Copying files to CD ROM

[Terry Bennett]

I'm sorry if this is a really basic question but I'm having trouble copying
files to CD.

Although I can import files from CD ROM without any problems, whenever I try
and copy to the same drive I receive the message 'Drive not accessible'.

I am using a Sony VAIO laptop running Windows XP and CD I'm trying to copy
to is 'CD-R'.

I've tried several different CDs but the result is always the same.

Do I need to format something?!

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[Steve Hayes]

I'm sorry if this is a really basic question but I'm having trouble copying
files to CD.

Although I can import files from CD ROM without any problems, whenever I try
and copy to the same drive I receive the message 'Drive not accessible'.

I am using a Sony VAIO laptop running Windows XP and CD I'm trying to copy
to is 'CD-R'.

I've tried several different CDs but the result is always the same.

Do I need to format something?!

Yes, you need to format the CD before you copy to it.

But finding the program to format is a matter of luck, because no matter how
hard you look for it, you never find it, but sometuimes it pops up on your
screen whe your's not expecting it. When that happens, put a CD in tour drive
and format it quickly, whether you need it or not, because the next time you
need it you probably won't find it, or you'll find it is blanked out.

 

[Bob Harris]

Reading from CDs and data DVDs is intrinsic in XP.

But, writing to CDs and DVDs usually requires a third-party program, such as
Nero or Easy Media Creator. A decent free alternative is called
"DeepBurner", and is available from: http://www.deepburner.com/?r=download
Get the portable version, as that requires no installation, just unzipping.

I have heard that XP may have limited drag&drop capability for writing to
CDs, but writing in that fashion is generally a bad idea, since even if it
works, such CDs are often unreadable on other computers. Also, there are
some rules about formatting, whether you can write once or several times,
whether you can erase, whether you can use CD-R or CD-RW media, speed of
media, etc. In general you will be happier if you avoid drop&drop, UDF,
DLA, DirectCD, and similar packet writing options. Write-once CDs (CD-R) is
very cheap, if bought 25 to 50 at a time. All write faster than the faster
CD-RW. And, a properly written (closed, finalized) CD-R can be read on most
PCs, MACs, even LINUX boxes.

Of course, in order to write CDs you must have a CD writer. If you have an
older PC it is possible that all it has is a CD reader. Check the PC
specifications to be sure.

 

[Terry Bennett]

Many thanks Bob, that seems to have resolved the problem.

 

[Steve Hayes]

Reading from CDs and data DVDs is intrinsic in XP.

But, writing to CDs and DVDs usually requires a third-party program, such as
Nero or Easy Media Creator. A decent free alternative is called
"DeepBurner", and is available from: http://www.deepburner.com/?r=download
Get the portable version, as that requires no installation, just unzipping.

Will it format CD-R discs for writing?

 

[Barry Schwarz]

Will it format CD-R discs for writing?

CD-R discs don't need to be formatted for writing. You write once and
that is it. After that, they are read only.

 

[Steve Hayes]

CD-R discs don't need to be formatted for writing. You write once and
that is it. After that, they are read only.

They do need to be formatted if you want to copy files to them, as the
original poster asked - DLA (Drive letter access).

I want a program that will format them, and preferably one that will format
DVDs as well.

 

[Barry Schwarz]

They do need to be formatted if you want to copy files to them, as the
original poster asked - DLA (Drive letter access).

I want a program that will format them, and preferably one that will format
DVDs as well.

XP will has the ability to write CDs built in. You simply drag the
desired files to the drive and follow the pop-ups. There is no
separate format command.

 

[Steve Hayes]

XP will has the ability to write CDs built in. You simply drag the
desired files to the drive and follow the pop-ups. There is no
separate format command.

So what I'm asking is whether there is a third-party program available that
will format CD-R discs.

My laptop came with XP and a formatting program, but my desktop computer
doesn't seem to have this.

In the laptop when I click on "Properties" for a CD-R disc, one of the options
is "format", but in the desktop computer it is blanked out.

 

[Tom Willett]

What makes you feel that a CD-R needs to be formatted, or that it can be?

