Totally Free Burner is a CD/DVD burner with a nice, minimalistic interface and an excellent range of features.
A nice surprise, this one. Totally Free Burner offers a set of features that will cover most people’s CD/DVD burning needs. It also offers a sleek design and nice look-and-feel as an added bonus. Here are more notes on this program:
- Automatic data verification: for all burning operations.
Bootable: can create bootable CDs and DVDs (see image to the right).- Technical specs: an impressive array of configurations supported; “all current hardware interfaces (IDE/SCSI/USB/1394/SATA)”. Multi-Session or Disc-at-Once mode for all formats; any combination of UDF/ISO9660/Joliet bridged file systems, and UNICODE support.
- Burns Audio CDs: supports mp3, wav, ogg and wma files. Does not rip audio cds (use the free BonkEnc or Exact Audio Copy for this).
- Burns disk images: supports ISO and BIN/CUE. Burns images on the fly without first staging locally on your hard drive.
- Burns video CDs: from Mpeg1 VCD files.
- Burns DVDs: for both data and video DVDs. For the latter it can burn from local DVD files or ISO. Supports using UDF format, for compatibility with hardware DVD players.
- Drag and drop: [updated Aug 14, 2008] as of the just released ver. 4.0, supports drag and drop files and folders (a good thing, since adding files and folders individually through the two seperate dialog buttons is not very practical.
Wish list (or how this program can be even better):
- On the fly disc copying: would be great; also ISO image creation from files/folders.
- Support for “new” media: namely double density DVDs and Blue-Ray. Not sure if these are supported; could not find any documentation.
- Support for overburning: as above, not sure whether or not this might already be supported
The verdict: a very nice, clean and simple burning program that offers a good range of functions (and looks great).
Although this program has a lot to offer as is, I couldn’t help but feel that with a couple more options it could have been significantly better (keeping my fingers crossed for files and folders drag and drop). This is a good idea and will give this program a boost given the many excellent freeware CD/DVD burners out there.
Having said that, this program will cover the CD/DVD burning needs of the vast majority of users and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Version Tested: 4.0
Compatibility: WinAll.
Go to the program home page to download the latest version (approx 1.11 megs).
i have to say is the best antivirus i install on my computer keep my computer...
I’m wondering how it compares to (the now officially unavailable) BurnAware Free Edition. I’ve been using it for a while, and when I found out the free version was discontinued, I made sure to have a copy of the installer somewhere safe.
If you are talking about BurnAware Free Edition 1.3, it can be found at:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download5839.html
@ Empty Jay: they’re quite similar. This one supports UDF (i.e. DVDs that will play on a hardware DVD player) and burns bootable discs, which Burnaware didn’t. Burnaware burned double density and Bu-ray discs, which I’m not sure this one does. Burnaware supported dragging and dropping folders and files, if I remember correctly, while this one doesn’t. Both do not support on the fly copying.
tried AmoK Burner? – amazed at the speed.
Apart from the ability to create audio CDs how does this compare to ImgBurn?
Maybe an idea for your site would be a comparisons page where you can list similar programs in tables that show what features each one has/lacks.
Personally I use Imgburn for all my burning needs except for audio CDs for which I use MediaMonkey.
I really like ImgBurn myself, and I don’t think it does too bad of a job with media CDs.. It’s not the most optimal way to make them, but it works.
I used to be a huge Nero fan, but they kept adding bloat. I find that ImgBurn has everything I need in a tight little package.
I know next to nothing about the technical aspects of burning CDs/DVDs, but I do know that ImgBurn does everything from bootable, to ISO and everything in between – the options are apparent enough even to me – its fast, offers drag’n'drop and even looks like it means business, the dialogs are in natural language and I have a fail rate of near zero.
(I do have a criticism of ImgBurn – the working window is rather on the small side).
I’d try Totally Free Burner but no drag and drop is just plain archaic.
Whoops! Won’t choose multiple files. Not a good choice.
ImgBurn (as one who doesn’t use it) appears to just burn images – if you want to write an avi file one day and add another next week then it isn’t much good for that purpose?
@jbhq – If you mean mulitsession CD/DVD then yes imgBurn can do that. ImgBurn is not just for burning and creating images.
@gm: they just released ver 4.0 with support for drag and drop. Makes it much easier to add files and folders in one fell swoop.
ImgBurn cannot add files to a CD that has already been burnt. They mention multisession feature on their website but they are meaning something different which I think is misleading.
I’m sick of ImgBurn referred to as the be-all-and-end-all of burning. It cannot create audio or video CDs, period. I use ImgBurn and am not slamming it, but when I see comments that say something like “Who needs ‘Totally Free Burner’? I use ImgBurn, it does it all!”, it’s annoying.
DeepBurner is the best for free:
Main Features:
You can easily create and burn regular data CDs/DVDs
AudioCD recording functionality is included
Direct disk-to-disk copying is a cinch
Quickly build and burn ISO Images
Burning Video DVDs is no problem
Create awesome, personalized photo CD/DVD albums
Rest assured with the full-featured backup utility
CD/DVD burning from the command line for you pro’s
Drive and media information utility included
Supports IDE/EIDE, USB, SCSI, and Fire Wire CD/DVD writers
Burning Features:
Overburn function
Buffer underrun technology “Burn-Proof”
DAO, SAO and TAO Writing methods support
Support for CD-R / CD-RW / DVD-R / DVD+R / DVD-RW / DVD+RW / DVD-RAM
Create Multi-session CDs
Write on Rewritable CDs/DVDs
Bootable CD/DVD support
Specific Features:
Dynamically adjustable drive buffer size
High Performance File/Disc Caching
Supports Long File Name (Joliet) File Systems
Creates ISO (100% DOS/Windows) compatible data CDs/DVDs
Supports multiple simultaneous recorders
Ease of Use and Compatibility
Easy to use wizards help you create any type of burning project
The Autorun Wizard makes it easy to create effective autoruns for your CDs
You can even easily make your own cover, booklet or case insert
Multi-language interface, of course
@X (have the balls to use a real name for once) – Who said ImgBurn was perfect? I certainly didn’t and neither did Tharkis.
