How to Copy DVD to Computer on Windows (11/10) PC and Mac

Discover how to copy DVD to computer with this easy tutorials. Get movies, TV shows, video, and music from DVDs to laptop or desktop computer effortlessly.

Although DVDs aren't as popular as they used to be, many of us still have shelves full of discs. Copying DVD to your computer not only frees up space and protects your collection from scratches or damage, but also lets you enjoy your movies on mobile devices, tablets, and laptops without lugging around bulky discs.

But how do you actually save a DVD to your computer? You might assume Windows Media Player can handle it. However, while it does support ripping CDs, it doesn’t work with DVDs. In this guide, I’ll introduce six practical methods that I’ve tested and found to work really well for copying DVDs to your computer. Some of them are completely free. These tools will help you rip DVDs on Windows or Mac and turn your favorite movies into high-quality digital files.

Editor's Choice: The Best Way to Save DVDs to Computer

Why I recommend it: Among the top 6 tools I selected from over a dozen I tested, WinX DVD Ripper Platinum offers the best balance of speed, decryption capability, and output quality. It bypasses complex commercial DRM automatically and finishes a full-length movie rip in about 5 minutes. Watch the quick 1-minute video demonstration below to see it in action.

Download, install, and run it for free to save DVDs to computer Now!

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Please DO Not use WinX DVD Ripper to rip rental DVDs.

Method 1. Copy DVD to Computer with WinX DVD Ripper Platinum

Compatible OS: Windows, Mac

Supported DVD types: home-made DVDs and commercial copy-protected DVDs

Supported output formats: MP4, ISO, VIDEO_TS folder, AVI, WMV, MKV, MP3, etc.

Best for: Users who want the fastest, highest-quality backup of any DVD (including the latest encrypted releases).

For most people, copying a DVD to a computer comes down to two questions: will it work, and how long will it take?

If you've struggled with free DVD rippers in the past, you're likely familiar with frustrating errors like 'no valid source,' read failures, or sudden crashes. That is exactly why WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is my top recommendation. It is specifically designed to bypass these technical hurdles.

With a 15-year track record and over 70 million users, it has become the industry benchmark for reliability. In my testing on Windows 11 and macOS, it handled everything from old, slightly worn home discs to the latest commercial releases protected by Disney 99-title or Sony UOPs. It is a true 'set-and-forget' solution: you simply insert your DVD, select your profile (like MP4), and let it work.

Performance-wise, it's a beast. Thanks to Level-3 Hardware Acceleration, I was able to convert a full-length movie into a high-quality digital file in about five minutes. For anyone looking for a reliable way to watch their favorite movies on a laptop without a built-in DVD drive, or import family videos directly into a PC, WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is the most dependable choice on the market.

Pros

• Supports Home DVDs, classic titles, newly released ones, workout discs, and virtually any DVD.
• Automatically break region code restrictions and bypass CSS, UOP, APS, Disney X-project, Sony ARccOS, Lionsgate obfuscation playlist, CRC, and other forms of DRM, all on its own.
• 420+ output formats: Save the DVD into MP4, AVI, WMV, MOV, or other formats for playing natively on your PC, Mac, phone, tablet, or gaming console.
• Losslessly extract the main movie to your computer's local drive as a high-quality MPG file with your desired audio and subtitle tracks intact.
• Zero Learning Curve: Designed for beginners, with a straightforward interface and ready-to-use presets that let you copy DVDs to your PC or Mac without complicated settings.
• Fast Speed: Unique level-3 hardware acceleration is enabled to guarantee a superfast DVD conversion speed without burdening your computer's CPU.

Cons

• It doesn't have a Linux version.
• It is a paid software. While offering powerful features, you need to purchase a license for full, unrestricted use. The free-trial version only allows you to rip 5 minutes of a DVD to evaluate its capabilities before purchasing.

Free download WinX DVD Ripper Platinum and follow the guide below to download DVD to computer!

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Please DO Not use WinX DVD Ripper to rip rental DVDs.

Quick Start: 3 Steps to Copy Your DVD to Computer

• Load: Insert your DVD and click the "DVD Disc" button.
• Select: Pick your output format (I recommend MP4 for perfect computer compatibility).
• Run: Choose your destination folder and hit "RUN" to start the high-speed conversion.

How to Copy DVD to Computer with WinX DVD Ripper Platinum

Step 1. Import the DVD You Want to Copy to Computer.

