Can't format new CD

[Tracy]

Help. I put a new CD-RW into the drive. I went to my
computer, highlighted the drive, went to file and could
not find format.

Is there another way I can format my cds?

I have the format option for floppys, but just not for the
cd.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Carl Fenley]

I don't have a Format option on the menu for my CDRW either. Have you ever
had that option for your CDRW?

I've never actually formatted a CD come to think of it. I just use Nero
Express to throw whatever I want on the CD I'm burning at the time.

- carl

 

[Dan Seur]

You don't format CDs, you just write to them (or rewrite and so forth),
usually using the package you received with the CDRW device. CDs are
quite different from the floppy & hard drive oxide-based media.

Usually the package includes not only the necessary drivers but some
sort of CD-handling application (like Nero) that provides the software
you use to assemble files you want to write, and then write them to the
CD. All the necessary format/contents/etc information will be written to
the CD by that application, automatically. There are a number of
different CD formats, incidentally, depending on what kind of CD you're
writing - playable music, plain old files, etc.

W2k has no such native application either buried in Explorer or
elsewhere. I believe XP may have one built in, but wouldn't swear to it.

 

[Jisha]

The only time I need to format a CD is if I want to use it with DirectCD or
InCD... which enables you to write to the CD-RW as you would any other
diskette, Zip, or other drive.

 

[MadDog]

The need for formatting a CD/RW depends on the burner
software being used. Easy CD Creator 5 (Direct CD) had
you format the entire disk before use. Nero Express
formats it as it goes....


MD

 

[Tracy]

Thank you for your response. I am starting to figure it
out - I think.

 

[Guest]

Thanks. I have DirectCD. I never used it before to just
put word documents on the cd. I have always just copied
them to the CD. It must be a Windows 2000 thing. It was
much easier with NT. Unless of course, you may know some
other way to write to the CD.

Thanks again.

 

[Guest]

Thank you. I had NT before and I could just format a disk
and it was ready to use. I could simply drop and drag or
copy directly to the CD. All of a sudden with Windows
2000 I could not do that, so I thought I needed to format
the CD. I did not know I had to use another program
(which I have used for audio files).

 

[Thagor]

Direct CD should see the CDRW as soon as it is inserted and ask if you would
like to format. If it is not functioning properly you may not have the
program installed properly. If you are using an old version, check for
updates on the Roxio support site.

 

[Dan Seur]

Tracy - check this thread thoroughly; there are some situations (and
applications) I didn't know about, and my post is incorrect in some
cases. (And thanks to those other posters.)