So you have a CD read/write drive on your computer, but burning CDs is not as easy as saving a file to a disk. Here are some tips to help make burning CDs an easier process.

• A common problem with writing to CDs is that "coasters" are created. "Coasters" are CDs that are no good because of an error during their creation. Coasters are created when you use too many system resources while burning a CD. If the buffer empties itself, even for a short amount of time, it causes an error in your CD writing and you are left with a useless CD. Having a "Burn Proof" CD-RW drive greatly helps to reduce coasters.
  
  
• Another way to avoid creating coasters is to close all other programs while the CD burning software is working. This reduces the use of the buffer.
  
  
• Disable programs running in the background that can use up system resources, such as screen savers, power management utilities and task schedulers. If they start up while you are burning, you can have problems. Easiest way to disable them is to look at the system tray next to the clock on your desktop. Right click each and close or disable them. To disable power management or a screen saver, right click the Windows desktop, choose properties, then click screen saver in the dialogue box that pops up. Here you can turn off your screen saver and access any power management functions.
  
  
• The cache memory on your drive should be at least 2 MBs. More is better.
  
  
• Make sure your disk drive is a CD-RW, not a CD-R. If it is only a CD-R drive, it can only write once and won't recognize a CD-RW disc.
  
  
• Find a brand of discs that work well with your drive and stick with it. CDs can be created using different materials. Try using discs recommended by your drive's manufacturer. These should work the best with your drive.
  
  
• Use a recording speed for which your media is rated. If the higher speeds listed for the discs don't work, try the standard 1x speed. If this fails, try a different kind of disc. Try to buy media that is rated at the same speed as your CD burner. Do not buy 24x discs if your drive is only a 12x.
  
  
• CD-R discs are only good for one burn; CD-RW discs can be added to, erased and reused, much like floppy discs. CD-R discs are good for music (they are playable in most CD players, like in your car or on your stereo) and storage of photos; while CD-RW discs are good for storage of files and data.
  
  
• Remember, if you use a CD creation software on your computer, such as Roxio Easy CD Creator, and then try to use the disc on someone else's computer that does not have the same CD creation software, you may only be able to read from the disc, and probably cannot save back on the disc.
  
  

Finally, once you have burned a CD, it is always good practice to check it to make sure everything is okay. You can do this by trying to open the file from the CD. You may also want to download a free utility called CDCheck that will check your CD to make sure that all the files were copied correctly and none are corrupted. This tool will also compare the files on the CD to the originals on your hard drive. You can download CDCheck here.