AserID,
What you do to burn a DVD is going to vary with what DVD burning software you're using. If you want to use the burning software built into Windows 7, check the pictorial instructions here
http://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-7/burn-cd-dvd-windows-7-tutorial/

You mention having a game on your screen - you won't burn an already installed game to optical media. I assume you want to burn the downloaded files so you won't have to download them again...

Drac- That's exactly
what I mean-- downloading
a game that I can play later.
I can't always play my games
right away.

Jenny- I have Windows XP,
not Windows 7. Not yet,
anyway.

Thanks, guys,

Aser

aser, at one time I could write the steps involved in burning a CD under XP but that was several years ago. I did a Google search and came up with this from Microsoft Support.

While the help page doesn't say you need burning software I do remember using one, and I think it was Roxi. But don't hold me to this, as I said, it's been a few years.

Perhaps someone still using XP will know for sure if a burning software is needed or if XP has its own CD burning software.

The disc burning capability built into XP will burn CD's.
It will not burn DVD's.

You need to get separate burning software if you want to burn DVD's with XP.

I only burned CD's once using the burning capability built into XP, and I would not recommend it. My experience was that it created an image to burn, and held onto it even after you'd burned the disc. So next time you wanted to burn a disc, it would want to burn the same disc as last time. I eventually figured out how to delete the old images, but I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner. Third party disc burning software is much easier to work with.

The free burning software I use is Imgburn
http://imgburn.com/

It doesn't have all the capability that pay software like Nero would have, but it will burn files to a CD or DVD.

Here are screenshots
http://imgburn.com/index.php?act=screenshots

After clicking the icon to start Imgburn, you'd click the Write Files/Folders to disc button seen in the top screenshot. Then you browse for the files or folders you want to burn. You can either open the browse by clicking the file or folder icon or by choosing it throught the menu. Once the files are all listed in the box you click the button to burn. There is a pdf how-to ***here*** which shows the various things Imgburn can do. Check the "Write Files/Folders to Disc" section.

If you're confused, just experiment with it a little. It's not going to try to burn until you click the burn button. If you think you messed something up, just close Imgburn with the red X in the corner and reopen it.

Homer-

Thanks for your efforts
in trying to help me.

By what I've read thus
far, burning DVD's with
my XP won't be possible--
I'll need burning software
to do it.

Again, for
responding to my post.

Aser

Jenny100-

I appreciate your
suggestions -- this is
what I've been wanting
to hear!

Thank you so much!

Aser

One thing to check is does your computer have some software on it that would work. My Hewlett Packard. XP came with a program called Sonic on it . I burn DVD's with that. Make sure you don't already have something.

aser I just Googled "free dvd burner software for xp" and found several sites offering free software. Maybe this is something you'd like to look into.

Winfrey-

My XP doesn't have such
a program installed, un-
fortunately. But I really
appreciate your suggestion.

Aser

Homer-

Thanks, again, for your
help!

My computer's at the PC
shop right now, but I'll
certainly look into these
sites as soon as I can.
I"m posting this from a
friend's laptop!

Aser

You're welcome, aser.

Hey, gang--

After you've burned a game
to a DVD, does the disc play
the same as the original game--
that is, will the disc respond
to the same commands as in the
original, i.e., saving, loading,
selecting options, etc.?

Obviously, I'm referring only
to games that are allowed to be
burned.

What do you think, guys?

Aser

Aser,

What you burn to the disk are the game files "before" installation.
You don't play the game from the disk.
The disk you create will be just like one you get in a boxed copy.
In other words, when you put the disk in your computer, the process of installation on your hard drive starts.
Clear as mud?
Sometimes I think I'm so clear and I'm really just confusing.
If so, take heart, Draclvr or Jenny100 or InlandAZ will be along!


Gil.

Gil-
Thanks for responding to my
post. And you've come across
loud and clear -- the failure
of clarity lies with me, not
you.
I burned a disc a few days ago
and the disc wouldn't respond to
certain commands. I was hoping,
after a little feedback, that I
could pinpoint where I went
wrong.
But, maybe I'll figure it out
one of these days. Thanks for
getting back to me, Gil.

Aser

What commands were they? I'll bet we can still help you figure this out.

You're not giving us much to work with.
What type of disc did you burn?
A movie disc?
A game disc?
Did you use burning software to copy the disc directly?

If it's a game disc, what did you burn to disc?
Did you burn the files for installing the game?
Or did you try burning the files from a folder that was already installed?

Most games will not play directly from a DVD, though they will install from a DVD. Running a game involves temporary changes in files, and this can't be done if the files are in a game folder that's on a burned DVD.

Most games on DVD have copy "protection" built into the DVD (should be called copy prevention). Unless the game files are altered before burning (using NoCD's and sometimes altered dll files or other files), these discs will not run the game without the original DVD in the drive -- not the copy.

Most movie DVD's also have copy "protection."

Without knowing what you're trying to copy and run, it's hard to know where the problem might be.

Drac-
Thanks for trying to help me.

Jenny-
A few days ago, I uninstalled
both my game and burning software,
reinstalled them later and started
all over again. I also uninstalled
a couple of downloaders from my sys-
tem (which I should have done from
the very beginning) in the event they
were contributing to my problem.

Apparently, something worked here,
because the game is now playing as it
should with all of the commands being
responsive. Was the problem caused by a
glitch in my system, or the downloaders?
I think the latter. But, I don't know.

I used burning software for my game
and a DVD+RW disc. Also, I don't in-
tend to, nor will I ever, burn movies,
albums or anything else unrelated to
games; and any game that I burn will be
hassle-free, so I'm not worried about
"copy protection."

Thank you, Jenny.

Aser

Glad you managed to fix the problem.
If the downloaders were something that runs in the background, then they may have interfered with the burning.

Thanks, Jenny.

Aser