CDR Compatability

[awingnut]

I am having a problem with my CD-RWs and hope someone can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong. So far, I can only read the CD on the same machine on which it was written. I have a Compaq Presario with a CDR. I write some files to a CD-RW then check them and all looks fine. I then move the CD to an ME machine and at that point ME does not even recognize there is a CD in the drive. What is going on? Do I have to write the CD in some special format not supported by the XP burning software to make it readable on other machines? TIA.

 

[franklin97355]

Another CDRW drive should be able to see the data if the computers are using the same software but for the data to be seen by a CD reader you need to finalize the disk. This should be in the instructions that came with the software.

 

[awingnut]

Thanks for the reply. I am using the CD burner that is built-in to XP. After searching the help files there is no information beyond copying files to a CD (nothing about "finalizing" the CD).

 

[rockerfellerz]

I would try Nero or EZCD Creator.

If you're going through Hell...keep going... (Winston Churchill)
RocKeRFelLerZ

 

[franklin97355]

In xp the files are copied to a folder that represents the cd but if you look at the left panel there is an option to burn the cd (maybe not in those words). You need to click this before the CD is readable elsewhere.

 

[awingnut]

rockerfellerz:

Thanks. I try to find a copy and see if that works better.

franklin97355:

Thanks for the reply but you don't understand. The CD IS burned. I can read it on the machine that wrote it but not on an ME machine.

 

[cdogg]

There are 2 basic different types of burns. One is where you use software like Easy CD Creator or Nero Burning ROM to make a CD using a format that can be read in standalone CDROM drives.

Another type is "Write-on-the-fly" where the disk is specially formatted by software like Roxio's DirectCD, Nero's INCD, or even the software built-in to XP. After the CDRW is formatted to work like a hard drive or floppy drive, it can only be read by other CD burners using that same software. It cannot be read by regular CDROM drives due to the special formatting which makes the CDRW disc both readable and writeable. This, my friend, is why you are having the problem.

You'll want to make a regular data CD if you wish to share it with another PC that doesn't have a burner.


~cdogg
[tab]"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources"
[tab][tab]- A. Einstein

 

[awingnut]

Thanks for the reply, I think.

Are you saying that a CD-RW can NEVER be read by a standard CDROM drive or tha tis requires a specific format to make that possible?

I tried using Nero with the same result but I did use teh "on-the-fly" copying method. Do I need top build an image then write that?

 

[rockerfellerz]

I usually use the "copy to hard drive first" option, it helps in making the data stream more reliable. There are lots of options to choose from before burning, I like "disk at once " method, and choose "finalize disk". A disk burned this way should be readable in any standard CD Rom device. If you burn one like this and still can't read it on the ME machine, I would try it on a a different computer to see if that worked.
How old is the CD Rom in the ME machine? I've heard about some 32x CD Roms that did not read burned cd's very well.

If you're going through Hell...keep going... (Winston Churchill)
RocKeRFelLerZ

 

[ceh4702]

If you have an older CDROM drive it may not want to read it. I have heard the NERO CDR/W Software is pretty good. If you had it on both machines it might help.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[cdogg]

awingnut,

No, CD-RW discs can be read by regular CDROM drives, but only when they have been written with the right format. You must compose a Data, Audio, or Video CD using what it known as "sessions". A session consists of data usually written in Joliet format. Once you've "burned" this data to the CD-RW, the next step involves closing the session. Until a session is closed, it normally cannot be read in regular CDROM players.

Writing "on-the-fly" is not the same and uses a completely different format only recognized by burners.

Like rockerfellerz also points out, some CDROM drives have a hard time reading CD-RW discs because of differences with the laser in older drives. Usually, CDROMs faster than 16x don't have this problem because they're not as old. I actually had an 8x drive made by Ricoh that could read them fine, so you never know...



~cdogg
[tab]"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources"
[tab][tab]- A. Einstein

 

[awingnut]

ceh4702:

Thanks but you're not giving me the warm fuzzies. The ME machine has a 32X drive. :-( I guess I'll have to try it on another machine somewhere. Unfortunately the only other machine I have access to is an eMac at work but since it is new it should be faster then 32X. I also have a 52X in my closet somewhere. I may pull the ME machine apart and install it (I've been meaning to anyway).

cdogg:

Thanks for the information. You gave me a bunch of things to look at. I'm using Nero 5 Platinum and saw the multisession disc option. It was set by default and I didn't change it alhtough it meant nothing to me at the time and I still don't understand how the terminology applies to CD buring. I did notice that when I checked 'Finalize' nothing really seemed to happen. Instead I checked both write and finalize after I burned the CD and it did seem to write more on the CD (odd because I thought the entire CD had to be written at once). Unfortunately there is still no joy on the ME machine. As I said above I'll see if it is readable on a different machine.

 

[gmc74]

I have found that there is no rhyme or reason to when an RW CD will work, and on what machines.

I am pretty sure they were designed to work on the machine they were burnt on, but not necessarily anything else. I have tried burning files at my home to a CD-RW, then bring them to the office and have them work in one machine and not another. In one case the machines were identical Dells (with regular CD-Roms) and the CD-RW worked on one and not the other.

With the low cost of CD-R's, it may be worth using them instead.

 

[awingnut]

Actually I got these CD-RWs for less then CD-Rs. Promotional pricing. All I can say is, "RATS!"

 

[cdogg]

Yes, let's just re-state that 32x is not the cutoff point where a CD-RW will or won't work. It's all about the quality of the laser in the CDROM drive and if the lens is clean. Like I said, I used to have an 8x CDROM drive that could read CD-RW discs.

It seems like most of your questions might be answered at a beginner sites like these:

http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,102384,00.asp

http://www.itsu.vt.edu/Workshops/CDBurning/HTML/whatis.htm

(use the menu at the top to navigate)

http://www.computermusic.co.uk/tutorial/cds/cdmain.asp

http://www.burnworld.com/cdr/primer/index.htm

http://peripherals.about.com/library/weekly/aa102200a.htm

http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/00/38/index4a.html

http://www.bamaed.ua.edu/cse489/cd/cdrwtutorial.htm

~cdogg
[tab]"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources"
[tab][tab]- A. Einstein

 

[e8usnret]

Quality of the CD does count.
Try recording and finalizing at 2X speed after you have copied all of your files in temp directory on the "hard drive"
Rockerfellerz had a good point.

 

[awingnut]

Thanks. The lowest mine goes is 4X but I think the default I've been using is 6X. I'll try it.

 

[Venti]

awingnut
Still was not writen what mark and type is the CDRW drive and what mark and type is the CD Rom.. and how old are they, please write it down.
It could be possible when the CDrom is older it is not possible to read the CDRW medias. Try to check it on a webpage of the manufacturer of your CDRom drive.
Try to buy a normal CDR media and test the write and reading ability of this one...
Did u tried to put the burned CDRW drive to an other computer ? Do u see on the media, that there's something writen ?

 

[dhulbert]

awingnut.

Just to clarify you are copying to the CD on a wondows xp machine? When you copy the files over on XP the machine does not burn the files to the CD until you specificaly tell it to. it keeps shortcuts to the files so that it looks like the files have been copied over.

When you send the files to the CD did you then go to the cd and click on Create CD as franklin said earlier? If not it will look like you have copied the files to the CD but you haven't really.

 

[awingnut]

Venti:

Sorry, I forgot.

CD: HL-DT-SD CD-RW GCE-8481B
Media: TDK CD-RW74AX

dhulbert:

As I said in the orignal post the CDs are readable by the machine that burned them. If they weren't burned they would not be readable anywhere.