How do I format a blank CD-RW disk?

[Stan Kay]

My new PC has a Pioneer DVR-111CD optical drive. I have Vista Ultimate ver
6000 and the help files tell me to insert a blank disc into my DVD drive and
a dialogue box will appear. I am then told to click on "Burn files to
disc", click "Show formatting options" and choose one. However, when I
insert my blank disc up pops a dialogue box but it does not give the
messages referred to in the help files. Instead it states "Windows cannot
read the disk in drive F. Make sure the disc uses a format that windows
recognises. If the disc is unformatted, you need to format it before using
it". This is hardly helpful.

Can someone please tell me how to format a blank CD-RW disc?

 

[pvdg42]

My new PC has a Pioneer DVR-111CD optical drive. I have Vista Ultimate
ver 6000 and the help files tell me to insert a blank disc into my DVD
drive and a dialogue box will appear. I am then told to click on "Burn
files to disc", click "Show formatting options" and choose one. However,
when I insert my blank disc up pops a dialogue box but it does not give
the messages referred to in the help files. Instead it states "Windows
cannot read the disk in drive F. Make sure the disc uses a format that
windows recognises. If the disc is unformatted, you need to format it
before using it". This is hardly helpful.

Can someone please tell me how to format a blank CD-RW disc?

Open Windows Explorer. Find your drive in the Computer section of the
treeview on the left. Right-click the drive where you have the blank CD.
Select Format from the context-sensitive menu.

 

[Stan Kay]

Many thanks for the prompt response.

I have done exactly as you explained but right clicking on my drive does not
reveal a "Format" option. The only item that relates to my drive is
"Eject".

On the assumption that I am supposed to have a "Format" option, can you
please suggest how I can restore the missing "Format" option?

 

[Guest]

Normally you should just be able to insert the blank disc and it will then
open an empty window where you can drag your files to it for burning.
I would guess that there is an issue here with your burner not being
recognised as a DVD writer and only as a DVD-ROM.

Does the burner work using other software like Ahead or Nero?

I would suggest search Pioneer website for help or alternatively if your new
PC is an off the shelf one from a big name store that you contact the
manufacture of said PC.

M.B.G (MCDST)

 

[Retired]

You don't need to format a CD or DVD disk. Are you sure you have a burner?

 

[LG]

You don't need to format a CD or DVD disk. Are you sure you have a
burner?

Wow....where have you been. LOL

 

[Bill Yanaire]

What brand of CDRW's are you using? Some of the drives won't work with
junky media.

 

[Retired]

Wow....where have you been. LOL

Where have I been? I've been building computers for 2 decades. Up to now
I've never had to format a CD-ROM or a DVD disk. If I want to copy a set of
files to a CD or DVD disk, I just copy them. Do it all the time - without
ever going through any formatting process.

 

[Stan Kay]

I am using Memorex CD-RW (part 837240) which work fine in my Windows XP
laptop at anything from 16x to 24x. Under Windows XP I cannot get it to
work at any speed. Since submitting the question, as a test, I have loaded
Nero and found that it will format the disc and I can burn files. However,
the real issue is why can't this be done with Windows Vista Ultimate when
the documentation and help files say it can?

 

[Retired]

Where have I been? I've been building computers for 2 decades. Up to now
I've never had to format a CD-ROM or a DVD disk. If I want to copy a set
of files to a CD or DVD disk, I just copy them. Do it all the time -
without ever going through any formatting process.

I should add that it's called "burning a disk", which is not exactly the
same as formatting - which you can't do with DVDs and CD-ROMs.

 

[LG]

I should add that it's called "burning a disk", which is not exactly
the same as formatting - which you can't do with DVDs and CD-ROMs.

LOL again.....You obviously haven't done it much. Do you even know what a
CD-RW is? Why do you think it's called rewritable? Didn't you ever wonder
why all CD software has a "format" or erase button?

 

[Dave]

But you do have to format a disc before burning.
from Windows Help & Support (Search for Format CD):

"Format a CD or DVD

Before you can copy files to a CD or DVD, the disc must first be prepared
using a process called formatting. There are several ways to format a CD or
DVD disc. Your choice of format determines which computers and other devices
will be able to read the disc.

Insert a disc into your computer's CD or DVD drive.

In the dialog box that appears, click Burn files to disc.

