Formatting a CD-R disk

[Phil James]

How do I do this? When I right-click on the device's icon in the system
tray, one option is "format." When I click on that I get a message saying
that the formatting tool doesn't work with CD-R's.

So how do I do those?

I've got a Toshiba Satellite A105-S4344 running W XP.

Phil

 

[Shenan Stanley]

How do I do this? When I right-click on the device's icon in the
system tray, one option is "format." When I click on that I get a
message saying that the formatting tool doesn't work with CD-R's.

So how do I do those?

I've got a Toshiba Satellite A105-S4344 running W XP.

CD-Rs - other than multi-sessions (where you can continue building upon your
last session - but you can still only write until you close the CD...) - are
write once media...

CD-RW are 're-writable' CDs - or those you can erase and write all new stuff
to.

 

[Phil James]

Yes, of course, I know that. But how do I get the CD-R so I can copy files
to it? On my old computer I had to format it, but the format tool I
described doesn't work with CD-R.

Phil

 

[Shenan Stanley]

How do I do this? When I right-click on the device's icon in the
system tray, one option is "format." When I click on that I get a
message saying that the formatting tool doesn't work with CD-R's.

So how do I do those?

I've got a Toshiba Satellite A105-S4344 running W XP.

CD-Rs - other than multi-sessions (where you can continue building upon
your last session - but you can still only write until you close the
CD...) - are write once media...

CD-RW are 're-writable' CDs - or those you can erase and write all new
stuff to.

Yes, of course, I know that. But how do I get the CD-R so I can
copy files to it? On my old computer I had to format it, but the
format tool I described doesn't work with CD-R.

You do not format CD-R media.
There is no formatting of this media (CD-R) - you write to it or read from
it - but there is *no* formatting it.

It is ready 'out of the box' to be written to as long as you have the right
hardware and software to do so.

Once it has been written to (or you have a bad CD-R, or you have a bad
drive, or you do not have a drive capable of doing so, etc..) - it is used
and cannot be formatted for re-use either.

You are recalling something incorrectly or you have CD-RW media and just
keep calling it CD-R. ;-)

 

[km]

How do I do this? When I right-click on the device's icon in the system
tray, one option is "format." When I click on that I get a message saying
that the formatting tool doesn't work with CD-R's.

So how do I do those?

I've got a Toshiba Satellite A105-S4344 running W XP.

Phil

Are you sure that you aren't confusing the actions taken to format
discs for "packet writing". This allows a disk to be used as if it
were a floppy disk, ie files could be simply dragged on to the disc
rather than using the software programme to do it. This has various
labels such as InCD. To do this it is necessary to format the CD but
you lose about 125mb of space. To some extent this was of value when
discs were expensive, which of course is no longer the case.

The formatting of CD-R discs can of course mean they will be used to
do this but only until they are filled. Unlike CD-RW you cannot wipe
the disc and start again.

km

 

[km]

Are you sure that you aren't confusing the actions taken to format
discs for "packet writing". This allows a disk to be used as if it
were a floppy disk, ie files could be simply dragged on to the disc
rather than using the software programme to do it. This has various
labels such as InCD. To do this it is necessary to format the CD but
you lose about 125mb of space. To some extent this was of value when
discs were expensive, which of course is no longer the case.

The formatting of CD-R discs can of course mean they will be used to
do this but only until they are filled. Unlike CD-RW you cannot wipe
the disc and start again.

km

Just to clarify....if you want to have the packet writing facility you
should select it as an option when installing the software. For Nero
it would be InCD. Remember that if you do decide to do this then at
startup of the computer it will be an additional action to run InCD.
You may find that the delay and outdated reasons for doing this will
be a burden. The "floppy drive" convenience of installing packet
writing has largely been superseded by the arrival of USB thumb
drives.

km

 

[Phil James]

I have an HP CD burner that I use with my old computer. When I put a CD-R
in, it tells me that I have to format it. I cannot write to it in its "raw"
form. After I have formatted it, I can write to it. Then it gives me a
choice: leave it "open" to add stuff to, or "close" it so I can read it in
any CD drive.

That's what I know.

The Toshiba doesn't work that way, so I'm trying to find out how to use the
Toshiba.

Phil

 

[Phil James]

Well, I finally did what I should have done in the first place: I called
Toshiba. I have to right-click on the file or folder, select "send to,"
then "record," then "burn." Worked fine. But I only used half of the
CD-ROM and I don't know if I can add to it or not.

Phil

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Well, I finally did what I should have done in the first place: I
called Toshiba. I have to right-click on the file or folder,
select "send to," then "record," then "burn." Worked fine. But I
only used half of the CD-ROM and I don't know if I can add to it or
not.

So - like we said - you do not 'format' CD-R media.
You can write to it until it is full if the session is not closed.
As you MAY be using Windows XP's built in burning...

Start button --> Help and Support --> search for "write CD" and read through
the results.

 

[norm]

You can format a CD-R I think. Certainly did when I tried PacketCD
which came with my Plextor RDRW. The files are still on it.
Yes I know I should have used a CD-RW disc for packet writing but was
experimenting at the time.

 

[norm]

You can format a CD-R I think. Certainly did when I tried PacketCD
which came with my Plextor RDRW. The files are still on it.
Yes I know I should have used a CD-RW disc for packet writing but was
experimenting at the time.

oops CDRW drive!