Cannot Complete the CD Writing Wizard

[Skippybox]

I am trying to write 695MB of files to a 701MB CD-RW using the CD Writing
Wizard. I have the files in the CD Burning folder, which I currently have on
my D:\ drive. I also have the D:\ drive selected under the Recording tab as
the place to have Windows store an "image" of the CD to be written. My D:\
drive has about 5.99GB of free space and my C:\ drive has about 599MB of free
space. So, according to my configuration I would figure I could write the
CD-RW under these conditions. However, when I attempt to write the CD-RW,
the wizard proceeds to prepare the image, but my free space on C:\ whittles
down to almost nothing. Eventually, I get the error: Cannot Complete the CD
Writing Wizard --- Disk D:\ does not have enough space to create temporary
files for the writing process. Click here for more information. What do you
want to do? Run the Disc Cleanup Wizard to remove unnecessary files -OR-
Save the files so that I can try again later. Obviously from that message
Windows knows I want to use D:\ for the image, but it is actually using C:\
instead. How can I fix this? Thank-you.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I am trying to write 695MB of files to a 701MB CD-RW using the CD Writing
Wizard. I have the files in the CD Burning folder, which I currently have
on
my D:\ drive. I also have the D:\ drive selected under the Recording tab
as
the place to have Windows store an "image" of the CD to be written. My
D:\
drive has about 5.99GB of free space and my C:\ drive has about 599MB of
free
space. So, according to my configuration I would figure I could write the
CD-RW under these conditions. However, when I attempt to write the CD-RW,
the wizard proceeds to prepare the image, but my free space on C:\
whittles
down to almost nothing. Eventually, I get the error: Cannot Complete the
CD
Writing Wizard --- Disk D:\ does not have enough space to create temporary
files for the writing process. Click here for more information. What do
you
want to do? Run the Disc Cleanup Wizard to remove unnecessary files -OR-
Save the files so that I can try again later. Obviously from that message
Windows knows I want to use D:\ for the image, but it is actually using
C:\
instead. How can I fix this? Thank-you.

What may be happening is that, if the "temp" and "tmp" variables are set to
anywhere on C:, the image is being put together there, and *then* copied to
the D drive. And it runs out of room creating the temporary image.

If that's the case, you would change those variables to point to a location
with more space. It would be a good idea to reboot after changing them.

HTH
-pk

 

[Skippybox]

Thanks for the response; very insightful. In Comand Prompt I typed SET and I
found both TMP and Temp="C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Local
Settings\Temp". Are these the variables your referring to? How would
someone modify these? Can I just move the folder to the D:\ drive, or is it
more complicated? I also have a C:\TEMP, which may or may not be what you
are referring to. Also, what file or folder is the CD "image" located in on
my D:\ drive?

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Thanks for the response; very insightful. In Comand Prompt I typed SET
and I
found both TMP and Temp="C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Local
Settings\Temp". Are these the variables your referring to?

They are, and that is likely the problem.

How would
someone modify these? Can I just move the folder to the D:\ drive,

That won't work, the folder would be re-created in the original location.

or is it
more complicated?

It's not complicated. I'm not at an XP system, so google "change
evironment variables XP" and you'll get results like this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310519

To view or change environment variables:
1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Click Environment variables.
4. Click one the following options, for either a user or a system variable:
• Click New to add a new variable name and value.
• Click an existing variable, and then click Edit to change its name or
value.
• Click an existing variable, and then click Delete to remove it.

I also have a C:\TEMP, which may or may not be what you
are referring to. Also, what file or folder is the CD "image" located in
on
my D:\ drive?

Didn't you say you specified the location? It may be the root if you are
just specifiying D:\.

Again, I'm not on an XP system at the moment, so I can't check. Make a
small image and look for it.

HTH
-pk

 

[Skippybox]

They are, and that is likely the problem.


That won't work, the folder would be re-created in the original location.


It's not complicated. I'm not at an XP system, so google "change
evironment variables XP" and you'll get results like this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310519

To view or change environment variables:
1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Click Environment variables.
4. Click one the following options, for either a user or a system variable:
• Click New to add a new variable name and value.
• Click an existing variable, and then click Edit to change its name or
value.
• Click an existing variable, and then click Delete to remove it.

Thanks for your help so far. I changed the location of the environmental
variables to a place on the D:\ drive (Was I only supposed to change the
path, or move the folder, too?). Unfortunately, this did not solve the
problem. When I tried the wizard again, the free space on C:\ still fell to
zero and D:\ was unaffected. I tried looking around for another place on C:\
that could be problematic, and I located a file in C:\WINDOWS\Temp called
'18era6ad.TMP', which happens to appear only when the wizard is running OK.
The file grows slowly to about 572MB, so it must be it. However, even with
hidden files and folders visible, the file isn't. I could only 'see' it
through my back-up program, so it must be super hidden. So what are my
options now? By the way, should I undo our previous step of changing the
environmental variables?

Didn't you say you specified the location? It may be the root if you are
just specifiying D:\.

Again, I'm not on an XP system at the moment, so I can't check. Make a
small image and look for it.

Under the recording tab, you can only specify which drive (not a path) you
would like the 'image' stored on. So, that is why I don't know where the
image would be placed on a drive. You said it could be in the 'root', but I
never see any file there during the wizard's operation except my pagefile.sys
file. Since, the D:\ drive never appears to lose free space, I figure the
image isn't being written there or written there yet. I will have to try a
small image and see what happens.

