How to back up your files to DVD or Blu-ray

Use the Backup Assistant in Burn by Zaweba. Pick the folders you want to keep safe, give the backup a name and choose the disc size, and Burn works out how many DVDs or Blu-rays it needs, burns them and checks every file afterwards. It's free software that runs offline on Windows, with no account.

The Backup Assistant is the largest item on Burn's home screen, because backing up is what most people open a disc program for. Here's how to get a good first backup and make the next one a single click.

Before you start

You need a Windows 10 or 11 PC with a disc writer that handles the discs you want to use, and a stack of blank DVDs or Blu-rays. If you're not sure what your drive can write, Tools > Drive information in Burn lists what it reads and writes.

Think about what you're protecting. Photos, documents and project folders are the usual candidates. Programs and system folders aren't worth backing up to disc, since they can be installed again.

Making the backup

Open the Backup Assistant from Home, from File > New backup, or with Ctrl+B. You can also right-click a folder in Explorer and choose Back up with Zaweba, if you've turned on Burn's right-click commands in Settings.

Add the folders to the backup set. You then decide what goes in: every kind of file, or only the kinds you choose, and any kinds you'd like left out. Hidden and system files are left out. Choose the disc size to match the blanks you're using, give the set a name, and let Burn plan it.

If everything fits on one disc, you're asked for one. If not, Burn plans as many as it needs, splits any very large files into numbered pieces and asks for each disc in turn. Put them in when asked and leave it to work.

How you know it worked

Before burning, Burn takes a SHA-256 fingerprint of every file. After burning, it reads every file on every disc back and compares it with that fingerprint, then lists each file as passed or failed. If a disc fails, you can burn it again. This check is on by default and is controlled by the setting Check every disc after burning. It adds a few minutes, and it's what turns a pile of discs into a backup you can rely on.

Every disc also carries a restore index, so any one of them can tell Burn what the whole backup holds. That matters later, when you need something back.

Keeping it up to date

Saved backup sets appear as chips on the home screen. Next time, click the chip and the same folders, file kinds and disc size are used again. Once you have a first backup, you can choose Only files changed since the last backup to burn just what's new or different, which saves discs and time.

Burn keeps a log of every backup with the date, the set, the discs used, the number of files and whether the check passed, and you can export it as CSV. After an audio CD or a backup, Burn also offers labels and covers, including a label per disc marked Disc 2 of 3 and so on, printed as an A4 PDF with crop marks.

Label the discs, store them somewhere dry and away from sunlight, and keep them apart from the computer they protect. When you need a file back, Restore from backup discs (on Home or the Tools menu) reads any disc of the set on any PC.