Writing to CD

[Terry]

Can I add files to a CD I just burned with the built in CD burner of
XP without erasing the info that is there?

 

[Xandros]

XP's built in software does multi-session burns until a disk is full so the
answer is yes providing there is enough space on the disk.

 

[Poprivet`]

Can I add files to a CD I just burned with the built in CD burner of
XP without erasing the info that is there?

You could have tried this on your own without wasting time waiting for a
response.

As long as you can use "multisession" or something simlarly named, yes,
you can. If you close the disk, then no. So you keep a disk open until
you're done writing to it, and then close it when it's full or you're
done and don't want to add more to it.

HTH

Twayne

 

[M.I.5¾]

You could have tried this on your own without wasting time waiting for a
response.

As long as you can use "multisession" or something simlarly named, yes,
you can. If you close the disk, then no. So you keep a disk open until
you're done writing to it, and then close it when it's full or you're done
and don't want to add more to it.

It is not possible to close a CD made using the XP built in CD writing
utility.

 

[Terry]

It is not possible to close a CD made using the XP built in CD writing
utility.

I never burned too many disks but I do remember using some burning
software that would write to disk more than once. I would then get a
message saying that the disk is full. If you want to do this the
software will have to close the disk.

Closing the disk is write protection? Right?

I have a disk that is not full. I would like to add a small file
because it is the same type file and it would be useful have them all
on the same disk.

I did not want to destroy the information I had on the disk just to
see if I could add another file.

I have had that happen in the past as well. Try to add a file and end
up with only that file on the disk.

 

[Twayne]

I never burned too many disks but I do remember using some burning
software that would write to disk more than once. I would then get a
message saying that the disk is full. If you want to do this the
software will have to close the disk.

Closing the disk is write protection? Right?

I have a disk that is not full. I would like to add a small file
because it is the same type file and it would be useful have them all
on the same disk.

I did not want to destroy the information I had on the disk just to
see if I could add another file.

I have had that happen in the past as well. Try to add a file and end
up with only that file on the disk.

What you describe is a "closed" session, meaning anything further
written to the CD will obliterate what is already there. Messy crap I
agree, but ... name of the game.
If you had "multi-session", then you would be able to add a file to
the ones already there. The session is held "open" until the user
decides to close it, OR, possibly the software automatically closes it.
I never used the native XP burner so don't know for sure, but if that's
what you refer to, then it probably closes the session whenever the CD
is removed, most likely.
It's not just write protection: It's also a way to make the CD
readable in other systems. So I can see why XP might close the CD
automatically without the user having to know about it.

HTH

Twayne

 

[M.I.5¾]

It is not possible to close a CD made using the XP built in CD writing
utility.

I never burned too many disks but I do remember using some burning
software that would write to disk more than once. I would then get a
message saying that the disk is full. If you want to do this the
software will have to close the disk.

--------------

This is the behaviour of many disk burning utilities. Basically they have
to bag the space required to write out the final TOC.

Closing the disk is write protection? Right?

--------------

Right!

I have a disk that is not full. I would like to add a small file
because it is the same type file and it would be useful have them all
on the same disk.

I did not want to destroy the information I had on the disk just to
see if I could add another file.

---------------

You should not destroy the data on the disk by ading one last file. If you
are unsure, why not copy the disk and then add the file. Blank disks are so
cheap you can afford to experiment as much as you want.


I have had that happen in the past as well. Try to add a file and end
up with only that file on the disk.

---------------

The only time that would happen is if it was contained in a folder with the
same name as an existing folder. The new one replaces the old. It is still
possible to accessthe original if you have software installed that permits
accessing previous sessions. Most decent burning software (i.e. not Nero)
provided this facility, but it seems to have gone out of fashion these days.

 

[M.I.5¾]

What you describe is a "closed" session, meaning anything further written
to the CD will obliterate what is already there. Messy crap I agree, but
... name of the game.
If you had "multi-session", then you would be able to add a file to the
ones already there. The session is held "open" until the user decides to
close it, OR, possibly the software automatically closes it. I never used
the native XP burner so don't know for sure, but if that's what you refer
to, then it probably closes the session whenever the CD is removed, most
likely.
It's not just write protection: It's also a way to make the CD readable
in other systems. So I can see why XP might close the CD automatically
without the user having to know about it.

As I said, the XP native burner does not support closing the disk.

If you want to be really pedantic, the XP native burning utility writes all
CDs in a technically invalid format*. So much so that many older CD drives
are incapable of reading anything other than the first session.

*It write multisession discs using the Mode 1 format. The Orange Book
specification intended that only Mode 2 Form 1 was to support multisession,
but was ambiguous on the point.