How to Download from a DVD Drive to a Hard Drive

By Bonnie Conrad

Copying files from DVD can provide an important backup
i dvd back image by talextech from Fotolia.com

Making your own DVDs is an excellent way to store a great deal of information and back up that information on your computer. DVDs are also excellent storage devices for photographs, videos and other large files. But no matter what you have stored on those DVDs, it is important to know how to transfer those saved files from the DVD to the hard drive on your computer.

Step 1

Log on to your computer and insert your DVD in the DVD drive. Right-click on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop.

Step 2

Choose "Explore" from the menu to open Windows Explorer. Locate the drive letter that corresponds to the DVD drive. If your computer has a single hard drive, the DVD drive should be the "D" drive. If you have multiple hard drives, the DVD drive may be the "E" or "F" drive.

Step 3

Highlight the DVD drive in Windows Explorer and locate the files you want to transfer. To highlight a group of files, place your mouse on the first file, hold the "Shift" key down and place your mouse on the last file. You will see all of the files highlighted.

Step 4

Right-click on the highlighted files and choose "Copy" from the menu. Then highlight the folder on your hard drive where you want to save the files, right click and choose "Paste" from the menu. The files you have chosen will now be transferred to your computer.

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