FREE Burning Software list (know any more?)

L

LTR12101B

1
When I had the bright idea of hunting down all the freeware burning software for Windows, I didn't realize there was so much of it.

I'll set out the conditions of this rundown:
  1. Information is based on the website, not on usage
  2. I have not used them all, in fact, the most I've done with any is take a brief look
  3. Exact Audio Copy is NOT included - although it CAN burn audio, and I DO use it (not for burning now) and I love the noise reducer, it's out of this rundown as it's not general purpose
  4. Everything here is at your own risk


So, in nothing more than alphabetical order.....................

BURN4FREE
  • - Website Navigation traps in some downloaders (use disable key for your downloader)
  • - Includes http://www.navexcel.com/live/faqs.html Navhelper - claimed not to be spyware, but ???
  • Supports Drag/drop, Send to, File list and drop target
  • Reads several audio formatss (WAV, WMA, MP3, MP2, MP1 and OGG)
To be honest, I'd be looking more favourably on this one if it weren't for the website problem.


BURNATONCE
  • - Not the prettiest, and drew the short straw by backing the CDRDAO burn engine which got bogged down in licensing issues (but can use CDRECORD pro-DVD as an alternative)
  • Supports several audio formats - WAV, MP3, MP2, OGG, FLAC
  • Supports TWO different methods of long filenames
  • Supports BIN/CUE and ISO CD Image formats (and CDRDAO's own BIN/TOC)
Long filename support is a key strength.

CD BURNER XP PRO
  • - From 1.1.x, the source was lost - 2.x is a new start, with new problems
  • The old "Nero" look seems to have been replaced by a Windows style (makes me think of Outlook Express with the Outlook bar enabled)
  • Also seems that it lost the ability to accept drag and drop
  • Despite the title, it's not limited to XP
I rated this the "beauty contest winner" at one time, but circumstances have not been kind.

CD MANIPULATOR
  • - Frozen at version 2.69
  • Updated to 2.70 - 6th Jan 2004 - no significant changes mentioned
  • Main panel interface reminscent of CloneCD
  • File compilation interface not particularly pretty, but functional - supports drag/drop
  • Used to be followed in the forum, but last update was some time back
  • Quite small
At one time, looked like it was going to be a "poor man's CloneCD", and it may be able to handle the easier protections - maybe even SD2.5 - 2.8 if your drive has accurate EFM (a "2 sheep" rating) - if your drive can't do it without help, this can't do it!


CDR TOOLS FRONTEND
  • Has a reasonably pretty file assembly tool - "Visual ISO"
  • Accesses some extra CDRECORD features (eg. blanking modes for CD-RW)
  • Has HPFS options
Overall, it's a little clumsy, as the steps in using the backend tools are taken more literally than windows users may be comfortable with.


DEEPBURNER
  • - A newcomer to the field
  • Nero-like in layout
  • Includes label making
  • And they get it all into 1.43 Megabytes!
  • http://www.deepburner.com/?r=features&pr=vhistory - updated Dec 1st 2003
My opinion: Probably the most attractive and (for casual burning) feature-complete program of all - at the moment.


And lastly, the DPAEHL Tools (a bit of an assortment)
DPAHL's CDR PROGRAMS
  • Easy Burning 1.56 supports Joliet LONG filenames (103 characters)
  • DropCD is a small program for drag/drop handling (not packet!)
  • Audio-CD rips audio and burns (supports CUE)
  • CD/DVD Copy - basic copier
  • http://www.paehl.de/english.php - also a couple of CDR ones in here
Since I'm rating everying from the websites, I'd rate these a lot higher if the presentation was more inviting - still, if nothing else fits, there may be something here to suit.


Conclusion
If DEEPBURNER retains it's unadulterated freeware status, I'd give it the thumbs up as a "mainstream burner software replacement".
Second place in that field - BURN4FREE, but I'm really not comfortable with that foistware bundled with it, no matter how benign it's claimed to be.
Third place - CD BURNER XP PRO, though if 2.1.1 hasn't resolved recent trouble reports, it gets a technical knockout instead!
Fourth equal - CDR TOOLS FRONTEND / CD MANIPULATOR - putting the Visual ISO feature, up against the more mainstream appearance and partial protected copier.

In the SPECIAL category, Burnatonce reigns supreme - and it CAN handle burning a file compilation, but on appearnce grounds it trails the others badly.

Well, I ran this face-off MY way, look at all the runners and see which one you'd prefer?
 
S

scarecrow

1
You forgot a very good barebones program, which is ideal for burning all types of EAC cuseheets- even nonconventional ones:
http://www.apehaus.com/burrrn/
Doesn't do something different than Burnatonce, but it does it in one go/on the fly, without the need of using the audio compilation window first (which of course offers you extra options, if you need it).
Also, a quite interesting japanese hack of cdrdao, named CD Manipulator:
http://www.storeroom.info/cdm/index_e.html
And of course the reason all those programs ever existed- cdrtools/cdrecord and cdrdao. Both Unix applications at heart, one can find windows ports of them under either Cygwin or Mingw- the choice is subjetive, or one can pick whatever works for him... both commandline, so a win32 user may not consider them at all- quite wrongly... they are both very powerful.
 
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S

stone_burner

1
A few others:

Cdpisac - A windows gui for cdrecord and cdrdao - dreadful.

Xduplicator - Open source windows gui for cdrdao - ok.

XPBurn and Easy Iso Creator - XPBurn not tried as it only runs on XP. Easy Iso is a small general mastering app that runs on any version of windows from 95 up. Like burnatonce can do data cd compilations. Quite good.

As for CD Manipulator-
At one time, looked like it was going to be a "poor man's CloneCD", and it may be able to handle the easier protections - maybe even SD2.5 - 2.8 if your drive has accurate EFM (a "2 sheep" rating) - if your drive can't do it without help, this can't do it!
Click to expand...
As scarecrow pointed out, it uses a hacked version of cdrdao as its burning engine. It can handle all versions of safedisc up to sd 2.7 (and may also succeed with sd 2.8 if you're lucky) if you have a 2 sheep efm burner. It will also successfully copy laserlock protected cds (so long as you have lots of time to wait while it makes an image). However, its ability to handle copy protections is no different to that of burnatonce (which shouldn't surprise since both use the cdrdao burning engine, albeit a hacked version in the case of CD Manipulator).
 
S

scarecrow

1
Including Feurio! in the above list would probably be unfair, but the program is not crippled in any way- it's shareware status consists of some naggers, no spyware, adware or anything like that.
 
L

LTR12101B

1
Looked at the Fireburner site, and can't see if it operates in "free with tolerable restrictions" mode.

Which reminds me, I forgot the PADUS Diskjuggler demo, but the restrictions (1x or minimum drive/media speed and 700Mb/80 min max) are rather too onerous to consider it to be usable freeware.
 
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stone_burner

1
Nope, fireburner isn't free. In fact, I think you can only test burn with it before registering.

As for discjuggler, I'd reckon the unlimited trial would be ok if you had a burner with an 8x min burning speed like an Ltr-24102B.
 
A

AZImmortal

1
ah, i haven't used fireburner in a while. i don't know about the latest 2.x versions, but 1.06 should be totally free (and is still available on the website).
 
S

scarecrow

1
AZImmortal said:
ah, i haven't used fireburner in a while. i don't know about the latest 2.x versions, but 1.06 should be totally free (and is still available on the website).
Click to expand...
1.06 was both sheer crap and NOT free... not that the newer versions are any better, of course.
 
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