CD-RW will not "drag and drop" from Explorer

E

EW

Anyone........ My CD-RW will play MP3s, install software from a CD, play
commercial audio CDs; however, when I put a blank CD-R into the drive, I
can't "drag and drop" files onto it. With the blank CD-R installed in the
drive, Windows Explorer says the drive is "not accessible." My system is a
Dell with Windows XP SP-2.

First, is this normal? If not, what can I do to get it right. I believe it
used to work fine with drag&drop. Please comment, thanks.

EW
 
L

Leonard Grey

To drag and drop files onto optical media you need packet writing
software (also known as Drive Letter Access or DLA software). And while
packet writing software is still available, it fell out of favor long
ago because it does not close the disc properly. As a result, there's no
assurance that you will be able to access the files on the disc from any
computer or with any brand of software other than what was used to burn
the disc.

To find packet writing software, search the web. If you have an older
version of Roxio or Nero software, their packet writing software was
known as Drag-to-Disk and InCD, respectively.
 
E

EW

Leonard Grey said:
To drag and drop files onto optical media you need packet writing software
(also known as Drive Letter Access or DLA software). And while packet
writing software is still available, it fell out of favor long ago because
it does not close the disc properly. As a result, there's no assurance
that you will be able to access the files on the disc from any computer or
with any brand of software other than what was used to burn the disc.

To find packet writing software, search the web. If you have an older
version of Roxio or Nero software, their packet writing software was known
as Drag-to-Disk and InCD, respectively.

Thanks Leonard. This answers a bunch of questions. Regards.

EW
 
M

M.I.5¾

EW said:
Anyone........ My CD-RW will play MP3s, install software from a CD, play
commercial audio CDs; however, when I put a blank CD-R into the drive, I
can't "drag and drop" files onto it. With the blank CD-R installed in the
drive, Windows Explorer says the drive is "not accessible." My system is
a Dell with Windows XP SP-2.

First, is this normal? If not, what can I do to get it right. I believe
it used to work fine with drag&drop. Please comment, thanks.

Open the drives properties from 'My Computer' and click on the 'recording'
tab. Check the box 'Enable recording on this drive' and OK your way out.
You should now be able to drag and drop files onto your CD drive and burn
them to a blank CD.
 
E

EW

Open the drives properties from 'My Computer' and click on the 'recording'
tab. Check the box 'Enable recording on this drive' and OK your way out.
You should now be able to drag and drop files onto your CD drive and burn
them to a blank CD.

WHOA!!!!!!!!!!! M.I.5, you did it!!! I can sleep now. I did as you said
and all works fine now.

Since you apparently know this stuff, let me ask you: The Roxio Creator DE
version 9 on my Dell is messsed up. Locks up the system. Can I uninstall
this program from the Control Panel and be reasonably assured all the Roxio
junk is gone? I've heard that Roxio is notorious for leaving files and
registry entries even after an uninstall. Now that I have the Drag & Drop
problem fixed, I won't need Roxio for anything -- it doesn't work now
anyway. Guidance?

And thanks again for your outstanding fix on the Drag & Drop. Hope you get
this message!

EW
 

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