How to Burn Your Data to CD Using
Mac OS X’s Built in Software
It is very important to back up your data on a regular basis, especially data stored
on your hard drive. Backing up your data to CD is a very easy and cost effective
method. Most Macs are equipped with a CD burner and CD burning capabilities
built in to Mac OS X. This document contains instructions for backing up your
data to CD using Mac OS X. If you need assistance, please contact the Help
Desk at 832-1720.
1. Insert a blank CD-R in to the CD burner drive on your computer.
Blank CD-R discs can be purchased from any office supply store or
ordered through CCSU’s office
supply vendor. Make sure the CD-R
you are using is brand new (NOTE: One
way to check if a CD has been used is to hold the
bottom side of the CD to the light and look for a burnt
ring. If there is a ring around the CD in the middle, it
has already been used. The ring closest to the center
and near the edge does not count as a burnt ring).
2. After you insert the CD-R, a dialog
box should popup asking you what
to do. Select “Open Finder” and click on OK. If you do not get this
dialog box, see the Troubleshooting section on Page 2.
3. An icon for the CD will appear on your Desktop. You can rename the
CD; simply double-click on the name, enter a new name and press
return.
4. Open the drive window containing the files and/or folders you want
to back up. Drag and drop the files and/or folders onto the CD icon
on the Desktop.
5. Once you’ve added all the files you want to burn to the CD, drag
the CD icon to the Trash.
Note: The trash icon will change to a burn icon to indicate that it won’t eject
until the files have been written to the CD.
Information Technology Services at CCSU Page 1 of 2
How to Burn Your Data to CD Using
Mac OS X’s Built in Software
6. A dialog box will open asking how
you want to burn the CD. You can
leave default settings and click
Burn.
7. After the burn process is complete,
the CD icon will remain on your
desktop as a regular CD. You can
then drag it to the Trash again to
eject it. Be sure to label the outside
of the CD using a CD label or
permanent marker so that you can easily identify its contents
later.
Troubleshooting:
If nothing happens when you insert a blank CD-R, you may
need to double check your CD handling settings:
1. Under the Apple menu, select System Preferences
2. Select CDs & DVDs under Hardware
3. Ensure that “Ask what to do” is selected for “When you
insert a blank CD”
Information Technology Services at CCSU Page 2 of 2