Windows DVD Maker: Download, Windows 10/11 Support & Alternatives

When I look for Windows DVD Maker today, the first problem is not how to burn a disc but whether the original Microsoft program is still available. It came with older versions of Windows, while Windows 10 and Windows 11 no longer include it. Search results for a DVD maker download can therefore lead to third-party installers that are not Microsoft's original software.

In this review, I tested Windows DVD Maker on Windows 7 and checked its documented format support, DVD-authoring functions, and current availability. I also compared current alternatives by whether they can making your own DVDs with menus rather than simply write files to a data disc.

Quick Answer: Windows DVD Maker Compatibility and Download Safety

Before looking for a Windows DVD Maker download, check which situation applies to you.

What Is Windows DVD Maker and Which Windows Versions Include It?

Windows DVD Maker is a free DVD authoring tool developed and released by Microsoft for users to burn videos and slideshows to DVDs that can be played on a DVD player. It is built in the Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista and also in Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.

Windows DVD Maker can not only burn video to DVD, but also provides features for customizing DVD menus, adding background music, and creating photo slideshows.

Its main limit is age. Windows DVD Maker was created before today's common video habits: 4K phone clips, HEVC files, large MP4 libraries, and laptops without built-in disc burners. On Windows 10 and Windows 11, it is not a native DVD maker.

Windows 7 N and KN editions did not include Windows DVD Maker by default because those editions omitted several Windows media components.

Key Features

• Burn videos in Microsoft formats like AVI, WMV, ASF, MPEG, and more to DVD
• Create Slideshow from pictures and burn it to a DVD disc
• Choose from built-in animated menu and frame templates to create DVD menus.
• Enhance slideshows with transition effects and background music
• Choose DVD options such as 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio and the appropriate video standard before burning.

Input Formats

• Video: ASF, AVI, DVR-MS, M1V, MP2, MP2V, MPE, MPEG, MPG, MPV2, WM, WMV.
• picture: BMP, DIB, EMF, GIF, JFIF, JPE, JPEG, JPG, PNG, TIF, TIFF, WMF.
• Audio: AIF, AIFC, AIFF, ASF, AU, MP2, MP3, MPA, SND, WAV, WMA.

MP4, MOV, MKV, and HEVC are not included in this documented Windows DVD Maker video-input list, which is one reason the program is a poor match for many current video files.

Output Formats

• DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-ROM.

Can You Download Windows DVD Maker on Windows 10 or 11?

Microsoft does not provide an official Windows DVD Maker download for Windows 10 or Windows 11. Microsoft stopped providing Windows DVD Maker after Windows 7, and later Windows versions do not support installing the original application as a current Windows component.

If you still use an eligible Windows 7 installation and Windows DVD Maker is missing, check the Windows Features list before looking for a separate installer. Open Control Panel > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off > Media Features and check whether Windows DVD Maker is enabled. Microsoft lists Windows DVD Maker under Media Features in the Windows 7 feature structure.

Are Third-Party Windows DVD Maker Downloads Safe?

Windows DVD Maker was last officially included with Windows 7, and Microsoft has never released an updated version for Windows 8, 10, or 11. Because Microsoft does not provide a current Windows 10/11 installer, verify the publisher and source before running any third-party package carrying the Windows DVD Maker name. A similarly named download is not evidence that it is Microsoft's original application.

How to Use Windows DVD Maker on Vista or Windows 7

Use these steps only if you already have Windows DVD Maker on a Windows Vista or Windows 7 computer. These are not Windows 10 or Windows 11 instructions.

Step 1: Run Windows DVD Maker and import the video files you want to convert. Drag and drop the videos in the list to change the sequence in which they play.

Step 2: Define Disc Settings and Preferences. Enter the disc title in the text box provided. Then click "options" to choose the playback settings, aspect ratio, video format, burner speed and location.

Step 3: Customize the DVD Menu. Personalize the menu in the following ways:

• Adding a custom background image or background music
• Editing the text of the menu buttons
• Previewing your DVD menu

Step 4: Insert a blank DVD into your optical drive and click the "Burn" button. Windows DVD Maker will encode and author the imported video into the DVD-Video structure before writing it to the disc.