Put your DVD into your computer's drive. If your PC doesn't have one, plug in an external USB DVD drive. Then, open WinX DVD Ripper and click the “DVD Disc” button. It will automatically bypass any CSS or region-code protections and identify the correct main movie title.

Step 2. Choose the Ideal Output Format

Once the scan finishes, you'll see the Output Profile window. Which format you pick depends on how you plan to use the file on your computer. For most people, MP4 (H.264) is the absolute best choice. It keeps excellent quality and plays natively on Windows Media Player, Mac's QuickTime, and your mobile devices.

To help you make the best decision for your specific hardware, refer to the comparison table below:

Format	Best For	Pros	Cons
MP4	Watching directly on PC/Mac laptops	Small file size, 100% compatible	Slight quality loss from compression
MKV	High-quality viewing on computer	Supports multiple audio & subtitles	Larger file size, requires players like VLC
ISO / Folder	[External Hard Drive Backups]	Exact 1:1 copy	Not recommended for PC playback

Step 3. Configure Titles, Audio, and Subtitles

It automatically identifies the main title and selects it by default. You can choose other titles if needed, and you can also select exactly which audio tracks (e.g., English 5.1 Surround) and subtitles to keep. You can even add external .srt subtitle files if the original disc doesn't have your language.

Step 4. Choose a Save Path on Your Computer.

Click "Browse" to choose a folder on your computer. Finally, click the big blue "RUN" button. The process of copying DVD to computer will complete in just a few minutes.

Method 2. Save a DVD to Computer with HandBake for Free

Everyone talks about HandBrake, but it's worth clearing up a common misconception: HandBrake is a transcoder, not a dedicated DVD decrypter. In my experience, if you're looking to digitize old wedding videos or family graduation DVDs, HandBrake is hard to beat. It's 100% free, open-source, and gives you plenty of control over the output. Unfortunately, if you're trying to copy a store-bought blockbuster, you'll probably run into the dreaded “No valid source found” error. HandBrake can't bypass advanced commercial encryption on its own. While third-party plugins like libdvdcss exist, they can only handle the most basic CSS-protected discs.

Another downside of HandBrake is that it's mainly built for transcoding. While it can convert DVDs into formats like MP4, MKV, or WebM, it doesn't support ISO or VOB inputs, meaning it cannot create a full digital copy of the disc and won't preserve DVD menus, chapters, or navigation structure.

How to Rip and Save a DVD to Computer with HandBake for Free

Step 1. Insert the DVD into your computer's optical drive. Launch HandBrake and click on the "Open Source" button.

Step 2. HandBrake will scan the DVD to identify the available titles. Choose the desired title you want to copy to your computer.

Step 3. Specify the output format and modify the settings. HandBrake allows you to convert the DVD to MP4, MKV or WebM formats. It provides various presets, such as Fast 480p30. If needed, you can customize the video and audio parameters, adjust the resolution, and more.

Step 4. Click "Browse" to select the folder on your computer where you want to save the copied DVD file. Hit the green "Start Encode" button to begin copying the DVD to your computer.

Method 3. Rip DVD to Computer with VLC Free on Windows (10/11)/Mac

Most people know VLC as a media player, but not many realize it can also copy DVDs to a digital file. I usually think of it as a quick backup solution: if you have a single, unencrypted DVD and just need a digital copy in a hurry, VLC can save it as an MP4 or other format without installing anything extra.

The catch is speed. In my experience, VLC is noticeably slower than dedicated ripping tools, and while it does offer some hardware acceleration, it's limited, so your CPU can still work hard. It's handy for occasional use, but if you have more than a few discs to digitize, the slow speed and manual effort can get frustrating.

If you are willing to overlook these limitations and prefer a straightforward solution, follow the guide below to learn how to rip DVDs to your computer using VLC in detail.

How to Save DVD to Computer with VLC Free on Windows/Mac

Step 1. Insert the DVD disc you want to rip and save to your computer's DVD drive (on Windows PC or Mac).

Step 2. Launch VLC on your computer. From the "Media" dropdown menu on the home screen, pick "Convert / Save".

Step 3. The "Open Media" panel will appear. Click on the "Disc" tab and use the "Browse" button to select the DVD you wish to copy to your computer. In the "Starting Position" section, you can choose a specific title or chapter to rip. Similarly, if you want to include a particular audio or subtitle track, select it from the "Audio and Subtitles" section. Next, click the "Convert / Save" button at the bottom.

