CD/RW Boot Disk

First off, no you can't delete files on CD-R media.

Second, when you say formatted CD-R/W...what type of format..DirectCD?
You should use the FULL Erase in Adaptec Ez-CD and then try burning the media.

I use CD-R/W media all the time to create boot CD's and I am using (still) Adaptec Ez-CD 4.2D. Doug
dxd_2000@yahoo.com

Thanks Doug,
I was using Direct CD from the 'My Computer' pulldown. It took about 80mins!

I have now tried Easy CD. I loaded the CD R/W disk then loaded the program and went into its Data section. But when I pulled down the CD menu, the item 'Erase CD' was greyed out.

I ended Easy CD and removed the disk. Then went back into the program first before loading the disk. This time I could get into Erase CD, which gave me the choice of quick or full erase, but when I tried to erase it the 'Start' button was greyed out.

Where am I doing wrong?

I accept what you say about erasing a CD/R, but I wonder why there is no software which will erase a file by overwriting the filename to all '1's or all '0's (depending on which way the burning works). I can erase code in a one-time-programable microcontroller this way.

Buy media CD-R/W media not already formatted for DirectCD or do not format your media in DirectCD unless you specifically want to use it there.

As for the CD-R...you can delete a file from the layout and replace it with another...although, it really isn't deleted and you don't recover the space. This works when you create multi-session CD's. If you don't close out the CD you can add to it by creating another session. You will typically import the previous session(s) and then add more data. When you import previous session(s) you can remove items from the layout and those items will not show up in that session. So, if that session is made active and you explore the CD you will not see the files you removed. If you made a previous session active, the files would still be there.

To summarize...you can emulate file deletion by creating a new session and removing the existing files..then add the new files you want. Thus, appearing as replacing or writing over the original files.

I hope this answers your questions. Doug
dxd_2000@yahoo.com

Doug,
Thanks for the info on CD-R.

Are you saying there is no way I can format with Easy CD, the CD-R/W which I have already formatted with Direct CD?

Is it now a coaster?

That is what I am thinking since Ez-CD is not letting you perform an erase on it. I don't use DirecCD at all so I am not sure what functionality it may have to restore the CD-R/W media back to it's pre-DirectCD formatted state.
Doug
dxd_2000@yahoo.com

Thanks Doug. I'll bin it!