What should I use to scan and edit my photo slides?

QI have around 3,000 photographic slides, dating back to the Sixties, that I’d like to digitise. I’ve purchased a scanner (Canoscan 9000F, at your recommendation), but what software do I need to edit the photos, add metadata including data and description, and then burn them to DVD? I’m running Windows 10. David Cale

ACanon’s own free software for the Canoscan 9000F includes basic photo-editing and file-management functions ( www.snipca.com/22258). But if you’re after something more powerful, you can’t beat Hamrick Vuescan ( www.hamrick.com). It lets you scan your slides at high quality (and fast), add and edit metadata, organise the files and even keep your drivers automatically updated. It’s not free, though - the Professional version, which you’ll need for scanning slides and negatives, costs $69.95 (£57).

Vuescan includes colour and exposure controls, but you will need a separate program if you want to edit your photos after you’ve scanned them. Adobe’s Photoshop Elements 15 ( www. snipca.com/22272) is extremely powerful but costs £79.10. The best free photo editor works entirely online – Pixlr Editor ( https://pixlr.com/editor).

Dvd-burning programs are often troubled by adware. Nero Burning ROM is junk-free – but it costs £39.95 ( www.nero.com). Windows 10 lets you burn discs safely and for free, but slower than Nero. Insert a blank DVD, then choose ‘Like a USB Flash Drive’ to create a backup disc or ‘With a CD/DVD Player’ to create a disc for showing off your photos (a great Christmas present idea), and then select the files to copy.