Want to make a backup of your documents? You can burn a CD-R for about $1.00. It will hold up to 650 megabytes of data and should be readable on any Mac or Windows computer with a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. Be sure to buy a CD-R (recordable CD) and not a CD-RW (rewritable CD) unless you're sure you want a CD-RW. CD-RWs cost about $10.00 each and this is unnecessary if you don't plan on erasing and reusing the CD later. You can buy CD-Rs at the bookstore.

Copyright warning: It is illegal to duplicate copyrighted materials such as music CDs and software CD-ROMs. This equipment is intended only for making archival copies of work created in your class. Your use of CEE's equipment indicates your acceptance of these terms.

1. Go to the iMac with the Sony Spressa CD burner. You will need to work at this station. Be sure that the CD burner is on. The power switch is in the front on the right. You should see a green light. If the computer does not "see" the CD burner, try restarting the computer with the burner already on.

2. Put all of the files you want to copy inside one folder (they may already be inside a folder). In this example, we'll call the folder "my files".

3. Open the Documents folder on the computer by double-clicking it.

4. Drag (copy) your folder to the Documents folder. (Why? If the files aren't copied to the local hard drive, you may experience buffer underruns while creating the CD because of slowdowns in network access...if so, you've got a pretty coaster but you're out a buck!)

5. Under the Apple menu, choose Applications/Utilities/Adaptec Toast.

 

6. Drag the "my files" folder from Documents onto the open Toast window where it says "Drop files and folders here".

7. Click on the "Write CD..." button.

8. The Sony Spressa is able to write CD-Rs (recordable CDs) as Disc or Session. If you want maximum compatibility with older computers that may not have multi-session capable CD-ROM drives, choose Write Disc. The entire CD will be burned and cannot be altered. If you plan to use the CD-R only on newer machines with multi-session capable CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drives, choose Write Session and you can burn more information to the unused portion of the CD at a later date.