CDR & CDRW's

[InskiP]

I just got a 20D recently and am working on managing all these files...
Anyway, I wan't to save my pics to a CDRW. I've used a CDR before but not a CDRW.
When I tried to add files to my CDRW it said that it couldn't be modified., I thought the whole purpose of a CDRW is that you CAN modify it??? There were no instructions w/ the disc's I bought . I found some instructions online but they were for Windows XP and I use a Mac. It said something about finalizing a session or keeping it open, but not sure how to do this??? I've only ever burned a CDR before...Can someone enlighten me please?

thanks

D

[InskiP]

Actually, I'm not even sure how to erase a CDRW and start all over...not seeing any options for doing this.

[mbze430]

there are many ways to setup the CDRW. You can use it as a "HDD medium" where you can add and "remove" files if it was like a hdd. Or you can just burn everything on it, than erase it at a later time.

The last option is the most basic. To make your CDRW drive like a HDD you'll need additional software. I don't know what you got, but I use Nero, and the program that does that is ImageDrive.

[johnnybfan]

I think that if you investigate your CD-RW's more that you will see that they aren't recommended for long term storage of your pics. I've seen this a couple of places but cannot remember which ones. Good luck.

[PacAce]

On my PC, I use Roxio EZCD Creator Platinum which comes with two different CD burning softwares. One allows you to create CD-Rs and CD-RWs in sessions. The other, called DirectCD, allows you to initialize a CD-RW so that it can be used in a manner similar to hard disk drives, as mentioned by mbze430.

On the Mac, I use Roxio Toast Titanium. This program also allows me to burn CD-Rs and CD-RWs in sessions. However, it does not have the capability, as far as I can tell, to allow the use of CD-RWs on the Mac as virtual hard drives like you can on the PC. In other words, if you have a CD-RW, you have to use it the same way you would use a CD-R. If you format the CD in ISO 9660 mode, you can burn multiple sessions on the CD-R or CD-RW, as long as you don't finalize the CD. The difference with the CD-RW is that you can erase everything that's on the CD-RW and start from scratch again. If you have Roxio Toast, there's is an option under the Recorder menu option to erase the CD-RW.

[ssim]

I haven't used a CDRW in years but what I can remember from it, they wrote incredibly slow. They weren't terribly reliable either. At the price of CDR and DVD I would recommend that you consider that.

[PacAce]

On my PC, I use Roxio EZCD Creator Platinum which comes with two different CD burning softwares. One allows you to create CD-Rs and CD-RWs in sessions. The other, called DirectCD, allows you to initialize a CD-RW so that it can be used in a manner similar to hard disk drives, as mentioned by mbze430.

On the Mac, I use Roxio Toast Titanium. This program also allows me to burn CD-Rs and CD-RWs in sessions. However, it does not have the capability, as far as I can tell, to allow the use of CD-RWs on the Mac as virtual hard drives like you can on the PC. In other words, if you have a CD-RW, you have to use it the same way you would use a CD-R. If you format the CD in ISO 9660 mode, you can burn multiple sessions on the CD-R or CD-RW, as long as you don't finalize the CD. The difference with the CD-RW is that you can erase everything that's on the CD-RW and start from scratch again. If you have Roxio Toast, there's is an option under the Recorder menu option to erase the CD-RW.
BTW, as has already been pointed out by others, CD-RWs are not very good for long term storage. They should only be used for short term temporary storage of data, such as for transporting files from one computer to another, much the same what the floppy disks were used in the past (and maybe even today by some people).

[lostdoggy]

Don't bother w/ those CDRW 'cause they're just too slow. In order for you to use it as a HDD you have to format it which takes forever. I think the last time I tried it back when I had 2x drive it took 2HRs. Just Burn it on CDR as a multisession and add additional files when you need to. You can do this with DVDr's but it come up with a warning that another drive might not be able to read it. Anyway at about 0.05 a disc is it worth wasting your time to format or erase a CDRW???

[Thenethiel]

Newer CDRW's can use reasonably fast write speeds, but like others have said, don't use them for permanent storage, they're really just for file transfers, or what I use them for is MP3/Atrac3 (Atrac is a Sony proprietary audio encoding) CD's to listen to at work. The reason for not using them as permanent storage is that in order for them to rewriteable, the gel or whatever it is they have to record on is softer than usual CD's, after a long enough period it can start to slightly deform itself, corrupting the data, I think this is actually happening to an Atrac CD that I listen to between 20-40 hours a week (at work), this much constant playing is beginning to deform the recording medium and the songs are developing glitches like small skips and squeaks. So for any long-term storage, definately go with one-time use discs, they're cheap and fast and more durable.

[InskiP]

lostdoggy said "Just Burn it on CDR as a multisession and add additional files when you need to." Not sure how to quote another message, sorry.

