Copying a DVD to the hard disk – this is how it works

A DVD can be copied to the hard disk under certain circumstances. With a few tricks you can bypass the copy protection and save the file on the PC.

Copy DVD to hard disk: Instructions without copy protection

If the DVD is not copy protected, you can easily copy it to your hard drive.

• Insert the DVD into the drive of your PC to do this.
• Open the folder in Explorer that contains the data you want on the DVD.
• Mark everything with the key combination [Ctrl]+[A] and then press [Ctrl]+[C] to copy the files.
• Go to the location on your hard drive where you want to copy the DVD contents. It makes sense to create a separate folder for the DVD, for example with the name of the DVD.
• To finish, press [Ctrl]+[V] to insert the elements of the DVD. The DVD without copy protection has now been copied to your hard disk.
• Alternatively, you can have software perform the process. The free VidCoder is easy to use.

Copy protected DVD: Legal

Copying a DVD that has copy protection is made a little more difficult.

• The copy protection is supposed to prevent you from transferring the data to your PC, but there are ways to get around the copy protection.
• For private use, you may copy the contents of the DVD to your computer.
• Copying tools are also legal, as they do not crack the copy protection, but simply bypass it.

How to bypass copy protection

Legal software is not allowed to simply copy the files from the DVD. For this reason, the film must run through completely once and is recorded in parallel. Thus, the saving process takes the same amount of time as the film takes. There is no other option.

• Uncheck “DVD” under “Media Selection” and “No Disc Menus”.
• Switch to the “Media” tab and select DVD next to “Drive”.
• Use the button “Convert / Save” to proceed to the next step.
• Click on “Media” in the top left corner and select the option “Convert/Save”.
• Select the option “Video – H.264 + MP3 (MP4)” as the “Profile” and select the desired storage location on your PC for the “Destination file”.
• Download the free VLC Media Player and start the tool.
• If you activate the option “Show output”, you can watch the film while it is being saved. Click on the “Start” button to start. The film runs through once completely and is then saved on your PC.