How to Copy DVD Files to Your Computer Drive

Backing up your DVDs to a computer is one of the best ways to protect them from wear-and-tear and preserve them for years to come. Although some DVD-authoring programs are intimidating, backing your movies up isn't that hard. With the right software and the following tips, even a beginner can lock those precious memories away for years to come.

1. Download DVD Shrink. Expensive editing suites like Nero work great if you've got them, but DVD Shrink is free and does an excellent job of making simple backups.

2. Load the DVD into your computer's DVD drive.

3. Wait for the drive to recognize the disc, then open DVD Shrink. You can find the program's shortcut in the "Programs" menu of the Start Menu. You can also double-click its icon on the desktop.

4. Click on "Open Disc" in the main program window. Select your DVD drive from the list of drives and click "OK."

5. Wait for the program to finish analyzing and compressing the DVD data. This can take some time, depending on the speed of your drive and the processing power of your computer.

6. Look over the compression data before backing the disc up. Check the percentage in the "Video" field to make sure it's not too low. Anything above 50 percent should look and sound close to the original.

7. Click the "Backup!" button in the main window to save your movie to your computer's hard drive.