Learn how to make copies of data CDs and DVDs using Disk Utility. With one optical drive in your Mac, you need to create a temporary disk image on your hard drive. Then use that disk image to create physical copies of your disc.
Comments: 13 Responses to “MacMost Now 489: Copying Discs With Disk Utility”
Zach
13 years ago
Do you know how to make copies of dvds that can be backed up with time machine, and/or stored and viewed right on the mac? would something like iMovie do it? I'm not thinking that's what I'm looking for because I don't necessarily want all of the data to sit on my laptop, but rather backed up so I can pull it up when I need to.
Thanks!
Well, using this technique here will do it if you mean data DVDs.
Zach
13 years ago
I'm talking specifically about home video dvds, but is it possible to backup the drive that this method creates? I wasn't sure you could back up an ejectable drive.
Absolutely not. The files are exactly the same. It just takes longer to read and write as the data is compressed. Kind of like creating .zip archives of files.
Bob Weir
13 years ago
Can this technique be used to copy a store bought music CD?
For music, you would want to import it into iTunes. Then you can create MP3 and standard audio CDs from the songs in your iTunes collection.
Cliff
13 years ago
I decided to simplify CD & DVD copying by installing a second optical drive in my Mac Pro. No more multi-step copying, right?
Wrong! I have not been able to find a way to copy directly from one drive to the other. Apparently Disk Utility will not do it.
Am I missing something? Help!
I don't have a Mac with two drives to test, but what part of the process isn't working in Disk Utility? Can you select one drive as the source? Then burn it? If not, why not?
Have you tried a dedicated application like Toast?
Cliff
13 years ago
Gary:
Thanks so much for getting back to me. Disk Utility will apparently only burn from a disk image.
Trying other methods:
on the original disc produces the following copy options:
#1: "Burn NAME to disc" Selecting opens a window: "To begin, insert a blank disc. This disc will be burned with the contents of "NAME". You need a disc with a capacity of at least XX GB."
#2: "Duplicate" Selecting this option begins copying disc to the desktop.
I did fight with Toast 6 Titanium for awhile, but had no success either.
Come to think of it, this is not worth the wasted time or trouble. Copying from a disk image is a great idea!
You may want to look into a more recent version of Toast (they are on 11 now) or some other utility. I'm sure there must be many utilities that allow you copy directly from one disk to the other.
Cathy
12 years ago
Just used this -- thanks. Instead of googling stuff, I look on your website first.
Do you know how to make copies of dvds that can be backed up with time machine, and/or stored and viewed right on the mac? would something like iMovie do it? I'm not thinking that's what I'm looking for because I don't necessarily want all of the data to sit on my laptop, but rather backed up so I can pull it up when I need to.
Thanks!
Well, using this technique here will do it if you mean data DVDs.
I'm talking specifically about home video dvds, but is it possible to backup the drive that this method creates? I wasn't sure you could back up an ejectable drive.
A disk image is just a file. A .dmg file. It would get backed up like any other file.
If I use the compressed image format, will I lose quality?
Absolutely not. The files are exactly the same. It just takes longer to read and write as the data is compressed. Kind of like creating .zip archives of files.
Can this technique be used to copy a store bought music CD?
For music, you would want to import it into iTunes. Then you can create MP3 and standard audio CDs from the songs in your iTunes collection.
I decided to simplify CD & DVD copying by installing a second optical drive in my Mac Pro. No more multi-step copying, right?
Wrong! I have not been able to find a way to copy directly from one drive to the other. Apparently Disk Utility will not do it.
Am I missing something? Help!
I don't have a Mac with two drives to test, but what part of the process isn't working in Disk Utility? Can you select one drive as the source? Then burn it? If not, why not?
Have you tried a dedicated application like Toast?
Gary:
Thanks so much for getting back to me. Disk Utility will apparently only burn from a disk image.
Trying other methods:
on the original disc produces the following copy options:
#1: "Burn NAME to disc" Selecting opens a window: "To begin, insert a blank disc. This disc will be burned with the contents of "NAME". You need a disc with a capacity of at least XX GB."
#2: "Duplicate" Selecting this option begins copying disc to the desktop.
I did fight with Toast 6 Titanium for awhile, but had no success either.
Come to think of it, this is not worth the wasted time or trouble. Copying from a disk image is a great idea!
THANK YOU for your help!!!
You may want to look into a more recent version of Toast (they are on 11 now) or some other utility. I'm sure there must be many utilities that allow you copy directly from one disk to the other.
Just used this -- thanks. Instead of googling stuff, I look on your website first.