Burning files with Windows Vista... to ashes

[Benjamin Mussler]

I had two files with the same filename in two different directories,
e.g.

C:\Dir1\Test.png
C:\Dir2\Test.png

I opened the first directory, selected Test.png and pressed the "Burn"
button in the Explorer toolbar. The file was added to the list of
"temporary files", ready to be transferred to the CD.

Now I opened the second directory and did the same. As you might expect,
Vista asked me if I wanted to overwrite the existing file in
"C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Burn\Burn" with the other
one ("C:\Dir2\Test.png").

My answer was "Copy and overwrite", and Vista was now ready to burn the
second file to the CD. But it had also destroyed the first file for no
reason, and not only the temporary file but the original file as well.
"C:\Dir1\Test.png" now had a length of 0 (zero) bytes.


I made a couple of screenshots to illustrate the problem:

Overview:
<http://t.fl7.de/vista/burning/en1.jpg> (190 KB)

First file is ready:
<http://t.fl7.de/vista/burning/en2.jpg> (200 KB)

Second file, Vista asking for confirmation:
<http://t.fl7.de/vista/burning/en3.jpg> (230 KB)

Second file is ready...:
<http://t.fl7.de/vista/burning/en4.jpg> (200 KB)

....and the first file is gone:
<http://t.fl7.de/vista/burning/en5.jpg> (190 KB)


This is not just a theoretical problem. It also happens when I actually
burn the first file to a CD, then forget to delete the temporary files
and try to burn the second file to the same or a new CD. The first time
I noticed it I had to restore data from a backup.

Is this a known problem?

Does Microsoft offer any kind of solution to it?

Is there a way to automatically delete temporary files after Vista
finished burning them to a CD?

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:30:58 +0200, Benjamin Mussler

I had two files with the same filename in two different directories,

I opened the first directory, selected Test.png and pressed the "Burn"
button in the Explorer toolbar. The file was added to the list of
"temporary files", ready to be transferred to the CD.

Now I opened the second directory and did the same. As you might expect,
Vista asked me if I wanted to overwrite the existing file in
"C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Burn\Burn" with the other
one ("C:\Dir2\Test.png").

OK so far. Vista's path of files through the burn process is stranger
than it should be; there's a "temp for burning" location that you can
set, and yet files do not appear there as you'd expect, when you'd
expect them to. This problem may be a part of that.

My answer was "Copy and overwrite", and Vista was now ready to burn the
second file to the CD. But it had also destroyed the first file for no
reason, and not only the temporary file but the original file as well.
"C:\Dir1\Test.png" now had a length of 0 (zero) bytes.

That's a significant bug - repro, anyone? Whenever the OS
irreversibly loses arbitrary files, it's a butt-kickin' bug.

Overview:
<http://t.fl7.de/vista/burning/en1.jpg> (190 KB)

Dir1 has a picture of a toucan (a back head of a bird with big yellow
bill), Dir2 has a picture of an eagle's head.

First file is ready:
<http://t.fl7.de/vista/burning/en2.jpg> (200 KB)

That's the toucan, as expected...

Second file, Vista asking for confirmation:
<http://t.fl7.de/vista/burning/en3.jpg> (230 KB)

Note the "destination" path...

Second file is ready...:
<http://t.fl7.de/vista/burning/en4.jpg> (200 KB)

That's the eagle, as expected...

...and the first file is gone:
<http://t.fl7.de/vista/burning/en5.jpg> (190 KB)

Where did that "flower" content come from? Ah; it's prolly a generic
"this is a picture" icon rather than actual content, which is another
(UI) bug. The file is zero bytes, so something in the UI is lying;
either there's the "flower" as content and size > 0 bytes, or the size
is 0 bytes and the "flower" is not content at all.

This is not just a theoretical problem. It also happens when I actually
burn the first file to a CD, then forget to delete the temporary files
and try to burn the second file to the same or a new CD. The first time
I noticed it I had to restore data from a backup.

Is this a known problem?

Not to me, and it should be bugged to MS. Your post would do, as-is
(it's nice, clear and generalized, and should give just enough info
for repro). I'll wave it in an elist, and see if we can get this

Is there a way to automatically delete temporary files after Vista
finished burning them to a CD?

I wish one could simply kill Vista's burning altogether, as I've had
very poor results with it, but the Nero Express 6 that is STILL being
bundled with "new" DVD writers (even S-ATA ones) will not install on
Vista, as Vista flags it as known-incompatible.