# PC question - please help, it's driving me mad...



## raven (May 7, 2002)

I'm trying to back some files up onto a CD, and everytime I select "Write these files to CD", the wizard starts and it says there is no disc in the drive, when there blatently is one there.

I've tried a new one, an already used one etc. I'm using a CD-RW but also get the same message with a recordable once CD.

Any help much appreciated.


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## Nik-S3 (Nov 6, 2002)

I take it you're using the XP built in CD writing capabilities?

Dont suppose you have any 3rd party software that came with the drive?

might be worth checking here too;

http://support.microsoft.com/default.as ... -us;324129


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## raven (May 7, 2002)

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, it doesn't help as all the correct tabs seem to be ticked etc.

I must be doing something wrong - maybe I'll try again tomorrow...


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## droopsnoot (Sep 5, 2002)

Mine does that, too. Sadly I can offer no more than sympathy, but I will be watching in case you find a way around it.

On the incompatible software front, I installed Adaptec Easy CD Creator 4 (before I knew it wouldn't run on XP Pro). Now every time I boot, XP reports that it has disabled a device driver that might cause problems. If I look at the file, it doesn't appear on a colleagues machine (which also has a CD-RW drive) so I tried erasing it. Bad move - from that point, no CD drives (even the Cd-ROM) were listed in 'My Computer'.

Strange thing is, Nero 5.5 works just fine with both drives (the old and the new) even though XP claims to have disabled the device in case of problems. Seems it could do with a flag (in the registry perhaps) to just mind its own business and stop complaining.


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

You are all probably trying to write to a finalised disk. Get Roxio EZCD Creator Version 6 approx Â£40 dead easy to use and has a host of functions - and works with XP fine.
RE not reading disks - if u are trying to do a write to a cd-rw NOT CD-r then you might have forgotten to remount the disk. If you are trying to write more info to a CD-r NOT Cd-rw then you may have forgotton to import the last session and also trying to overwrite files whith the same names.


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## raven (May 7, 2002)

sa|nTT - what do you mean "remount the disk"? I was wondering about this - is it like formatting? :-/


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

No - it loads the table of contents (index) of files from previous sessions.


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## raven (May 7, 2002)

> No - it loads the table of contents (index) of files from previous sessions.


OK - how do I do it? I'm trying to save to a CD-RW drive that hasn't been recorded on before - ie it's brand new.

Thanks in advance! ;D


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

Ah - ok - first things first - Using a CD-RW to drag and drop files onto a CD-RW disk - that cd-rw disk has to be formatted first. You can't format a cd-r disk has to be cd-rw for drag and drop.
To do this using XP format u need to insert blank cd-rw , go to My Computer, Double Click on the drive with blank cd-rw, go to left hand menu and look for cd writing tasks - from there u should see a list of options to format the disk. After that each time u insert the disk ggo to My Comp - CD-Drive and the wrting tasks.
You can of course buy a secondary bit of software like EZCD which makes life easier.


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

Theos -

XP fix for EZCD - EZCD will work with Windows XP however you can not use Direct CD or the Backup software - you will also have to download an bit of software from this link - http://www.adaptec.com/worldwide/suppor ... _471a2.exe - extract files to folder and use aspinst to load driver - reboot machine. You might have to uninstall and reinstall EZCD to make it fully workable (Don't install Driect CD!!!). Also make sure you download an install latest patches for EZCD from www.roxio.com

SAme applies to EZCD5


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## raven (May 7, 2002)

> Ah - ok - first things first - Using a CD-RW to drag and drop files onto a CD-RW disk Â - that cd-rw disk has to be formatted first. Â You can't format a cd-r disk has to be cd-rw for drag and drop.
> To do this using XP format u need to insert blank cd-rw , go to My Computer, Double Click on the drive with blank cd-rw, go to left hand menu and look for cd writing tasks - from there u should see a list of options to format the disk. After that each time u insert the disk ggo to My Comp - CD-Drive and the wrting tasks.
> You can of course buy a secondary bit of software like EZCD which makes life easier.


OK - I thought it might need formating. However, there is nothing on the left hand menu giving me the option to format it... :-/  :-/


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

Ok - another way to do files is to select the files you want to have archived - right click on them and go to Send To - if a cd-rw is already in the cd-rw drive there will be an entry for cd drive h - for example. Select the cd drive and the files will then copy over.
If that still fails then you may be finalised your disk thus rendering it unbable to have any more info written to it - or you have initially used that disk like a standard cd-r thus once more making it incompatable.

Also try updating you copy of XP - if you do not have SP1 installed download that from the windows update site and install.


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## Guest (Mar 17, 2003)

great advise there sa|nTT ... [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

you certainly know your computers...


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

Yeah - maybe but I really should learn to type better - or throw this mini Cherry keyboard away and get a decent sized one.


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

Raven - if that worked so far for you - to write the files to disk you must go back to My Computer and the cd drive - there in the left hand menu you will again see write files to disk - do this to make the archiving complete.


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## raven (May 7, 2002)

sa|nTT - thanks for your help, but I'm afraid I'm not better off. When I "Send to" it just leaves me with the problem of not being able to "write files to the disc".

It's worked fine in the past with pictures etc. So, maybe you've got some other ideas? :-/

By the way, I'm still grateful to sa|nTT for stopping my PC from crashing. Totally inspired advice! ;D


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## Guest (Mar 17, 2003)

right then mr RW guru...

on the cd-rw front... i've running the Nero software (v5.5) which came with the LG cd-rw that i've got...

however it only copies files from one location onto my CD.. so I have to move all the pictures onto 1 file to cpoy 'em all at one....... but can't copy the entire folder (although so far I've only being copying pictures), so I lose the folder index.... so end up with 250+ pictures in no read order

Now at work I've got Easy CD 5 where I can burn across entire folders onto a CD ... but I've only being copying files not pictures...

so should I get Easy CD v6 so I can now burn a CD of pictures in the same folder structure that I have as on my PC....... or have I not figures out the Nero software..... or do LG give a reduced version of the Nero software.... ??? ??? ???


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

Raven - what files are you trying to write? Might be that they are currently being used by another program and not therfore valid to copy.


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

Sundeep - can I confirm that you are using Direct CD method and not just wanting to backup some files to a cd-r?


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## Guest (Mar 18, 2003)

> Sundeep - can I confirm that you are using Direct CD method and not just wanting to backup some files to a cd-r?


I always use the Nero software, didn't even know XP could do it itself ! (which is what you mean to be the the direct CD method ?)

I have JPEG files I'm trying to burn to a CD-R using NERO, but just can't drap and drop a copy of the folders onto the CD from Nero, (as I've done on Roxio 5) but have to put all the files into 1 folder so Nero can read it.....(if that makes sense??) to burn 'em onto the CD-R.. yet to try it on CD-RW

but seriously thinking of getting Roxio Easy CD v6....


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

You should be able to under nero create a folder structure like you would have for EZCD - its then just a case of selecting the files you want for each folder.
RE EZCD - why did u go from EZCD 5? With any new CD-RW drive its invariably a cut down version of Nero you get - but I assume you had full version of EZ. 
Direct CD is the ability to use a cd-rw disk just like a floppy disk - you are able to move files to the disk, rename them delete them etc - almost like a small virtual hard drive. Only problem is that when u remove the disk to keep the files they have to be burnt to disk and that the disk is only reable on other PCs that have the same version of Direct CD program installed - otherwise the cd is unreadable (Which might just be ravens prob).
EZCD is a good proggie - loads of features - and worth the upgrade from 5


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