What should I use instead of Windows DVD Maker?

QRecently I had to upgrade to a new Windows 10 PC. This leaves me without Windows DVD Maker, which I used for making photo slideshows. I have photos from a family wedding waiting to be burned to disc, with music. I’d be happy to pay for the right software. Don Church

AFormer users of Windows DVD Maker have been abandoned to a world of PUPS. One well-known free alternative, Freemake Video Converter, is infested with so much junk it inspired our first-ever Named & Shamed page (Issue 443). Meanwhile, open-source program Dvdstyler gets great online reviews – but I’ve just spent 15 minutes removing the nasty PUP it installed on my PC.

After testing a few tools I was about to conclude that you’d be better off paying for software. For example, DVD Photo Slideshow ( www.dvd-photo-slideshow.com) is tailor-made for your needs, and its installer is junk-free, but after a free trial it costs $49.95 (£40; you may also be charged a transaction fee).

Then I came across Ashampoo Slideshow Studio 2017 ( www.snipca. com/23286, pictured). This free new program is buried deep on Ashampoo’s website (they’d rather you use their paid-for programs, of course). It does everything you want, quickly and easily. Drag photos on to the window to add them to your slideshow, then add music and edit transitions. You can even set the photos to move around in time to your music! When you’re happy with the results, you can export your slideshow in various file formats as well as burn it to DVD. It’s completely free, but you do have to enter your email address to get an ‘activation key’, and be prepared to for a few pop-ups advertising Ashampoo’s other software.