Finalize an XP CD

[tom dillon]

How does one finalize or close an XP generated CD? Not an
audio CD but a data CD. I can't figure it out. There has
to be a way because a CD not "closed" or "finalize"
cannot be read by other CD players.

 

[Jace]

Some older cd-rom drives won't read multi-session cds. I would guess that
any cd-rom drive that is 16x or higher would have no problem reading an
unclosed cd burned with Windows XP.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

You are confusing XP's burning software with packet writing software. XP
uses the ISO9660/Joliet format whereas packet writing software uses the UDF
format. Think of XP's software as being similar to programs like Nero or
Easy CD Creator. These burn sessions that can immediately be read on any
computer. The disk is only "finalized" when it is full and no more data can
be written to it. Packet writing software like Direct CD, Drag n Drop or
InCD require that a disk is finalized to allow it to be read on a system
that does not have a UDF Reader installed.

Read Alex Nichol's primer on CD Burning in XP to get a better understanding
of how XP's software works http://www.aumha.org/a/xpcd.htm

 

[Larry]

That's not quite correct. When writing multiple sessions to the standard
format, the disk is a "multi-session" disk which some older OSes may not be
able to read, or they can only read the first session. "Finalizing" the
disk, makes the disk look like it has only a single session that is the
culmination of all the sessions. So Finalising a Joliet disk does actually
do something, though for most moden OSes and hardware what it does is not
really detectable by the user. (Plus it prevents further writing, which may
be very important to keep someone from changing the disks content before
passing it along to the boss

Larry

You are confusing XP's burning software with packet writing software. XP
uses the ISO9660/Joliet format whereas packet writing software uses the UDF
format. Think of XP's software as being similar to programs like Nero or
Easy CD Creator. These burn sessions that can immediately be read on any
computer. The disk is only "finalized" when it is full and no more data can
be written to it. Packet writing software like Direct CD, Drag n Drop or
InCD require that a disk is finalized to allow it to be read on a system
that does not have a UDF Reader installed.

Read Alex Nichol's primer on CD Burning in XP to get a better understanding
of how XP's software works http://www.aumha.org/a/xpcd.htm

--

Harry Ohrn - MS MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp

How does one finalize or close an XP generated CD? Not an
audio CD but a data CD. I can't figure it out. There has
to be a way because a CD not "closed" or "finalize"
cannot be read by other CD players.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

That's not quite correct. The problem you mention is not with "older OS" but
with older CD-Rom drives that do not have multi read capabilities. Generally
CD-Rom drives that are slower than 16X may have difficulty reading
multi-session CDs.

--

Harry Ohrn MS MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp

That's not quite correct. When writing multiple sessions to the standard
format, the disk is a "multi-session" disk which some older OSes may not be
able to read, or they can only read the first session. "Finalizing" the
disk, makes the disk look like it has only a single session that is the
culmination of all the sessions. So Finalising a Joliet disk does actually
do something, though for most moden OSes and hardware what it does is not
really detectable by the user. (Plus it prevents further writing, which may
be very important to keep someone from changing the disks content before
passing it along to the boss

Larry

You are confusing XP's burning software with packet writing software. XP
uses the ISO9660/Joliet format whereas packet writing software uses the UDF
format. Think of XP's software as being similar to programs like Nero or
Easy CD Creator. These burn sessions that can immediately be read on any
computer. The disk is only "finalized" when it is full and no more data can
be written to it. Packet writing software like Direct CD, Drag n Drop or
InCD require that a disk is finalized to allow it to be read on a system
that does not have a UDF Reader installed.

Read Alex Nichol's primer on CD Burning in XP to get a better understanding
of how XP's software works http://www.aumha.org/a/xpcd.htm

--

Harry Ohrn - MS MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp

How does one finalize or close an XP generated CD? Not an
audio CD but a data CD. I can't figure it out. There has
to be a way because a CD not "closed" or "finalize"
cannot be read by other CD players.

 

[Alex Nichol]

How does one finalize or close an XP generated CD? Not an
audio CD but a data CD. I can't figure it out.

You don't.

There has
to be a way because a CD not "closed" or "finalize"
cannot be read by other CD players.

That is incorrect. 'Finalising' applies to 'packet written,' UDF CDs
and the inbuilt burning does not work that way. It writes ISO sessions
and closes each when it finishes and ejects the disk: leaving the CD
'open' so that more sessions could be added. Such an open disk can be
read on any machine's CD Rom (except *perhaps* a museum piece from the
1980s). You only ever close the disk if you want it to be impossible to
add a further session - and the inbuilt burning does not provide for
this

 

[Alex Nichol]

That's not quite correct. The problem you mention is not with "older OS"but
with older CD-Rom drives that do not have multi read capabilities. Generally
CD-Rom drives that are slower than 16X may have difficulty reading
multi-session CDs.

There are two levels there - 'Multiread' is the ability to read CR-RW
media as well as CD-R. That came in about the 16x time, when burners
became common. But ability to read multisession (can't remember the
official name) came in much earlier - I had a 2x around 1990 that would
do it, and in moving on since have never had one that didn't.

Nowadays there is the ability of DVD drives to read CD burned media.
DVD uses a different wavelength and some domestic players cannot see any
contrast from the typical CD-R dye. But *will* read if it was on CD-RW,
where the reflectivity is much less dependent on wavelength

 

[dev]

You are confusing XP's burning software with packet writing software. XP
uses the ISO9660/Joliet format whereas packet writing software uses the UDF
format. Think of XP's software as being similar to programs like Nero or
Easy CD Creator. These burn sessions that can immediately be read on any
computer. The disk is only "finalized" when it is full and no more data can
be written to it. Packet writing software like Direct CD, Drag n Drop or
InCD require that a disk is finalized to allow it to be read on a system
that does not have a UDF Reader installed.

Read Alex Nichol's primer on CD Burning in XP to get a better understanding
of how XP's software works http://www.aumha.org/a/xpcd.htm

It might be worth mentioned also that in XP, an AUDIO CD is written in one
session, then closed. This as opposed to a data CD, which can be appended.