Step 4. In the "Convert" panel, click the dropdown arrow next to "Profile" to choose the desired output video and audio formats. Use the "Browse" button to specify the save path on your computer. Once you have configured the settings, click "Start" to begin the DVD ripping process and download the DVD to your computer.

Method 4. Copy DVD to Computer with MakeMKV

MakeMKV is a popular free software option for copying DVDs to your computer. It specializes in converting DVDs and Blu-ray discs into MKV (Matroska) video files. With its intuitive interface, MakeMKV makes the DVD copying process simple and accessible, even for beginners. It ensures that the original video and audio quality of the DVD is preserved during conversion, allowing you to enjoy high-quality content on your computer.

The oputput MKV files tend to be large in size, which may consume significant storage space on your computer or other storage devices. You may need additional software to convert the MKV files ripped by MakeMKV into your preferred video formats.

Note: If you're new to MakeMKV, its pricing model can be a bit confusing. Officially, it's shareware with a lifetime license priced around $50–60. But in practice, it has been running in a "permanent beta " state for years, which makes it effectively free for many users. For DVD backup, the software is completely free to use—even after the 30-day trial—without needing a license key. For Blu-ray discs, things are slightly different. MakeMKV requires a beta key after the trial period, but the developer regularly posts free, time-limited keys on the official forum under the "News and Announcements " section. These are updated every month or two, allowing continued free access as long as you keep up with the latest key.

As of 2026, the software is still actively maintained (currently in the 1.18.x series), with ongoing updates to support newer copy protections like AACS and LibreDrive, which helps ensure compatibility with newer discs.

How to Copy DVD to Computer with MakeMKV

Step 1. Visit the official MakeMKV website and download the appropriate version of the software for your operating system. Follow the installation instructions to complete the installation process.

Step 2. Insert the DVD you want to copy into the DVD drive of your computer.

Step 3. Open the MakeMKV software on your computer and enter a registration key. Under the "Source" section, choose the DVD drive that contains the DVD you want to copy. Then, click the "Open DVD disk" button.

Step 4. MakeMKV will display a list of titles and tracks found on the DVD. Now you need to select the desired titles or tracks that you want to copy to your computer.

Step 5. Specify the location on your computer where you want to save the copied DVD content.

Step 6. Click on the "Make MKV" button to begin the copying process. MakeMKV will convert the selected content from the DVD into an MKV file and save it to the specified location on your computer.

Method 5. Copy DVD to Windows with WinX DVD Copy Pro

WinX DVD Copy Pro is a comprehensive DVD copy software that not only allows you to copy DVD to DVD but also enables you to copy DVD to your PC computer. It offers various options such as copying DVD to ISO image,copying DVD to VIDEO_TS folder, copying the main title or chapter to a single MPEG2 file, and extracting audio or video tracks. With its built-in DVD copy protection bypassing capabilities, WinX DVD Copy Pro ensures smooth DVD copying.

Additionally, WinX DVD Copy Pro is built with an ISO mounter and a DVD burner. The ISO mounter helps you mount ISO to a virtual drive while the DVD burner assists you to burn ISO image and DVD folder to a blank DVD. While this tool is excellent for copying a DVD to your computer as an exact ISO image, keep in mind that ISO files are massive (up to 8GB) and cannot be played directly on most default players. If you want a space-saving file for direct laptop viewing, Method 1 remains the better option.

If you're interested in this program, just install it on our computer and follow the guide below to copy your DVDs to your computer. Please note that WinX DVD Copy Pro is compatible with Windows operating systems only.

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How to Copy DVD to Windows Computer with WinX DVD Copy Pro

Step 1. Insert the DVD into your computer's DVD drive. Open WinX DVD Copy Pro and choose a DVD backup mode from the left sidebar. For example, I will select "Clone DVD to ISO" as my example.

Step 2. Choose the source DVD. If you have multiple DVDs inserted, you can click the "Browse" button to select the desired one.

Step 3. Click the "Save as" button to choose a destination folder on your computer. Ensure that the selected path has sufficient space to store the ISO image, which will be the same size as the original DVD.

Step 4. Click "Run" to initiate the process of copying the DVD to your computer.

Method 6. Copy DVD to Computer without Software

Windows and Mac provide built-in utilities or features that allow users to save DVDs to computer directly. However, this method may not work for DVDs with copy protection, and the resulting copied files may not be in a format playable by common media players. The format you will get depends on the files present on the DVD. The copied files will typically include the DVD's file structure, which consists of a VIDEO_TS folder containing VOB (Video Object) files, IFO (Information) files, and BUP (Backup) files. If you're trying to copy a home-made DVD to computer, you can try this method.