: On Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:56:06 -0700, Barry Schwarz <[email protected]>
wrote:
:
: >>>CD-R discs don't need to be formatted for writing. You write once and
: >>>that is it. After that, they are read only.
: >>
: >>They do need to be formatted if you want to copy files to them, as the
: >>original poster asked - DLA (Drive letter access).
: >>
: >>I want a program that will format them, and preferably one that will
format
: >>DVDs as well.
: >
: >XP will has the ability to write CDs built in. You simply drag the
: >desired files to the drive and follow the pop-ups. There is no
: >separate format command.
:
: So what I'm asking is whether there is a third-party program available
that
: will format CD-R discs.
:
: My laptop came with XP and a formatting program, but my desktop computer
: doesn't seem to have this.
:
: In the laptop when I click on "Properties" for a CD-R disc, one of the
options
: is "format", but in the desktop computer it is blanked out.
:
:
: --
: Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
: Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm
: Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
: E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop
uk

 

[Twayne]

What makes you feel that a CD-R needs to be formatted, or that it can
be?

Formatting is highly useful if you have the packet-writing software
required and wish to use the CD or DVD as another disk drive to write
to/read from at will. A CD-R will still be recordable only, but the
sessions remain open until the user decides to close them for use on
that computer, other computers, or standard CD-R players, etc. and
assign a "no more writes" to it. Caveats: Writing to a "closed" CD will
result in all previous data going unobtainable but the space it used
will still be gone (write-once, remember). Same with deleting; the
filenames go away but you don't get any space back. And of course it
can't be formatted again either.

With the packet-writing software, the formatting is fast but that's
because by defaults it only formats the first few tracks necessary to
make it a data or music, whatever, disk. The rest of the formatting is
done at write-time; sort of a format-on-demand, until the disk is
filled. Then there is also a full format available which makes things a
tad faster when using it as a disk drive.
Nero and Roxio both have these useful capabilities. Roxio has both
Direct and Easy CD functions.

I'm partial to Roxio myself, but ymmv. I've never used any of the
current freebies out there so have no recommendations in that direction.
Nero used to have a free version but it seems it's been dropped, I'm not
positive. I found it once, well buried, through a bunch of links, and
just now when I looked it wasn't to be found. If it's still there, I
couldn't find it. It was a fully functioning but old rev of the
program.
HTH,

Twayne`

 

[Steve Hayes]

Formatting is highly useful if you have the packet-writing software
required and wish to use the CD or DVD as another disk drive to write
to/read from at will. A CD-R will still be recordable only, but the
sessions remain open until the user decides to close them for use on
that computer, other computers, or standard CD-R players, etc. and
assign a "no more writes" to it. Caveats: Writing to a "closed" CD will
result in all previous data going unobtainable but the space it used
will still be gone (write-once, remember). Same with deleting; the
filenames go away but you don't get any space back. And of course it
can't be formatted again either.

I thought that if one "closed" a CD it becomes read-only, and won't accept any
more writes.

With the packet-writing software, the formatting is fast but that's
because by defaults it only formats the first few tracks necessary to
make it a data or music, whatever, disk. The rest of the formatting is
done at write-time; sort of a format-on-demand, until the disk is
filled. Then there is also a full format available which makes things a
tad faster when using it as a disk drive.

I usually use the quick format, because it's quite fast enough for my
purposes.

Nero and Roxio both have these useful capabilities. Roxio has both
Direct and Easy CD functions.

I have the OEM version of Nero that came with a DVD drive, but it will only
format R/W discs.

I don't want to pay extra for the full program only to find that it doesn't
format WORM discs.

I'm partial to Roxio myself, but ymmv. I've never used any of the
current freebies out there so have no recommendations in that direction.
Nero used to have a free version but it seems it's been dropped, I'm not
positive. I found it once, well buried, through a bunch of links, and
just now when I looked it wasn't to be found. If it's still there, I
couldn't find it. It was a fully functioning but old rev of the
program.
HTH,

I hadn't heard of Roxio, will have a look.