excel backup question

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Guest

I can't back up my excel files to a cd...I keep getting the message "windows
encountered a problem when trying to copy this file. What do you want
windows to do?" It does NOT say what the problem is. the size of the file
is 198kb and I am using windows xp...HELP???
 
Cindy said:
I can't back up my excel files to a cd...I keep getting the message "windows
encountered a problem when trying to copy this file. What do you want
windows to do?" It does NOT say what the problem is. the size of the file
is 198kb and I am using windows xp...HELP???
Click to expand...

A CD-burning application such as Nero or Roxio is usually needed
when copying files to CD-R or CD-RW for backing up.
 
First, backup is when you take a file that has already been saved and copy
it over to another place. Is this what you are doing, or are you just trying
to "save" the file to that place.

You will need packet writing software installed on your computer to do what
you want.. This is included in both Nero and Roxio burning packages.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
I know how to "save" the file to my documents...I'm trying to have a backup
so that if my computer crashes I don't lose all my company info. I didn't
know I'd need a program like "nero" or "Roxio" to do that...I am able to save
my information from quickbooks to MY DOCUMENTS and then burn that to a
CD...I'm not sure what the difference is?
 
Packet writing software treats the CD/DVD as if it were just another hard
drive. You can save individual files to the CD/DVD directly from a program.
You see all the files in explorer as if it were a hard drive. If using
rewritable disks, you can instantly delete a single file from the disk.

It is just so much more convenient for data storage than using what comes
with the operating system.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
I hope I'm not being a PAIN, BUT...why is this different then the way I back
up quickbooks? I save the quickbooks file to MY DOCUMENTS, and then copy to
a cd from by documents. Excel is already in my documents, so why can't I
just copy it to a cd? I'm just trying to understand, I'm not being
argumentative. ;)
thanks..cindy
 
Cindy said:
I hope I'm not being a PAIN, BUT...why is this different then the way I back
up quickbooks? I save the quickbooks file to MY DOCUMENTS, and then copy to
a cd from by documents. Excel is already in my documents, so why can't I
just copy it to a cd? I'm just trying to understand, I'm not being
argumentative. ;)
thanks..cindy
Click to expand...

I think they're trying to tell you that the native XP burning software
isn't always reliable as you have found out. If you don't want to put
Nero or Roxio on your computer, you may find it easier to get an
external USB hard drive and back up to that instead by using Windows
Explorer, no burning software needed and hard drives can hold a lot more
data than CDs or DVDs.

Alias
 
Cindy said:
I hope I'm not being a PAIN, BUT...why is this different then the way I back
up quickbooks? I save the quickbooks file to MY DOCUMENTS, and then copy to
a cd from by documents. Excel is already in my documents, so why can't I
just copy it to a cd? I'm just trying to understand, I'm not being
argumentative. ;)
thanks..cindy
Click to expand...

ANY storage media REQUIRES an index that identifies where the various
files are located. The standard format for generating a CD=R doesn't
write that index on the CD-R until the recording session is "closed".
The information is not retrievable until that index is written to the
CD-R AND the CD should not be removed from the drive until the session
is closed. Since opening the tray allows the user to change which disk
is in the drive, any disk that is ejected before the session closure may
be deemed PERMANENTLY unusable by the CD-R writing software.

There is a provision to write additional sessions, called multi-session,
to the CD-R. The new data, any revised files and a COMPLETELY new index
are written to a previously unused section of the CD-R. The old index
and any "deleted" or revised files remain on the CD, unreadable through
ordinary means like Windows Explorer. The old files remain available
through some specialized software though. Some versions of Nero and Easy
CD Creator might include provisions to read these hidden old session
indexes and old files. SOME CD readers are not compatible with
multi-session CD-Rs.

Packet writing software permits a computer to use a CD-RW like a SLOW
650 MB hard drive. In has the ability to reuse areas of the disk that
were previously used by deleted files or even earlier versions of the
same file. Packet writing software maintains its index as the disk
contents change instead of waiting for a irrevocable single session
closure process. To be safe you should ONLY use the on screen provision
to eject the CD-RW, NEVER the physical button on the front of the drive.
Unfortunately packet writing software is NOT standardized and CD-RWs
generated by one publisher's packet writing software might not be at all
accessible to packet writing software produced by another publisher.
Windows XP does not include Packet writing functions.
 
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