Burn CDs and DVDs on Mac

If your Mac has a built-in optical drive, or if you connect an external DVD drive (for example, an Apple USB SuperDrive), you can burn files to CDs and DVDs to share your files with friends, move files between computers or create backup files. Discs you burn on your Mac can also be used on Windows and other types of computers.

Insert a blank disc into your optical drive.

If you see a dialogue, click the pop-up menu, then choose Open Finder. Select “Make this action the default” if you want to open the Finder every time you insert a blank disc.

The disc appears on your desktop.

Double-click the disc to open its window, then drag the files and folders you want to burn to the window.

Aliases to the files are placed in the disc’s window. The original files are not moved or deleted.

Note: If you want to burn the same files to discs multiple times, use a burn folder.

Arrange and rename the files.

When the disc is burned, the items on the disc have the same names and locations that they have in the disc window. After the disc is burned, you can’t change the items.

Choose File > Burn [disc], then follow the instructions.

The files that the aliases point to are burned to the disc. In addition, if the folders you add to the disc contain aliases, the files those aliases point to are also burned to the disc.

Note: If you eject the disc without burning it, a burn folder with the items you copied to the disc is created and placed on your desktop. To complete the burn process, click the Burn icon next to the folder in the Finder sidebar, or press and hold the Control key as you click any disc, then choose Burn Disc from the shortcut menu.

To burn a disc image (.dmg file) to a disc, Control-click the disc image file, choose “Burn Disc Image [disc name] to Disc” from the shortcut menu, then follow the instructions.

Tip: To erase the contents of a rewritable disc, Control-click the CD or DVD drive in the Finder sidebar, then choose Erase Rewritable Disc from the shortcut menu.

Eject CDs and DVDs from your Mac

You can usually eject a CD or DVD from the desktop or from a Finder window.

Eject a CD or DVD

To eject a disc from your Mac, do any of the following:

Eject a disc from the desktop: Select the disc you want to eject, then choose File > Eject [disc].

Eject a disc from an optical drive: Press the Eject key .

Eject a disc from a Finder window: Click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window, then in the Finder sidebar, click the Eject button next to the disc’s name.

If you can’t eject a CD or DVD

Try any of the following:

If an app is using the CD or DVD: Quit the app, then try to eject the disc again.

If you can’t quit the app that’s using the CD or DVD: Close the file that is on the disc you want to eject, then try to eject it again.

If another user is using the CD or DVD: Log out the users who are using the disc, then try to eject it again.

If you can’t log out a user: Log in as that user, then try to eject the disc again.

If you can restart your computer to eject the disc: Choose Apple menu

> Restart, then click Restart while pressing and holding the mouse or trackpad button until the disc is ejected. You can also hold the Option key while restarting your Mac. When you see your CD or DVD appear on the screen, select it, then press the Eject key.

Install Windows 10 on your Mac with Boot Camp Assistant

With Boot Camp, you can install Microsoft Windows 10 on your Mac, then switch between macOS and Windows when restarting your Mac.

What you need to install Windows 10 on Mac

• MacBook introduced in 2015 or later
• MacBook Air introduced in 2012 or later
• MacBook Pro introduced in 2012 or later
• Mac mini introduced in 2012 or later

• iMac introduced in 2012 or later 1
• iMac Pro (all models)
• Mac Pro introduced in 2013 or later

The latest macOS updates, which can include updates to Boot Camp Assistant. You will use Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows 10.

64GB or more free storage space on your Mac startup disk:

• Your Mac can have as little as 64GB of free storage space, but at least 128GB of free storage space provides the best experience. Automatic Windows updates require that much space or more.
• If you have an iMac Pro or Mac Pro with 128GB of memory (RAM) or more, your startup disk needs at least as much free storage space as your Mac has memory. 2

An external USB flash drive with a storage capacity of 16GB or more, unless you’re using a Mac that doesn’t need a flash drive to install Windows.

A 64-bit version of Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro on a disk image (ISO) or other installation media. If installing Windows on your Mac for the first time, this must be a full version of Windows, not an upgrade.

• If your copy of Windows came on a USB flash drive, or you have a Windows product key and no installation disc, download a Windows 10 disk image from Microsoft.
• If your copy of Windows came on a DVD, you might need to create a disk image of that DVD.

How to install Windows 10 on Mac

To install Windows, use Boot Camp Assistant, which is included with your Mac.

1. Check your Secure Boot setting

Learn how to check your Secure Boot setting. The default Secure Boot setting is Full Security. If you changed it to No Security, change it back to Full Security before installing Windows. After installing Windows, you can use any Secure Boot setting without affecting your ability to start up from Windows.

2. Use Boot Camp Assistant to create a Windows partition

Open Boot Camp Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. Follow the onscreen instructions.

