

Tips & Tricks

Most home and car stereos can read CD-R discs, but cannot read CD-RW discs. To make sure that the CD that you create will play on home and car CD players, use a CD-R disc.

2. If a CD Drive dialog box opens, click Create a CD using Roxio Easy CD Creator, then click OK. The Select a Project window opens.

- OR -

If a dialog box does not open, click Start, All Programs, Roxio Easy CD Creator, then click Project Selector. The Select a Project window opens.

3. Move your pointer over make a music CD, then click musicCD project. The Easy CD Creator window opens.

4. Click the arrow button to open the Select Source Files list, then click the drive or folder where the music files that you want to add to the writable CD are located. If you do not see the folder you want, browse through the folders in the Source pane.

5. Click the file you want to record (hold down the Ctrl or Shift key when you click to select multiple files) in the Source pane, then click Add.

Tips & Tricks

You can add any combination of music tracks or MP3 files to a music CD project. You can add up to 99 tracks and files, or up to 650 MB (74-minute CD) or 700 MB (80-minute CD) of tracks and files to a music CD project.

6. After you have added all of your tracks and files, click record. The Record CD Setup dialog box opens.

7. Click Start Recording. When the recording is complete, you may see a Record Complete dialog box. Select the appropriate option.

Copying CDs and DVDs

CD Copier can make backup copies of almost any type of CD or DVD.

Important

We recommend that you do not use your notebook for other tasks while creating a CD or DVD.

Important

If you record copyrighted material on a CD or DVD, you need permission from the copyright owner. Otherwise, you may be violating copyright law and be subject to payment of damages and other remedies. If you are uncertain about your rights, contact your legal advisor.

If you have only one optical drive and it is a recordable CD or DVD drive, go to "Copying with one drive".

-OR-

If you have two optical drives and one of the drives is a recordable CD or DVD drive, go to "Copying with two drives".

Copying with one drive

Important

You must have enough free space on your hard drive to copy a CD or DVD using one drive. To copy a CD, you need up to 700 MB free. To copy a DVD, you need up to 5 GB free.

To copy a CD or DVD using one drive:

1. Insert the CD or DVD you want to copy into your recordable CD or DVD drive.

2. If a dialog box opens, click Take no action, then click OK.

3. If a CD Drive dialog box opens, click Create a CD using Roxio Easy CD Creator, then click OK. The Select a Project window opens.

- OR -

If a dialog box does not open, click Start, All Programs, Roxio Easy CD Creator, then click Project Selector. The Select a Project window opens.

4. Move your pointer over CD copier, then click CD copier. The Disc Copier window opens.

5. On the Source and Destination tab, click the arrow button to open the Copy from list, then click the recordable drive.

6. Click the arrow button to open the Record to list, then click the recordable drive.

7. Click Copy. CD Copier copies the information on the source CD or DVD to your hard drive, prompts you to insert the blank CD or DVD, then copies the information from the hard drive to the blank CD or DVD.

Copying with two drives

To copy a CD or DVD using two drives:

1. Insert the CD or DVD you want to copy into your non-recordable CD or DVD drive.

2. If a dialog box opens, click Take no action, then click OK.

3. Insert a blank, writable CD or DVD into your recordable CD or DVD drive.

4. If a CD Drive dialog box opens, click Create a CD using Roxio Easy CD Creator, then click OK. The Select a Project window opens.

- OR -

If a dialog box does not open, click Start, All Programs, Roxio Easy CD Creator, then click Project Selector. The Select a Project window opens.

5. Move your pointer over CD copier, then click CD copier. The CD Copier window opens.

6. On the Source and Destination tab, click the arrow button to open the Copy from list, then click the drive that contains the source CD or DVD.

7. Click the arrow button to open the Record to list, then click the drive that contains the blank CD or DVD (this is your recordable CD or DVD drive).

8. Click Copy. The information on the source CD or DVD is copied automatically to your blank CD or DVD.