In the Burn a disc dialog box, type a name for your new disc.

Click Show formatting options, and then click one of the following
formatting options:

Live File System

Mastered

Click Next to prepare the disc.

Now you can copy files to your disc using whichever method you selected.

Choosing the right formatting option for the job
When you format a CD or DVD, you can choose either the Live File System or
Mastered format. Use the following information to help you determine which
formatting option you should choose.

Live File System discs:
Enable you to copy files immediately to disc by dragging them.

Are convenient if you want to keep a disc in the burn drive and occasionally
copy a few files at a time.

Are convenient because there is no lengthy recording step, such as with
Mastered discs. Each file is written to the disc as you drag it to the disc
folder.

Let you delete individual files or reformat the disc to create additional
disc space when you use a rewriteable disc such as a CD-RW, DVD-RW, or
DVD-RAM.

Might have to be closed before they can be used in other computers.

Are only compatible with Windows XP and later versions of Windows.

Note
To see additional formatting options for Live File System discs, in the Burn
a disc dialog box, click Change version. This will open the Select a Live
File System Version dialog box, where you can choose a different formatting
version for compatibility with different kinds of computers. For more
information about these options, see Which CD or DVD format should I use?

Mastered discs:
Enable you to drag files to the disc and then burn all the files to disc at
once.

Are convenient if you need to burn a large collection of files, such as a
music CD.

Are compatible with older computers and devices like CD players and DVD
players.

Require a large amount of hard disk space to burn (as much as the capacity
of the disc you are burning).

Choosing the right disc for the job
There are many kinds of writable discs, and not all discs can be formatted
in the same way. Refer to the following table for details on disc
formatting.

This type of disc
Can be formatted

CD-R, DVD-R, or DVD+R
Only once. Information can't be deleted from this type of disc.

CD-RW, DVD-RW, or DVD+RW
Many times. If the disc has been formatted at least once, you can use the
Quick Format option to format it more quickly on subsequent formats. For
more information, see Erase a CD or DVD.

DVD-RAM
Many times. You can use the Quick Format option to format it quickly the
very first time it is used, or on any subsequent format. For more
information, see Erase a CD or DVD."

 

[Adam Albright]

I am using Memorex CD-RW (part 837240) which work fine in my Windows XP
laptop at anything from 16x to 24x. Under Windows XP I cannot get it to
work at any speed. Since submitting the question, as a test, I have loaded
Nero and found that it will format the disc and I can burn files. However,
the real issue is why can't this be done with Windows Vista Ultimate when
the documentation and help files say it can?

It depends on what you're using the CD-DVD for. If you mean drag and
drop, where you simply want to use the CD to copy files to so once
copied they can be read back off the CD, then Vista should do that
alone. However if you are "burning" a CD or DVD then no formatting in
the traditional sense is needed. The disc is prepared (or should be)
by whatever burning software you use typically in three phases, the
lead in, the actual data writing and the lead out. Again many possible
schemes, depends how you burn the CD or DVD and what the intended
purpose is. If more than simple data storage, then generally you need
a helper application like Nero.

You can try a simple test. Open a folder in Explorer that has music
files such as Mp3 or wav. Start up Media Player, click on the burn
button, not insert a blank unformated CD-RW disc if you haven't
already. Wait till it spins up, then close any window that opens so
you're still in Media Player.

You should see a new side panel on the right. Select a few songs, drag
and drop them where shown. Then click the burn button near bottom.
Doing just this should burn the songs to your CD and allow them to be
played back, even on a set-top CD/DVD player, assuming it supports the
file formats you used and you didn't hit any music industry blocking
in the songs you tried to copy.

 

[Slap]

But you do have to format a disc before burning.
from Windows Help & Support (Search for Format CD):

"Format a CD or DVD

I just take a blank CDR, drag and drop a bunch of files and XP copies them?
I then say burn disc. XP must do a default format eh? I can read them but
maybe a win 2k machine might not be able to.

 

[Retired]

I should add that it's called "burning a disk", which is not exactly the
same as formatting - which you can't do with DVDs and CD-ROMs.

First of all, I think (but I'm not sure) that Vista and XP are the same in
regard to their capabilities (or lack thereof) about formatting a CD-RW
disk. My remarks are specifically about XP.

