Still somewhat confused about the DVDs

I am still confused about something.

From Adobe Bridge I can save my files to an alternate location. I can sent it to my drive in order to burn a CD. After I send them there, my computer gives me a message that they are ready to burn, and I burn them.

If I put a DVD in the drive, I can still send the folder there, but I need DVD burning software. my CD burning software will not work.

Is Picassa actually burning software, or just a way to send it to the drive like Bridge can do?

Picasa is a cataloguing program. To burn a DVD, you need a DVD burner (hardware), not a CD burner. I suspect your computer has the latter instead of the former. Note that a DVD burner will also burn a CD, but a CD burner can't burn a DVD

I do have a DVD burner in my computer...I just don't see that any DVD burning software came with it. I burned a movie to a DVD using a trial version on DVD santa, but it says that I need to buy it now in order to have it work again...so I know I can burn if only I have the right software.

I just don't know if there is any free software that will work for my photo files, or if I am going to need to buy one...and if so, what the best one would be to buy.

The free software I tried so far keeps telling me that I can't burn the raw files for some reason.

Nero works well, might be able to get a slightly older version on ebay for not very much.

All you want to do is copy the data files to the dvd, no program should have a problem doing that. Can Windows burn DVDs, or is it only CDs?

The only software I can find on my computer from windows is CD burning softare.

I have a pretty old version of Nero, but not certain if it is compatable with XP pro. Do I dare try it?

Nero is a good program but an old version might not be compatible.

There must be some free DVD burning software on the internet somewhere, perhaps someone knows where?

Nero has been through many versions. Which do you have? If it's 6 or later, it'll work fine. Also, most DVD/CD writers are shipped with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) versions of the relevant software to enable their use.

I can't imagine much harm in trying it.

I use Nero 6 with Windows XP Home.

A quick Google for 'free dvd burning software' found some free software called Burn4Free. I haven't tried it but it may be worth giving it a go.

Chris

Photshop Elements doesn't need any other program to burn CDs. It seems strange to me that PS does.
My computer came with a program, and I acquired Nero along the way.
Have you checked the CDs that came with the computer - there is often one full of mostly useless utilities, but it may contain a cd burning program.

I used this one, under my xp computer, it is free, fast and very good.
http://www.cdburnerxpsoft.info/uk/
Good luck
Martin.

Refering the Ava's other post, I assumed she has a DVD/CD writer.

Picasa II is much more than a cataloguing program, apart from organising your files it can do basic adjustments that are really quite good for a free program, will even open and develope your PEF/DNG files. As I mentioned in the other thread it does have built in DVD/CD burning software although I have never used it myself, from the library page select Tools/Backup.........




Windows XP also has its own CD only writing software built in, although it is mighty slow, copy and past your files to the CD/DVD drive in Windows explorer and then select the File drop down menu to activate the burning program.




Hope all this helps

Thank you all very much! Now I have numerous options to try, and one of them should work!

Just to add to the list

I've used CD Burner XP a few times.
http://cdburnerxp.se/

Very nice control over the burn process (much like Nero), but free
Matt

I don't have XP any more but I'll add to Matt's thumbs-up for CD Burner XP - I used it a lot and found it a very useful and intuitive programme.