• If you’re asked to insert a USB drive, plug your USB flash drive into your Mac. Boot Camp Assistant will use it to create a bootable USB drive for Windows installation.
• When Boot Camp Assistant asks you to set the size of the Windows partition, remember the minimum storage-space requirements in the previous section. Set a partition size that meets your needs, because you can’t change its size later.

3. Format the Windows (BOOTCAMP) partition

When Boot Camp Assistant finishes, your Mac restarts to the Windows installer. If the installer asks where to install Windows, select the BOOTCAMP partition and click Format. In most cases, the installer selects and formats the BOOTCAMP partition automatically.

4. Install Windows

Unplug any external devices that aren’t necessary during installation. Then click Next and follow the onscreen instructions to begin installing Windows.

5. Use the Boot Camp installer in Windows

After Windows installation completes, your Mac starts up in Windows and opens a ”Welcome to the Boot Camp installer” window. Follow the onscreen instructions to install Boot Camp and Windows support software (drivers). You will be asked to restart when done.

• If the Boot Camp installer never opens, open the Boot Camp installer manually and use it to complete Boot Camp installation.
• If you have an external display connected to a Thunderbolt 3 port on your Mac, the display will be blank (black, gray, or blue) for up to 2 minutes during installation.

How to switch between Windows and macOS

Restart, then press and hold the Option (or Alt) ⌥ key during startup to switch between Windows and macOS.

Learn more

If you have one of these Intel-based Mac models using OS X El Capitan or later, you don’t need a USB flash drive to install Windows:

• MacBook introduced in 2015 or later
• MacBook Air introduced in 2017 or later 3
• MacBook Pro introduced in 2015 or later 3

• iMac introduced in 2015 or later
• iMac Pro (all models)
• Mac Pro introduced in late 2013 or later

For more information about using Windows on your Mac, open Boot Camp Assistant and click the Open Boot Camp Help button.

1. If you’re using an iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) or iMac (27-inch, Late 2013) or iMac (27-inch, Late 2012) with a 3TB hard drive and macOS Mojave or later, learn about an alert you might see during installation.

2. For example, if your Mac has 128GB of memory, its startup disk must have at least 128GB of storage space available for Windows. To see how much memory your Mac has, choose Apple menu  > About This Mac. To see how much storage space is available, click the Storage tab in the same window.

3. These Mac models were offered with 128GB hard drives as an option. Apple recommends 256GB or larger hard drives so that you can create a Boot Camp partition of at least 128GB.

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

Share DVDs and CDs on Mac

If your Mac has an external optical drive connected, you can share the drive with another Mac on the same network with macOS 10.14 or earlier installed.

Note: You can’t access a shared optical drive on a computer with macOS Catalina 10.15 or later installed.

Set up a Mac to share its optical drive

On a Mac that has an optical drive connected, choose Apple menu

> System Preferences, then click Sharing.

Select the DVD or CD Sharing checkbox.

To be notified when a computer tries to access your optical drive, select “Ask me before allowing others to use my DVD drive.”

Use another computer’s optical drive

On a Mac with macOS 10.14 or earlier installed, you can access an optical drive shared from a Mac or Windows computer on the same network.

On the computer that has an optical drive, make sure DVD or CD drive sharing is set up, then insert a disc into the drive.

On the Mac that doesn’t have an optical drive, click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window.

Select Remote Disc under Locations in the sidebar, then double-click the computer that is sharing the optical drive you want to access.

If you don’t see a Connect button, click Ask to Use, then wait for a response from the other computer.

For information about the kinds of optical media that can be shared, and how to set up a Windows computer to share its optical drive, see the Apple Support article Use the CD or DVD drive from another computer with your Mac.

Share DVDs and CDs on Mac

If your Mac has an external optical drive connected, you can share the drive with another Mac on the same network with macOS 10.14 or earlier installed.

Note: You can’t access a shared optical drive on a computer with macOS Catalina 10.15 or later installed.

Set up a Mac to share its optical drive

On a Mac that has an optical drive connected, choose Apple menu

> System Preferences, then click Sharing.

Select the DVD or CD Sharing checkbox.

To be notified when a computer tries to access your optical drive, select “Ask me before allowing others to use my DVD drive.”

Use another computer’s optical drive

On a Mac with macOS 10.14 or earlier installed, you can access an optical drive shared from a Mac or Windows computer on the same network.

On the computer that has an optical drive, make sure DVD or CD drive sharing is set up, then insert a disc into the drive.

On the Mac that doesn’t have an optical drive, click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window.

Select Remote Disc under Locations in the sidebar, then double-click the computer that is sharing the optical drive you want to access.

If you don’t see a Connect button, click Ask to Use, then wait for a response from the other computer.

For information about the kinds of optical media that can be shared, and how to set up a Windows computer to share its optical drive, see the Apple Support article Use the CD or DVD drive from another computer with your Mac.