How to Copy a Copyprotected CD

Disable Autorun., Download a CD ripping program., Insert your CD., Rip the songs., Burn the ripped songs to a blank CD.

5 Steps 2 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Disable Autorun.

    Many early forms of copy protection actually installed invasive software on your computer without you knowing it. for this reason, you'll want to disable Autorun before you insert the CD you want to copy to ensure that the invasive software does not get installed.

    You will need to open the Windows registry in order to disable Autorun.

    See this guide for details.
  2. Step 2: Download a CD ripping program.

    There are a variety of programs available that can rip the audio from protected CDs.

    If you need to copy the entire image of a data CD, see the next method.

    Some of the more popular programs include dBpoweramp, EAC, and ISOBuster. dBpoweramp is preferred because it has various options for circumventing copywriting protections.

    You will need the purchased version in order to access all of the functionality.

    ISOBuster can be obtained for free but comes bundled with a significant amount of adware. , Insert your CD into your computer.

    Autoplay should be disabled, but if it isn't, hold the ⇧ Shift key for about five seconds as you close the disc tray.

    This will prevent Autoplay from running. , The method varies depending on the program you are using.

    You may have to try multiple methods until you find a way that works for you.

    If you are using dBpoweramp, click the "Options" button at the top of the window and select "Secure" for the Ripping Method.

    Click the "Secure Settings" link and enable "Ultra Secure Ripping".

    This can take a lot longer but can fix errors caused by copy protection.

    If this first method doesn't work, try selecting "Defective by Design" from the Options menu.

    This is for CDs that have been intentionally damaged as a form of copy protection.Once you've chose your settings, select the tracks you want to copy and click the Rip button.

    If you are using ISOBuster, highlight all of the tracks you want to copy, right-click on them, and select "Extract Objects".

    Choose a location to save them and then wait for the ripping process to complete. , Once the songs have been copied to your computer, they are no longer copy-protected.

    You can freely burn them to a CD using your favorite burning software, or add them to your digital music library.

    See this guide for details on burning an audio CD.
  3. Step 3: Insert your CD.

  4. Step 4: Rip the songs.

  5. Step 5: Burn the ripped songs to a blank CD.

Detailed Guide

Many early forms of copy protection actually installed invasive software on your computer without you knowing it. for this reason, you'll want to disable Autorun before you insert the CD you want to copy to ensure that the invasive software does not get installed.

You will need to open the Windows registry in order to disable Autorun.

See this guide for details.

There are a variety of programs available that can rip the audio from protected CDs.

If you need to copy the entire image of a data CD, see the next method.

Some of the more popular programs include dBpoweramp, EAC, and ISOBuster. dBpoweramp is preferred because it has various options for circumventing copywriting protections.

You will need the purchased version in order to access all of the functionality.

ISOBuster can be obtained for free but comes bundled with a significant amount of adware. , Insert your CD into your computer.

Autoplay should be disabled, but if it isn't, hold the ⇧ Shift key for about five seconds as you close the disc tray.

This will prevent Autoplay from running. , The method varies depending on the program you are using.

You may have to try multiple methods until you find a way that works for you.

If you are using dBpoweramp, click the "Options" button at the top of the window and select "Secure" for the Ripping Method.

Click the "Secure Settings" link and enable "Ultra Secure Ripping".

This can take a lot longer but can fix errors caused by copy protection.

If this first method doesn't work, try selecting "Defective by Design" from the Options menu.

This is for CDs that have been intentionally damaged as a form of copy protection.Once you've chose your settings, select the tracks you want to copy and click the Rip button.

If you are using ISOBuster, highlight all of the tracks you want to copy, right-click on them, and select "Extract Objects".

Choose a location to save them and then wait for the ripping process to complete. , Once the songs have been copied to your computer, they are no longer copy-protected.

You can freely burn them to a CD using your favorite burning software, or add them to your digital music library.

See this guide for details on burning an audio CD.

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Sarah Torres

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