If you want to drag and drop a file to/from a CD-RW disk, then - yes - it
must be formatted first. However, you can't do the formatting with an
operating system command. Instead, you must use a special program such as
INCD by Nero.

For 99% of my CD or DVD burning needs, I just use the Nero burn method and
choose the option I desire (such as a backup, copy music, or whatever). I
almost never use INCD.

If it is data that is being copied, and Nero is being used rather than INCD,
then Nero automatically burns the data to the disk. The user does not do a
separate step-by-step formatting procedure, as is the normal way of
formatting hard drives, floppy drives, etc..

Here is a quote from some experts:

"Windows XP home or pro can not format cd-rw disks. Windows XP can burn data
and music to a cd-r without a problems due to the fact the cd-r disks are
pre-formatted.
Windows xp can not format a cd-rw because windows xp does not support the
International Organization Standard (ISO) Image. What is ISO? An ISO image
file is a snapshot of the data and layout of a CD, saved in ISO-9660 format.
ISO image files are widely used for storing CD content. ISO is a common CD
image format for DOS, Windows (Joliet ISO extension), Linux (RockRidge ISO
extension), and other operating systems.

Microsoft says in a round about way that you will need 3rd party software in
order to format a cd-rw They do not do a good job of making that clear.
Without formatting a cd-rw disk, you will not be able to write any data to
it. So unless you have something like Roxio, Nero, or some other software
for burning cd-rw, you wont be burning cd-rw in windows xp at all.

Microsoft confuses the situation by saying that it supports cd-r and cd-rw
disks and how essential burning cd's has become. It makes no mention to
needing 3rd party software."

 

[Adam Albright]

First of all, I think (but I'm not sure) that Vista and XP are the same in
regard to their capabilities (or lack thereof) about formatting a CD-RW
disk. My remarks are specifically about XP.

Use Vista's help, look up format a CD disc.

 

[Guest]

I am having trouble understanding the difference between the format command
on the CD drive context menu, and the "formatting" discussed in the help
(Live File vs. Mastered) - and when - or even if - they are required.

Every time I insert a disk and try to "open" it, I get "Insert a disk."
Assuming that the disc cannot be seen because it is not formatted, I right
click and choose format. This format dialog has nothing to do with Live File
or Mastered - it is the same format dialog as you get when you format a hard
drive or floppy. So, first question: is this type of formatting necessary?
If not, why can't I do anything with my CD-RW disc unless I format it?

After I format the disc, I then drag files to it. They look as if they are
on the disc, and there are no prompts or menu items asking me to write the
files to the disk, but if I remove the disc and re-insert it, they do not
appear. But, if I drag the same file to the disc, I get a message that it is
already there. Whattup with that? (I get similar results if I use the Burn
button.)

As far as the other type of "formatting" (Live File, Mastered) is concerned,
what steps do I need to take to even see the dialog that gives me that
option? As I said, I cannot seem to use a disc unless I uses the old-style
format command, but when I do, I never seem to get the option to format with
either Live File or Mastered.

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

My new PC has a Pioneer DVR-111CD optical drive. I have Vista Ultimate ver
6000 and the help files tell me to insert a blank disc into my DVD drive and
a dialogue box will appear. I am then told to click on "Burn files to
disc", click "Show formatting options" and choose one. However, when I
insert my blank disc up pops a dialogue box but it does not give the
messages referred to in the help files. Instead it states "Windows cannot
read the disk in drive F. Make sure the disc uses a format that windows
recognises. If the disc is unformatted, you need to format it before using
it". This is hardly helpful.

Can someone please tell me how to format a blank CD-RW disc?

 

[Guest]

I have a different drive but I am having the exact same problem. Did you
ever fix yours?

 

[Translator French - English - Creole]

unless you want to do a floppy style cd, there is no need to format it, it's
blank and ready to be burned onto. if you want to do floppy style, which is
drag and drop you have to insert blank cd in drive go to the my computer go
into your burner and in the menu above there should be option to burn cd,
clicking that will give you the wizard you need, or you can also in my
computer right click on your burner drive choose format

--
New Boating Capt. Jonathan Perreault

Personnal Advice To You:
#1: Do Not Undermine Windows's Work, Or It'll Undermine You As A User.
#2: Torture Windows (Any) Now Before It Tortures You
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