@don-salve – Some of the features you list for DeepBurner are only available in the pro version which you have to pay for. Only the pro version does disk-to-disk(sic) copying. Only the pro version will burn Video DVDs. Only the pro version will burn photo albums. Same applies to comand line burning, back up utility and the drive restoration/information utility.
BTW how much do they pay you?
Imgburn CAN create audio cds. I do it all the time. See this guide: http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?s=d7338241b8b4c93b2ffd903286635aa1&showtopic=5555
@Carbonize
nothing – I use this program. But only for burning data, no copying or so.
I copied the description from filehippo.com it was said to be the description of the freeware edition.
Sry for not testing all the features.
Ok just tried this along with InfraRecorder, DeepBurner and CDBurnerXP.
InfraRecorder seems a bit unfinished although the express starter is comprehensive.
Total Free Burner seems very simple to use but maybe a little to simple for my tastes.
DeepBurner has a nice layout when doing an audio CD but it’s use of MCI (multiple windows in a window) can get confusing.
CDBurnerXP seems the most comprehensive. As simple to use as the other two but with a better layout.
I tested by pretending to burn an audio CD.
Total Free Burner lists them all nicely but you cannot rearange the track order. Infra, DeepBurner and CDburnerXP all let you drag and drop the tracks once added to the compilation. Whilst DeepBurner also reads file tags CDBurnerXP wins because it reads the tags of files such as MP3s and supports replaygain and has an excellent print support.
Also the lack of Video DVD support in DeepBurners free program is a major turn off.
Main issue with all of these is none of them let you specify if you want a pause between the tracks or to play them straight after each other. I tried Amok and it needs plug ins to do most things so you are not really using Amok but Star burner(I think the programs it uses are Star burner or somethign similar).
Carbonize wrote: “…Main issue with all of these is none of them let you specify if you want a pause between the tracks or to play them straight after each other…”
Well, sorry to bring Imgburn to the discussion again but with it you also can configure the preGap between tracks as you wish (0 seconds, 2 seconds or custom – see guide in my previous post).
Another plus for Imgburn. It amazes me how people still swear that this software doesn’t burn audio cds. Go figure!
Tiago I actually use ImgBurn but you have to admit it’s not the most attractive program and the way it does audio cds is a bit of a hassle. I am surprised that nobody has made a better front end for ImgBurn yet.
Carbonize, you’re right about that. I agree it’s not the most user friendly burning software out there. Maybe the next version will bring us some improvement. At least, the author states in the latest version: “This will probably be the last ‘maintenance’ type release for the v2.4 series, meaning I can finally start to implement some decent new features!”.
Does any freeware CD burner support/do CD text?
ImgBurn does not allow you to make a bootable Microsoft CD for loading on or preconfiguring a Slipstreamed CD! What I mean by this is it wont copy the BIM file so that the CD auto-boots, loads XP operating system CD onto your drive, for those who want to reinstall your XP operating system. The best package I have found for this is ISO Commander but you have to pay for it after the trial period. I have tried and tested a lot of these packages for Slipstreaming CD’s and have a lot of wasted discs/cosyers to prove that ISO Commander is the best for this. Hope this helps “:-D
Correction:
that should read discs/coasters
Seahorse:Best way to create slipstreamed bootable Windows installation disks is to use NLite for XP and VLite for Vista. Those programs do more than simple slipstreaming but you don`t have to use the extra features.
The output is saved as an iso which I burn to an R/W with IMGBurn which I use for all my burning except for multisession disks.
I have tried all the other programs mentioned above except Totally Free and found IMGBurn gives the best result. Although the interface is not intuitive but there are guides on the website and like most things it`s easy when you have used it.
I cannot get the drag/drop feature to work on this program…windows 64 issue?
This is NOT Freeware – this is NAGWARE! They want you to buy a “lifetime licence” US-$ 25.00, and then the 30 second startup delay and nagscreen will disappear. Immediately removed from my HD, and also SHOULD be REMOVED FROM HERE!
OALEXANDER,
This is NOT nagware, it takes 30 seconds to start up because it is the FREE version.
After its started it no longer asks for anything, no adware….nothing.
I use this software for burning DVD movies and it has NEVER failed and is very quick.
Great freeware program and VERY simple to use.
WARNING: This contains a virus! Do not download!
@Dave.
It most certainly does not contain a virus.
I just downloaded it and uploaded to Virustotal.com (a service that checks uploaded files against a few dozen antivirus systems).
It came out with a perfect bill of health. See below.
http://www.virustotal.com/analisis/7a54ab520770e243bf2eb20010c26c6e4c56a502ae4ad43ae71527269031895b-1252102642
I am guessing that whatever antivirus/anti-malware software merely posted a false positive.
COOL