InCD

[EJ]

Using Ahead software (Nero) and formatting to UDF file on
CD-RW discs. Using the disc as floppy so i can store
large picture files on them. everything was fine until i
got error message: cannot read from disk, disk may be
corrupted, and may not be formatted. the same disk was
used several times to burn pics on and there was no
problem. i tried downloading latest nero version but it
did not cure problem. all data on this disk seemed to
have disappeared. any suggestions? i tried putting it
into my sony vaio with InCd and it could not read it
either. how could a disk get corrupted? tia, e.j.

 

[Barry Watzman]

My own suggestion would be not to use UDF (aka "packet writing") type
CD-burning at all. I don't even install it. I stick to straight, pure
"ISO standard" CD burning, and when people ask, that's what I recommend.
It does, however, mean opening your burning software (Nero in this
case) explicitly and explcitly burning the CD. "Drag and drop" is not
supported. [The Roxio equivalent of INCD is called "Direct CD"]

 

[Harry Ohrn]

There are a couple of ways that a packet formatted disk can become
corrupted. The TOC becomes damaged or the VFat is written to the disk prior
to it being ejected. One should always eject a packet formatted disk using
the software eject option rather than by pressing the drive tray open button
on the device. See Mike Richter's info here on UDF - PACKET WRITING
http://www.mrichter.com/cdr/primer/primer.htm

You might be able to at least copy the data off the CD-R/W using ISOBuster
http://www.smart-projects.net/ or CD/DVD-Diagnostics
http://www.infinadyne.com/

 

[EJ]

barry , does your suggestion about using ISO standard
imply that i can't rewrite on the cd-rw format? does
it "finalize" the disc so i can't write on it? thanks
again, e.j.

-----Original Message-----
My own suggestion would be not to use UDF (aka "packet writing") type
CD-burning at all. I don't even install it. I stick to straight, pure
"ISO standard" CD burning, and when people ask, that's what I recommend.
It does, however, mean opening your burning software (Nero in this
case) explicitly and explcitly burning the CD. "Drag and drop" is not
supported. [The Roxio equivalent of INCD is called "Direct CD"]

Using Ahead software (Nero) and formatting to UDF file on
CD-RW discs. Using the disc as floppy so i can store
large picture files on them. everything was fine until i
got error message: cannot read from disk, disk may be
corrupted, and may not be formatted. the same disk was
used several times to burn pics on and there was no
problem. i tried downloading latest nero version but it
did not cure problem. all data on this disk seemed to
have disappeared. any suggestions? i tried putting it
into my sony vaio with InCd and it could not read it
either. how could a disk get corrupted? tia, e.j.

.

 

[CS]

On Thu, 1 Apr 2004 19:17:43 -0800, "EJ"

No to both of your questions. Using the ISO standard will allow you
to re-write to the CDRWs and even use them as multi-session writes.
The choice of finalizing the session is yours. Both Nero and EasyCD
software packages offer the same options. Like Barry, I don't even
install packet writing as I never use it.

Regards.

barry , does your suggestion about using ISO standard
imply that i can't rewrite on the cd-rw format? does
it "finalize" the disc so i can't write on it? thanks
again, e.j.

-----Original Message-----
My own suggestion would be not to use UDF (aka "packet writing") type
CD-burning at all. I don't even install it. I stick to straight, pure
"ISO standard" CD burning, and when people ask, that's what I recommend.
It does, however, mean opening your burning software (Nero in this
case) explicitly and explcitly burning the CD. "Drag and drop" is not
supported. [The Roxio equivalent of INCD is called "Direct CD"]

Using Ahead software (Nero) and formatting to UDF file on
CD-RW discs. Using the disc as floppy so i can store
large picture files on them. everything was fine until i
got error message: cannot read from disk, disk may be
corrupted, and may not be formatted. the same disk was
used several times to burn pics on and there was no
problem. i tried downloading latest nero version but it
did not cure problem. all data on this disk seemed to
have disappeared. any suggestions? i tried putting it
into my sony vaio with InCd and it could not read it
either. how could a disk get corrupted? tia, e.j.

.

 

[Alex Nichol]

Using Ahead software (Nero) and formatting to UDF file on
CD-RW discs. Using the disc as floppy so i can store
large picture files on them. everything was fine until i
got error message: cannot read from disk, disk may be
corrupted, and may not be formatted. the same disk was
used several times to burn pics on and there was no
problem. i tried downloading latest nero version but it
did not cure problem. all data on this disk seemed to
have disappeared. any suggestions?

The packet writing methods used by InCD (or other such programs) are
inherently unreliable - it rewrites the sectors used for the directories
so much that they wear out. Once that has happened you are right out of
luck. I would do this type of task to a good quality CD-R disk instead,
using Nero itself, not InCD, and burning say 100MB worth in any session
- not difficult to get to that level with large pictures.

 

[Gerald Fay]

Well I guess my backing up our office database files 5 times
every day for the past 2 years using InCd with no problems (except
a rare bad disk) means I must be the exception?

 

[Sharon F]

Well I guess my backing up our office database files 5 times
every day for the past 2 years using InCd with no problems (except
a rare bad disk) means I must be the exception?

It means that you were lucky and/or used good media.<g> For what it's
worth, I've been lucky too. I use RW for the "in between" backups. But
being the cautious type, I use CDR (or DVD counterparts) for my major
backup sets.

 

[NobodyMan]

Well I guess my backing up our office database files 5 times
every day for the past 2 years using InCd with no problems (except
a rare bad disk) means I must be the exception?

Packet-writing works great - until it doesn't. Once it goes south,
you are totally buggered. That's why I never - NEVER - put anything
vital onto a packet-written CD.

So you've used it for five years with no problems? How nice for you.
I haven't had to reboot XP, except for updates that require it after
install. Others have had XP crash on them continually. Does that
make me "the exception" with XP? No, it just means my experience is
different than theirs - just as your packet-writing experience has
been better than many others.

Trust me - use packet written data backup long enough and you will
eventually lose data.

 

[Sharon F]

Packet-writing works great - until it doesn't. Once it goes south,
you are totally buggered. That's why I never - NEVER - put anything
vital onto a packet-written CD.

So you've used it for five years with no problems? How nice for you.
I haven't had to reboot XP, except for updates that require it after
install. Others have had XP crash on them continually. Does that
make me "the exception" with XP? No, it just means my experience is
different than theirs - just as your packet-writing experience has
been better than many others.

Trust me - use packet written data backup long enough and you will
eventually lose data.

You know.... *any* backup media can fail for one reason or another.
Probably best policy all around is not to put all eggs into one basket and
make an effort to have at least 2 sources for each backup set?

 

[Shane]

You know.... *any* backup media can fail for one reason or another.

Probably best policy all around is not to put all eggs into one basket and
make an effort to have at least 2 sources for each backup set?

Absolutely. And apropos your comment re media quality - I've had a rewriter
since Nov 2000 and I'm still using the single CDRW disc that came with it.
Others have been less impressive and been given away or binned and now I
just use the one, over and over and over - like the '700MB floppy' it is.
Very useful. Ricoh. Meanwhile I've a stack of CDRs up to the ceiling and I
probably have my very own landfill somewhere for the discards.



Shane

 

[NobodyMan]

You know.... *any* backup media can fail for one reason or another.
Probably best policy all around is not to put all eggs into one basket and
make an effort to have at least 2 sources for each backup set?

How true; however, older and more traditional "backup" methods
(usually to tape or some such) has a much more proven and reliable
track record that packet written CDRWs.