Need help adding files to a DVD-DL

[Paul Randall]

Hi,
I've used the Roxio software included on my Compaq desktop to copy a DVD-DL.
At the end of the copy process, it said I would have to use the finalize
tool in order to read this DVD on pre-Vista systems. Since the DVD still
had over 2 gigabytes free space, I decided to add three files, totaling
about 5 Kbytes. Space should obviously be no problem.

When I try to burn the DVD, it says there is not enough space.
I have now started the finalizing process on the DVD so I can see if it is
actually readable on another system, which the system says will take 11
minutes.

If it is possible, I would like to make another copy with the three
additional files. This is a bootable DVD.

On previous software packages I've used to copy DVDs, it was never possible
to add files after the copy process was done. But those packages never left
the DVD in a state where another 11 minutes was required to finalize the
disk.

Does anyone know whether Vista/Roxio can add to a copied DVD?

Thanks,

-Paul Randall

 

[Adam Albright]

Does anyone know whether Vista/Roxio can add to a copied DVD?

It depends which format you select. This is nothing new to Vista. If
you got the new FULL version of Roxio check on the copy sub menu for
all the possible choices or the "classic" menu.

 

[Paul Randall]

It depends which format you select. This is nothing new to Vista. If
you got the new FULL version of Roxio check on the copy sub menu for
all the possible choices or the "classic" menu.

Thanks for the suggestion.
I have Easy Media Creator 7.5 and Easy CD & DVD Burning (no version number)
purchased Nov 2006. Which would you suggest I install to do this task?

-Paul Randall

 

[Adam Albright]

Thanks for the suggestion.
I have Easy Media Creator 7.5 and Easy CD & DVD Burning (no version number)
purchased Nov 2006. Which would you suggest I install to do this task?

-Paul Randall

What can be a little confusing is the somewhat bewildering assortment
of things you can do regarding burning either a CD or DVD depending on
what type of media you pick and HOW you burn them. Your primary
choices fall into these broad categories often referred to as "books"
each having a different color; red, orange, white, purple, etc..

Originally, there was just DV-ROM, which meant you could treat the DVD
like a floppy, and add to what was already there. Now the two primary
famlies are the DVD-+R and the DVD+RW. You also have formats to pick
from; Disc at once and Track at once and packet writing depending on
how you going to use the disc. Which method you pick determines how
the DVD gets finalized during the burn process and if or not you can
write to it again and if, what can't and can't be rewritten.

In Disc at once all the data is written sequentially to the disc in
one uninterrupted recording session. The on-disk contents result in a
lead-in area, followed by the data, and closed by a lead-out area. The
data is addressable in sectors of 2048 bytes each.

Session or track at Once recording allows multiple sessions to be
recorded and finalized on a single disc. The resulting disc can be
read by computers, but sessions after the first are generally not
readable by set top devices making this method impractical except for
making copies of data only to be played off some computer.

The third primary choice is Packet writing used to allow writeable CD
and DVD media to be used in a similar manner as a floppy disk and
generally replaces the original ROM format.

Packet writing can be used both with once-writeable media such as CD-R
CD+, DVD+R and with DVD-R and with CD-RW and DVD RW media.

While there are proposed standards, much like in browser wars of years
passed the primary players, Sonic, Roxio (formely DirectCD) and Nero
have each developed then own "drag and drop" schemes. To further muddy
the waters Microsoft has developed both what they call a Mastered and
Live format.

So if you do a lot of drag and drop burning you need to pick a format
and stick with it to avoid running into burning a data disc that may
not always be read by every computer if one of the other competing
formats. Because burning a CD/DVD is a tricky deal, you generally need
to upgrade your burning software everytime you upgrade your operating
system. So I would suggest you pick either the latest Nero or Easy CD
version or if you have limited needs there are several shareware
applications and even a few free ones. I haven't tested them so if any
work in Vista or not, I don't know.

 

[Paul Randall]

What can be a little confusing is the somewhat bewildering assortment
of things you can do regarding burning either a CD or DVD depending on
what type of media you pick and HOW you burn them. Your primary
choices fall into these broad categories often referred to as "books"
each having a different color; red, orange, white, purple, etc..

Originally, there was just DV-ROM, which meant you could treat the DVD
like a floppy, and add to what was already there. Now the two primary
famlies are the DVD-+R and the DVD+RW. You also have formats to pick
from; Disc at once and Track at once and packet writing depending on
how you going to use the disc. Which method you pick determines how
the DVD gets finalized during the burn process and if or not you can
write to it again and if, what can't and can't be rewritten.

In Disc at once all the data is written sequentially to the disc in
one uninterrupted recording session. The on-disk contents result in a
lead-in area, followed by the data, and closed by a lead-out area. The
data is addressable in sectors of 2048 bytes each.

Session or track at Once recording allows multiple sessions to be
recorded and finalized on a single disc. The resulting disc can be
read by computers, but sessions after the first are generally not
readable by set top devices making this method impractical except for
making copies of data only to be played off some computer.

The third primary choice is Packet writing used to allow writeable CD
and DVD media to be used in a similar manner as a floppy disk and
generally replaces the original ROM format.

Packet writing can be used both with once-writeable media such as CD-R
CD+, DVD+R and with DVD-R and with CD-RW and DVD RW media.

While there are proposed standards, much like in browser wars of years
passed the primary players, Sonic, Roxio (formely DirectCD) and Nero
have each developed then own "drag and drop" schemes. To further muddy
the waters Microsoft has developed both what they call a Mastered and
Live format.

So if you do a lot of drag and drop burning you need to pick a format
and stick with it to avoid running into burning a data disc that may
not always be read by every computer if one of the other competing
formats. Because burning a CD/DVD is a tricky deal, you generally need
to upgrade your burning software everytime you upgrade your operating
system. So I would suggest you pick either the latest Nero or Easy CD
version or if you have limited needs there are several shareware
applications and even a few free ones. I haven't tested them so if any
work in Vista or not, I don't know.

Thanks for the info.
On previous OSs, whenever I used the copying software that came with the OS,
when the copy got finished, it had finalized the disk and there was no way
to add any other files. When I tried this on Vista, the disk was NOT
finalized. It required another 11 minutes to do that. I hoped that it
would be easy to add a few Kbytes to an unfinalized disk.

The problem I have is that this particular DVD that I want to 'append to',
has 2 sessions and probably a non-standard boot sector. I felt lucky to
have been able to copy it at all (it boots just like the original and all
visible files are identical), but it would be nice to add a few things to
it.

-Paul Randall