 

[Skippybox]

Are you around Patrick Keenan? Here's the update to my problem, 'Cannot
Complete the CD Writing Wizard --- Disk D:\ does not have enough space to
create temporary files for the writing process', where my C:\ drive actually
is being used for CD writing preparation. If anyone else has any
suggestions, I'd appreciate them as well.

They are, and that is likely the problem.


That won't work, the folder would be re-created in the original location.


It's not complicated. I'm not at an XP system, so google "change
evironment variables XP" and you'll get results like this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310519

Thanks for your help so far. I changed the location of the environmental
variables to a place on the D:\ drive (Was I only supposed to change the
path, or move the folder, too?). Unfortunately, this did not solve the
problem. When I tried the wizard again, the free space on C:\ still fell to
zero and D:\ was unaffected. I tried looking around for another place on C:\
that could be problematic, and I located a file in C:\WINDOWS\Temp called
'18era6ad.TMP', which happened to appear only when the wizard was running
OK.
The file grows slowly to about 572MB, so it must be it. However, even with
hidden files and folders visible, the file isn't. I could only 'see' it
through my back-up program, so it must be super hidden. So what are my
options now? By the way, should I undo our previous step of changing the
environmental variables?

Didn't you say you specified the location? It may be the root if you are
just specifiying D:\.

Again, I'm not on an XP system at the moment, so I can't check. Make a
small image and look for it.

Under the recording tab, you can only specify which drive (not a path) you
would like the 'image' stored on. So, that is why I don't know where the
image would be placed on a drive. You said it could be in the 'root', but I
never see any file there during the wizard's operation except my pagefile.sys
file. Since, the D:\ drive never appears to lose free space, I figure the
image isn't being written there or written there yet. I will have to try a
small image and see what happens.

 

[Skippybox]

My problem is still unresolved, so I am hoping someone might have some
insight on this:

I am trying to write 695MB to a 701MB CD-RW using the CD Writing
Wizard. I have the D:\ drive selected as the place to have Windows store an
"image" of the CD to be written. My D:\ drive has about 5.99GB of free space
and my C:\ drive has about 599MB of free space. So, according to my
configuration I would figure I could write the CD-RW under these conditions.

However, when I attempt to write the CD-RW, the wizard proceeds to prepare
the image, but my free space on C:\ whittles down to almost nothing and D:\
remains unchanged. Eventually, I get the error: Cannot Complete the CD
Writing Wizard --- Disk D:\ does not have enough space to create temporary
files for the writing process.

Someone suggested changing my "temp" and "tmp" variables because the image
could be being put together there (C:\) before being copied to D:\. However,
I changed those and it didn't make a difference.

I tried looking around for another place on C:\ that could be problematic,
and I located a file in C:\WINDOWS\Temp called '18era6ad.TMP', which happened
to appear only when the wizard was running. The file grows slowly to about
572MB, so it must be it. However, even with hidden files and folders
visible, the file isn't. I could only 'see' it through my back-up program,
so it must be super hidden.

So what should I do now to resolve the error? Thank-you!

 

[Unknown]

Have you done a disk cleanup and defrag before attempting this? Can you
temporarily delete something on the C drive as a test case?

 

[Skippybox]

Thanks for replying! I have done a disk cleanup and there is nothing left to
clean-up on C:\. I don't see how defragmenting would make more space, only
increase performance, if at all.

I can write a CD if there is about as much space on the C:\ drive as the CD
I'm burning. I'm low on space on C:\ and would prefer to burn CD's using
only my D:\ drive, which is far roomier (I don't want to waste 1GB on C:\ and
another 2GB on D:\ just for a CD burn).

This is why this problem is so strange because I chose to create the image
on D:\. Why is Windows using C:\ for this too? It seems like a waste to tie
up both drives' space. How can I force Windows to prepare the image on D:\
exclusively? Can I change something else or move 'C:\Windows\Temp'?

 

[Galen Somerville]

Not familiar with CD Writing Wizard but most burning software, under options
or preferences, allows you to change the Temporary folder to whatever you
want.

Even though you told it to use D:, it's still writing stuff to it's
temporary folder.

Galen

 

[Skippybox]

Thanks for the comparison. The CD Writing Wizard is the CD burning program
included with Windows XP, so there isn't an option to change its Temporary
Folder, which sounds like it's the same as the operating system. The only
thing apparently that I can change is which drive the image is placed on.
Still, the Temporary Folder, I believe, is still creating the image on C:\
and copying it to D:\, so it's taking up twice as much space over two drives,
instead of using just D:\ for the whole thing. What I need to do is figure
out how to modify the location of the C:\WINDOWS\Temp folder or something
else. What should I do? I need to preserve my free space on C:\ for future
software updates.

 

[Galen Somerville]

As someone else mentioned, you need to change your Environment Variables for
Temp and Tmp to point to the D: drive.

Galen

 

[Skippybox]

I appreciate your response. The original responder did mention that. I did
change my environmental variables, which were both set as 'C:\Documents and
Settings\UserName\Local Settings\Temp' to the D:\ drive. After verifying the
change after a reboot, the problem persisted. I don't think this folder even
was being used by the CD Writing Wizard. That is why I looked elsewhere,
ending up finding the C:\WINDOWS\temp folder. The problem appears to be with
this folder. How do I change that? Thanks-you for your attempts! They are
much appreciated.

 

[Galen Somerville]

Well, as your finding out, some built in windows features have minimal
capabilities.

It's time for you to get some real CD/DVD burning software such as Nero.

Galen

 

[Skippybox]

Thanks for your suggestion. I just might take you up on your offer, unless I
can find another way.