RW CD Compatability

[Ron Farrell]

I have backed up many files and applications on CD RW
written on Win 98 by Adaptec Easy Cd Writer (unfinalized)
with a CDUDF file. Will I be able to read it on Win XP?

Ron

 

[Rifleman]

I have backed up many files and applications on CD RW
written on Win 98 by Adaptec Easy Cd Writer (unfinalized)
with a CDUDF file. Will I be able to read it on Win XP?

Ron

As long as you haven't used the Win 98 Backup utility, yes. XP cannot read
the W98 Backup files. (How MS decided that that should be the case would
appear to me to be staggering blindness of the first order. COMPLETE
non-joined up thinking on the part of MS)

 

[Sharon F]

(How MS decided that that should be the case would
appear to me to be staggering blindness of the first order. COMPLETE
non-joined up thinking on the part of MS)

I agree but it isn't the first time it has happened. Win95 backup files
could not be read by Win98's updated backup and those archives could not be
read by WinME's backup. None of the above can be restored by WinXP backup.
In other words, this shortsightedness has had a very lengthy existence.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

No you might not be able to read these disks unless they are finalized
first. While XP has the ability to read the UDF file format it doesn't
recognize packet formatted (UDF) disks created with earlier versions of
Direct CD. You should finalize the disks first especially if they were
created with Direct CD 3 or lower. Finalizing UDF formatted disks is always
good practise if you plan to read the disk on a different computer (or
operating system) that which the CD-R/W was created on.

Alex Nichol has an excellent page on CD Burning in XP here
http://www.aumha.org/a/xpcd.htm and I have a page here
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/cdr_info.htm

Also if you used the Backup program that comes with Windows 98 ( it creates
..QIC files) you will quickly find that XP's Backup program will not
recognize .QIC files. However a 30 day trialware version of Backup MyPC from
Orilogix (not Stompinc) will install on XP and will open and restore .QIC
files. You can find the trial here
http://downloads.zdnet.co.uk/downloads/detail/1002-2242-10176011.html

 

[Harry Ohrn]

As long as you haven't used the Win 98 Backup utility, yes. XP cannot read
the W98 Backup files. (How MS decided that that should be the case would
appear to me to be staggering blindness of the first order. COMPLETE
non-joined up thinking on the part of MS)

As I understand the incompatibility between the different backup programs is
by design :^(