How do you do this? Do you have to have special software to do this. Usually I just pop the CDR in and burn it-no special software. I don't recall any options for multisession.
I'll take a closer look next time. If I burn it as a multisession can I take the disk out of the machine, put it back in and add more files later? Do I have to finalize a CDR before I take it out of the computer?

[InskiP]

Can you save RAW images to a CDR, or do you have to convert them first?
This digital stuff is all new to me...

[lostdoggy]

lostdoggy said "Just Burn it on CDR as a multisession and add additional files when you need to." Not sure how to quote another message, sorry.

How do you do this? Do you have to have special software to do this. Usually I just pop the CDR in and burn it-no special software. I don't recall any options for multisession.
I'll take a closer look next time. If I burn it as a multisession can I take the disk out of the machine, put it back in and add more files later? Do I have to finalize a CDR before I take it out of the computer?

To "quote" on reply, just click on the botton on the lower right hand corner of the post label "Quote" nd it will insert it in your reply.

I use nero burning rom to burn my CDR and DVDRs. Roxio should have the same options. If you are using XP it also has the same option, I think. In Nero when you start a new burn it will ask you what kind of burn you will doing, eg data,media, music (regular CD), and so on. On that popup it will have a tab that saids multisession. I haven't use Roxio for a long time so I can't remember how it looks. In Xp, I think it just leave the disc open, but it will write over any file (actually it changes the FAT) with same name.

[InskiP]

Are these (Nero and Roxio) software programs that you buy for burning CD's?
I have a Mac computer-not sure what my options are...And w/ a multisession burn can I take the CDR out of the computer-if I need to put a differnt one in- and contine the burn session later??? Also, can RAW images be burned on a CDR, or do I have to convert it first? I'm asking because I'd like to save a copy of my original file.

[tim]

Can you save RAW images to a CDR, or do you have to convert them first?
This digital stuff is all new to me...

You can save any file of any type to CD or DVD.

[lostdoggy]

I think Mac version is Toast. I'm not familiar with MAC. But MAC is known to provide a robust of software in the OS.

[napolar]

Can you save RAW images to a CDR, or do you have to convert them first?
This digital stuff is all new to me...

RAW Files or JPEG files, they are all simply computer files to your CD writer. Store your RAW Files on a CDR and save them like you did your old film negatives. Once they are safe, then manipulate the ones you want to play with. When you are done, save them to another CDR (They're real cheap).

[PacAce]

Are these (Nero and Roxio) software programs that you buy for burning CD's?
I have a Mac computer-not sure what my options are...And w/ a multisession burn can I take the CDR out of the computer-if I need to put a differnt one in- and contine the burn session later??? Also, can RAW images be burned on a CDR, or do I have to convert it first? I'm asking because I'd like to save a copy of my original file.
Roxio provides a CD/DVD burning software for the Mac. It's called Toast 6 Platinum. It'll allow you to create all types of CDs and DVDs (data, audio, video, etc.). To create a multisession data CD, all you do is copy files to the CD as you would normally but instead of finalizing the CD and closing it, what you need to do is close the session only, not the CD. This way, you can remove the CD and it can be read on any PC or Mac (assuming you created the ISO 9660 format CD). If you want to burn more files to it or update what's already there, you first import the previous session(s) that were on the CD and then add the new stuff to it. It's all done from within the Toast program.

Toast doesn't seem to work with too well with TIger, though. A lot of people are having problems burning CDs or DVDs, including me! I created two coasters over the weekend and I never had problems with Toast before Tiger. :(

[CyberDyneSystems]

Every CD-RW I ever wrote is no unreadable.. (perhaps all written between 3 and 5 years ago.)

Mind you I used CD-R far more often,. but still I have about a dozen CD-RWs that are unreadable to soem degree,. the few that are "sort of" readable will load and display the directory structure.. but I can not retrieve all the files.

they are comprised of several brands of medi burned on two diffferent drives in two different PCs

[Eagle]

On my PC, I use Roxio EZCD Creator Platinum which comes with two different CD burning softwares. One allows you to create CD-Rs and CD-RWs in sessions. The other, called DirectCD, allows you to initialize a CD-RW so that it can be used in a manner similar to hard disk drives, as mentioned by mbze430.


I use EZCD creator 6 which has Drag-to-disc. I believe it's an updated version of Direct CD. Using it you don't need a CD-RW you can use CD-R. Initially you format the CD-R then drag and drop files. when you ecect the disc DON'T format it for use on any CD-Rom and you can keep taking it in and out to drad and drop files whenever you want. When the disc is full then format it again to read in any CD-Rom. Until you refort it you can only read it in a CD burner on a PC with the Drag-to-Disc software.
Works great.8-)