OK this has ticked me off for ages. What is up with CD-RWs that won't allow themselves to be erased?? I burned two yesterday using Nero and specifically UNselected the box saying "finalize cd (no further writing possible)" and now neither one of them will allow me to erase them when I right click from My Computer.
This has been happening to me for years...using the same program to burn them, and the exact same discs, some of them will erase and some won't. How the hell do these things work?! And is there any way to erase them??
Addendum:
When I try to delete individual files off the un-eraseable RW, it says of course that it cannot delete, but "you can still add files to the disc which will replace files already on it." So I think gee, problem solved, and I go to Nero and try and re-burn the stupid thing without first erasing it and it says there's not enough space. Clearly it's WRONG, you CAN'T add files to the disc which will replace those already on it!!
Okay, no expert but i'll try...
Audio
I use CD-Rs, I can fit about 70-80 minutes on them, never erase them or add more to them once they are burned...
Data
I use CD-Rs, I can fit about 700-800 MB on them AND I can remove the files on it and add more also BUT once you write say 250 MB of data on them (anything from MPGs to DOCs) it will always register as having 250 MB on it regardless of if you remove that data or not, you can still use that space for other stuff though. Whether this is a problem with my Nero or what, I don't know...
I'd say screw CD-RWs if I were you, they always bugged the shit out of me...
How the heck do you remove files from a CD-R? This is news to me. I have never encountered a CD-R that allowed you to modify it...that's why it's an R and not an RW! Are you sure that's not a typo? If not you clearly have outdone me...
If you're sure you're right about that, then what burning program do you use that allows you to re-burn CD-R's with new data?
Hey, I'm not sure about that CD-R / CD-RW thing...
cratch:
hold on.. what I got for re-burning is Memorex CD-Rs "recordable" 52X, 700MB, 80MIN...
I use Nero 5 Burning ROM © 95-01
Version 5.5.4.0
I can remove data from these discs and put new data on in the place on the old data... so i don't know... i guess i do got you beat...
What brand/capacity/program are you using?
I am using, I swear this is true, the EXACT same discs you are. My CD-R's are Memorex 52x's. My CD-RW's are TDK 4x 700mb's.
And coincidentally I am also using the exact same version of Nero you are. It just will not allow me to modify CDRW's in any way.
So tell me this then, how precisely do you burn your CD-R's that allow you to modify them? Do you select the box that says "finalize" or not?
Okay hold on... I'll go through the process and take note of what I do ...
(I'm just posting this so yer not left hanging)
I believe that you can "erase" data from a CDR.
If you are using it as a "floppy" disk, you can add and remove data as you would a floppy.
But, I believe that the data is still on there - just not visible.
Say I put files A,B,C on disk.
Then I take off A and add D.
The disk actually looks like this - (A)BCD. Where A is not accessible, but still takes up room.
D does not replace A, rather it gets its new sector.
**if that did not confuse you enough**
On another note - I have a separate CD burner that is part of my stereo system for transferring tapes and VHS to CD. I use CDRW when I am doing this in case I make mistakes. I have to UN-finalize those CDRW's before I can ersae any tracks. I have probably used the same CDRW 200 times.
You see, my data that I erase is gone... nowhere listed in brackets or anything...
Here's what I just finished doing...
I opened Nero and clicked on "Compile A New CD"
Clicked "Next", clicked "Data CD" and clicked "Next"
Clicked "Create A New CD" and once again clicked "Next"
Then clicked "Finish"
I dragged about 88 MB over into the window and clicked on the "Burn" button.
Pretty simple. lol. It burned and at the end said it was completed, I clicked "Ok"
Then I could "Save", "Print" or "Discard".. I always click Discard...
Explored the CD and the data was there...
Beside it was the little pie graph and it said;
Capacity: 88.0 MB
Used: 88.0 MB
Free: 0 bytes
Okay, now, I opened Nero and clicked on "Compile A New CD"
Clicked "Next", clicked "Data CD" and clicked "Next"
Clicked "Continue With An Existing Data-CD (multi-session)" and then "Next"
Then "Finish"
It popped up "Select Track" and there was only one track.
I just clicked "Ok"
It opened up the CD and the data was there...
I deleted it.
I dragged only 33 MB over into the window and clicked on "Burn"
It burned, I closed it all out, etc...
Explored the CD once again and the new data was there, the old data wasn't...
Beside it was the little pie graph, once again, and it said;
Capacity: 32.3 MB
Used: 32.3 MB
Free: 0 bytes
So I guess that's how you do it...
The only thing is, when I dragged the new data onto the CD, the old data still registered as memory-used along the bottom as that blue bar... but it's not anywhere on the CD...
Brazle - it is still on there - just not readable.
If you keep on doing the same thing - you will eventually run out of room.
Tthip Wrote:Brazle - it is still on there - just not readable.
If you keep on doing the same thing - you will eventually run out of room.
Hmmm... well, I never encountered that before because I never kept doing it. So I guess you can't really remove it... Well, that sucks. :?
Touque,
With CD-RW's, you need to "format" the CD to be able to "drag and drop" files to it and erase files. Properly formatted, you should be able to write, erase and rewrite something like 1000 times. Usually when the disc is formatted, you end up with only about 550 MB of usable disc space (on a 700 MB disc). If you are using Roxio (Formerly Easy CD Creator), you need to have DirectCD running. It is the program that allows you to copy and erase at will to a RW. There are several others, Ab-CD comes to mind, that do the same thing. They basically mimic a floppy drive. Keep in mind though that when you erase the file, you are erasing the "index" to that file, thats why it looks instantaneous. However it will only copy to the CD at whatever speed your drive is capapble of. I think 4X RWs take about 10-20 mins to fill a CD (I could be way off on this, its been a while since I use a RW).
Generally, I never use RWs for media files, I keep those on R's. I use RW's for data files or for storing software that I occasionally need to update because of a new version comes out. Hope this helps. Please feel free to correct me. Like I said, its been a while. :thumb:
Tthip is right, if you delete files from a CD they are still there taking up space, only you can't see them.
hipkid33 is also right, you need to format the CD if you want to drag and drop or delete files off the CD via My Computer or whatever. With Nero I think there is a program called InCD that does this. If you do not format it then you need to burn to it as you would burn a CDR using Nero.
There is really no advantage of RWs over CDRs. RWs are essentially erasable CDRs, nothing more--unless you have the software to format them so they are drag & drop capable.
So...now that I HAVE burned these RW's without formatting them, it's too late? I can't format them like a floppy once stuff is on it?? When I right-click on the RW in My Computer, "format" is not an option. I'll see if I can do it with Nero's InCD...
I really appreciate the help, everyone...this has gone a long way towards solving the myriad minute mysteries making my mind most maddeningly murky. What a terrible sentence. Alliteration can only be taken so far.
Sorry, I'm sleep-deprived. But I will be trying out the tips offered above! Thanks!
grooveless touque Wrote:So...now that I HAVE burned these RW's without formatting them, it's too late? I can't format them like a floppy once stuff is on it?? When I right-click on the RW in My Computer, "format" is not an option. I'll see if I can do it with Nero's InCD...
InCD should work, just remember that in order to format, you will lose what is on there. Make sure to copy it to your HD first before formatting. I believe that there are two levels of formatting as well. One type (the longer one) is done to an RW that has never been formatted, could take up to 45 mins. The shorter one is designed to pretty much wipe the CD clean. Good Luck!