3 Reliable Alternatives to Windows DVD Maker

DVDFab DVD Creator [Best Alternative]

• Works on: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 (32/64 bit) and macOS 10.13 - 15.x

DVDFab DVD Creator is a practical alternative to Windows DVD Maker. It can quickly burn all kinds of videos downloaded from the internet or recorded by camcorders to standard DVD discs (DVD-9, DVD-5, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL), DVD folders, and ISO files. You can also select audio tracks and subtitles, create DVD menus, and edit the video footage. The GPU hardware acceleration technology enables it to burn a DVD in about 10 minutes with clear image quality.

This DVD maker offers multiple beautiful menu templates, which allows you to create DVD menu freely. You can customize and design all the elements in the menu template, such as background art, thumbnails, text font, color, and size, as well as playback controls.

DVDFab DVD Creator also includes basic video editing options. You can trim unwanted clips, crop or rotate footage, adjust color and brightness, and add watermarks before creating the DVD.

DVDStyler [Free Alternative]

• Works on: Windows and Mac OS X

DVDStyler is a free and open source alternative to Windows DVD Maker that can create professional-looking and playable DVDs. All the common video formats like AVI, MOV, MP4, MPEG, OGG, etc. and some rare formats are supported by DVDStyler. It also comes with many menu templates that enables you to design your own DVD menu.

Moreover, there are also extra features like adding multiple subtitles and audio tracks, creating photo slideshow, etc. However, it is not as fast as DVDFab DVD Creator and can only convert video to DVD discs. As a free DVD maker, it has been discontinued for a few years, so you may be unable to get necessary support when you meet some problems.

CDBurnerXP [Free Alternative]

• Works on: Windows (2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista/2008 Server/Win7/Win8/2012 Server/Win10)

CDBurnerXP is a free disc burning application for Windows. It can burn CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, HD-DVDs, data discs, audio CDs, ISO files, and bootable discs. After burning the process, it can verify written data automatically. Plus, it offers disc erasing function, enabling you to remove contents from a rewritable medium.

Do not treat CDBurnerXP as a direct Windows DVD Maker replacement if your task is to create a DVD with menus from MP4 or MOV videos. It is closer to a disc burning utility than a full DVD-Video authoring tool. If you only want a simple tool for data discs or ISO burning, this tool may be enough.

My Windows 7 Test and Common Windows DVD Maker Problems

In preparing this review, I tested Windows DVD Maker on Windows 7 (Intel i5, 16 GB RAM, external DVD burner) to assess the software in the environment it was designed to run on. The checks below focus on format support, Windows component availability, disc authoring, and the failures that can change what users need to do next.

MP4 Cannot Be Imported

MP4 is not part of Windows DVD Maker's documented standard video-input list. If the program rejects an MP4 file, convert it to a supported format such as WMV before importing it, or use a current DVD-authoring program that accepts MP4 directly. Microsoft's support archive also documents MP4 import failures and conversion to WMV for Windows DVD Maker.

Windows DVD Maker Crashes or Stops During Burning

Start by checking the source format, blank disc, optical drive, and burn speed. On Windows 7, you can also disable and re-enable Windows DVD Maker under Control Panel > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off > Media Features if the Windows component itself is damaged or missing.

The Burned DVD Does Not Play on a DVD Player

First check whether you created a DVD-Video disc or only copied video files onto a data DVD. A data disc containing an MP4 or MKV file is not the same as a DVD-Video project authored for a standard DVD player. Also check the blank-disc type and whether the player supports that media.

Conclusion

Windows DVD Maker still makes sense only on the Vista and Windows 7 systems it was designed for and with source formats it supports. On Windows 10 or Windows 11, there is no official Microsoft Windows DVD Maker download, so installing an unknown third-party package is unnecessary.

For current video formats, DVDFab DVD Creator is the more complete replacement when you need DVD-Video, menus, ISO or folder output, and editing on Windows or Mac. If you only need to store files on a disc, use a data-disc burner instead of DVD-authoring software.