How to Copy DVD to Computer without Software

Step 1. Place the DVD you want to copy into your computer's DVD drive.

Step 2. Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS). Navigate to the file management application on your computer.

Step 3. In the file management application, you should see the DVD drive listed among your devices or drives. Click on it to access the DVD's contents.

Step 4. Once you've opened the DVD, you should see the files and folders contained within. Select all the files and folders that you want to copy.

Step 5. Right-click on the selected files and choose the "Copy" option from the context menu. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+C on Windows, Command+C on macOS) to copy the files.

Step 6. Navigate to the location on your computer where you want to store the copied DVD content. Right-click in the desired location and choose the "New Folder" option to create a new folder.

Step 7. Open the newly created folder, right-click inside it, and choose the "Paste" option from the context menu. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+V on Windows, Command+V on macOS) to paste the files. Then, wait for the copying process to complete. Once the files are copied, you will have a digital copy of the DVD on your computer.

Final Words: Which Method is Best for You?

The process of copying a DVD to your computer is straightforward once you choose the right software for your specific type of disc. If you only need to digitize unprotected home movies on your Windows or Mac computer, free tools like HandBrake or VLC Media Player are highly accessible options that require no financial investment.

However, the majority of store-bought movie DVDs from major studios like Disney, Warner Bros., or Paramount are copy-protected. These discs are secured with complex encryption—such as fake "99-title" structures—designed to confuse basic software. When scanning these discs, general tools like HandBrake often fail to detect the correct main movie title, resulting in corrupted output files with missing audio, out-of-order scenes, or incomplete video.

To help you quickly make your final decision, here is a quick summary based on our hands-on tests:

• For Homemade DVDs (No Software Needed): A simple drag-and-drop copy and paste of the VIDEO_TS folder using Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder is all you need to save the raw files.
• For Free Transcoding (Unprotected Discs): Use HandBrake if you want to convert home videos to MP4, or use VLC if you want to copy a quick video without downloading new software.
• For Commercial & Encrypted DVDs: WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is the most reliable option to bypass complex protections and copy the movie directly to computer-friendly formats like MP4 in a few minutes.
• For Lossless MKV Copies: If you do not mind large file sizes and prefer keeping all original audio and subtitle tracks intact, MakeMKV is a strong choice.
• For Exact 1:1 Disc Cloning (Windows Only): WinX DVD Copy Pro is excellent if your goal is to clone your disc directly to an ISO image or DVD folder on your PC.

Legal Note: We only advocate copying DVDs that you legally own for personal backup and archival purposes. Please always check and comply with local copyright laws in your country before copying any commercial disc.

Final Words

The process of copying a DVD to computer is easy with a tool as long as it has a ripping feature. If you are going to digitize DVDs and save DVDs to Windows 10/11/Mac computer, there isn't too much trouble with Handbrake, VLC or any other DVD rippers. But if you want to download and save some recently released DVDs or some discs produced by Disney, Warner Bros or Paramount, you need to turn to a more powerful tool such as WinX DVD Ripper Platinum to rip the intricate DVDs.

You'll have a big chance to get a copy-protected DVD. Some DVDs are protected with fairly advanced encryption that general DVD rippers cannot overcome. They usually manifest themselves with 99 titles in disguise. When scanning the titles, most programs including Handbrake will have difficulties detecting what title to rip and finically produce screwed up rips, leaving you with nothing but out-of-whack movie, e.g. mixed up video, no sound, etc.

To summarize, if your goal is to copy a homemade DVD to your computer without altering the file format or compressing the content, a simple copy and paste method will suffice. HandBrake can be considered as an option for copying unencrypted DVDs, although it has limitations in terms of output formats/presets and potential errors. On the other hand, VLC provides a straightforward solution for ripping DVDs without the need for additional software.

However, if you're looking for an easy-to-use and feature-rich DVD ripper that supports both homemade and commercially copy-protected DVDs, WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is the recommended choice. If you're fine with MKV output, you can also give MakeMKV a try. For those who require a tool capable of not only copying DVDs to PC but also duplicating them onto blank DVDs, WinX DVD Copy Pro is an excellent option.

Note: The software developer only advocates ripping DVDs for personal use and suggests referring to the DVD copyright laws in your countries before doing so.

Related external sources:

1. Handbrake Documentation Making Videos
2. How to Rip DVDs with VLC Media Player: PC & Mac
3. Step by step instructions of creating MKV from DVDs using MakeMKV