Windows and CD-RW

[Guest]

There is something going on with copying files to a CD rewritable that is
rather new... and quite frustrating. Even though the disk that I am using is
indeed a CD rewritable (CD-RW, not CD-R) it seems that I'm only able to copy
files onto this particular disc once. After that, the disk is useless.

Why? When I attempt to delete files off of the CD-RW I am informed that I
cannot do so because the disc is read only. When I try to erase the disc
(this is a brand-new disc, out of the package, by the way), I'm told that the
disc cannot be erased.

On one occasion I was actually able to erase one of these CD-RWs. But I
still couldn't write any new information to the disc. When looking under the
Properties I found out that the disc was now filled with 0k of data but the
amount of free space was likewise 0k.

This is absolutely maddening. I have never experienced anything like this
before. Most of the time I'm working with removable USB drives or external
drives hooked up by FireWire. But right now I'm in a situation in which I
have to work with these CD-RWs (unfortunately), so I need some help.

Why am I only able to use a CD-RW one time and no more? Why can't you
delete data off of CD-RWs? Is there some type of special formatting that
needs to be done? (I just took the disc out of the package and went from
there, like I have always done in the past.)

Any help would be most appreciated!

 

[Shenan Stanley]

There is something going on with copying files to a CD rewritable
that is rather new... and quite frustrating. Even though the disk
that I am using is indeed a CD rewritable (CD-RW, not CD-R) it
seems that I'm only able to copy files onto this particular disc
once. After that, the disk is useless.

Why? When I attempt to delete files off of the CD-RW I am informed
that I cannot do so because the disc is read only. When I try to
erase the disc (this is a brand-new disc, out of the package, by
the way), I'm told that the disc cannot be erased.

On one occasion I was actually able to erase one of these CD-RWs.
But I still couldn't write any new information to the disc. When
looking under the Properties I found out that the disc was now
filled with 0k of data but the amount of free space was likewise 0k.

This is absolutely maddening. I have never experienced anything
like this before. Most of the time I'm working with removable USB
drives or external drives hooked up by FireWire. But right now I'm
in a situation in which I have to work with these CD-RWs
(unfortunately), so I need some help.

Why am I only able to use a CD-RW one time and no more? Why can't
you delete data off of CD-RWs? Is there some type of special
formatting that needs to be done? (I just took the disc out of the
package and went from there, like I have always done in the past.)

Any help would be most appreciated!

Well - your situation seems unique - simply because you cannot erase and
then use the CD again.

My suggestion - use a third party packet-writer application that will allow
you to treat the CD-RW more like a floppy diskette.

 

[Michael]

I don't know if this helps.

In my case, I could re-use the disk if I copied data files. But if I make a
audio CD, then I cannot erase it and the properties show 0 k of data as well
as 0 k of freespace. It seems that if you burn a audio/music CD the signals
are converted into a format that will not allow the CD-RW to be erased. So
now I make audio CDs using CD-R and save data files using CD-RW.

Mike