SmartRipper is a free DVD application that you can use to create backups of DVDs on your hard drive. If you’ve got a big DVD collection and need a backup, then this is the sort of program you should be looking for. However, be warned that is only intended for backup purposes and not for duplicating commercial DVDs. The popularity of this program on Softonic is no doubt due to the fact that it is able to bypass many DVD encryption methods. However, development of SmartRipper recently ceased due to the legal implications of this so be sure that you only use the software to backup DVDs on which you own the copyright.
The first thing to know is that SmartRipper does not install itself on your machine. The download simply consists of the binary files including the SmartRipper.exe. All you have to do though is double click on the SmartRipper disk icon and the program interface pops up immediately. Unless you’ve got a DVD disk ready in your drive, the first thing you’ll receive is an error message saying ‘No DVD found’.