Multi-session CD

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tim
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Tim

I just discovered that my Nero CD burning software creates
multi-session CD's. When I try to read the CD using
Windows Explorer, I can only see the last session burned
to the disk. The Nero help says this is a problem with
Win 95 and Win ME. Is there a setting in Win 2000 that
will allow me to access the multiple sessions.

Thanks,
Tim
 
I just discovered that my Nero CD burning software creates
multi-session CD's.
Click to expand...

Nearly all burning programs do. My experiences tell me that being able to
read multi-session (burn stuff on day 1, then some more stuff later) CDs is
a function of the firmware in the CD player. Just around the time of 8X
players did firmware acquire the ability to read multi-session disks.

I doubt that Nero makes multi-session CDs that does not conform to any but
its own protocols. I can see all sessions on CDs I burn from DOS, so it's
not an issue with any settings in Windows.
When I try to read the CD using Windows Explorer, I
can only see the last session burned to the disk.
Click to expand...

But if you truly cannot see any contents but for the last session burned,
even from the drive that did the burning, then something very strange is
going on.
 
"Tim" said in news:[email protected]:
I just discovered that my Nero CD burning software creates
multi-session CD's. When I try to read the CD using
Windows Explorer, I can only see the last session burned
to the disk. The Nero help says this is a problem with
Win 95 and Win ME. Is there a setting in Win 2000 that
will allow me to access the multiple sessions.

Thanks,
Tim
Click to expand...

I insert a CD on which I've created multiple sessions. The CD has not been
closed yet. I run Nero Burning ROM Software 5.5.10.54 and run through its
wizard. I select to create a new data CD but then select to *continue*
(i.e., add another session). It then pops up a "Select Track" window from
which I can choose from which session to continue. I pick the last track
(or session) because I still want to keep all the files that were added in
that last session plus all deletes (i.e., the delete-marked files that I
wanted to remove access to). If there were 4 tracks (sessions) before then
I pick the 4th one and continue from there. My next session to add files
(or delete-mark those already on the CD) and becomes the 5th track
(session).

Using the CD-R above as an example, I have not started or continued a new
5th session from anything other than the last session. I suppose out of 4
session that I could select to start from the 2nd session. However, I
suspect that means the 3rd and 4rd sessions get obviated (so only the files
are kept from the sessions 1 and 2), so I'd end up with only the files from
sessions 1, 2, and 5.

If you want to see the session(s) on the CD media then use the Recorder ->
Medium-Info menu. Obviously you must already have the prewritten CD open in
Nero in order to look at the medium's information. Unfortunately, File ->
Open only reads compilation files (where you save an image of a CD into a
file on the hard drive). I have to use File -> New and walk through a
stupid wizard to get the CD opened in Nero.

The above only applies for Nero Burning ROM software; i.e., the full
version. For the Nero Express version, you select Data -> Data Disc and it
automatically opens the prewritten CD. You can then click the More button
to expand the lower part of the window and click on Disc Info to see the
session(s) that have been recorded.

Unlike what Bob I claims, you shouldn't need 3rd party software to read
multisession CDs produced using Nero. Nero uses the ISO 9660 standard,
Joliet 1 extension, to write multiple sessions. Read
http://snipurl.com/4cas. ISO 9660 is a 15-year old standard. Joliet is 5
or 8 years old; the spec came out in 1995 but patches might not have been
available for a year or so. Read http://snipurl.com/4cau and see the linked
topic "Extensions to Joliet".

Got any computers running Windows, Mac, or Linux that are older than 5 to 8
years? If so then you might have a problem, but then you'll have problems
just using the CD drive, too, irrespective of whether there is one or more
sessions on the CD.

Joliet Specification for CD-ROM
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=125630

Extensions to Joliet (Windows 98/Me: Windows DDK)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/w98ddk/hh/w98ddk/storage_5oc2.asp

Obviously the CD drive you buy has to support Joliet and multisession,
CD-XA, CD-Text, or any other support you're looking for.
 
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