I have a Sony Vaio with a DVD/CD-RW. My question is, can I repeatedly write to a CD-R disc, or can I only write to the disc once. I don't meant over-write previous data, I mean I want to use the same CD-R disc to back up my Quicken on a regular basis. Can I do this (I tried it once, didn't sem to work??), or do I have to use a CD-RW disc?

 

Gotta use an RW.
RW stands for re-write, just like a floppy disc.

The Rs are only for writting to once.

 

It'll be up to your burn software... I dunno if XP's built-in burner gives you the option, but what you're looking for is the option to create a "multi-session" disc.

This is where you start with a blank disc (CD-R), burn files, "close the session", then "create a new session and leave it open".

When you go to read from the disc, you'll see what you just wrote. When you burn to it the next time, you will burn to the "new session that was left open". The new data doesn't "overwrite" the old data, it just gets burned to a new part of the disc and it appears like the new stuff is the only stuff on it.

So:

• Start with a blank CD-R
• Burn "File A", with "create new session" and "leave session open" options
• Use disc to get access to File A
• Sometime later, burn "File B". (again, with "create new session" and "leave session open" options)
• Disc now looks like it only has File B on it, but File A is actually still there taking up space
• Repeat until disc is full

 

You can do as Mark mentioned, but using an RW is a lot easier.

I use to use an RW (CDs & DVDs) all the time to back up my Outlook and other stuff until I got an external hard drive with automatic backup software.

 

Yeah, I think therein lays my confusion, the XP seems to only let me write once, a la Corey's answer, yet I recall using Roxio or someother aftermarket burning softare with all the "close session", etc. prompts that would allow for a multi-session burn. I'll have to see if that software is a freeware product. Thanks for the quick response guys!!

Edit: "I'll have to see if that software is a freeware product." YEAH RIGHT! What was I thinking?? Looks like easiest (cheapest) solution is to buy a CD-RW.

 

i find it depends on what you are saving too it...and alot of times it depends on the software...like if you use windows explorer and never close the disk you can keep adding stuff too it...

 

Sure, but he asked if you could use a CD-R, and you can...


I just tried this here, and XP seems to be fairly smart about the whole process.

• I dropped a blank CD-R into the drive, got the "waddayawannado" pop-up and told it "take no action"
• I opened up an instance of Explorer (click on "My Computer") and navigated to a random directory
• I opened up another instance of Explorer (another click on "My Computer")
• I dragged a file from the "random directory" onto the drive letter for the CD-RW drive. Call it "File A".
• That produced the ballon in the lower right saying "yo, you got files ready to be copied".
• I right-clicked on the CD-RW drive in Explorer, and picked "write these files".
• It did... when it finished, the CD popped out (that's a changeable behavior).
• I put the CD back in and I could read the file I just wrote
• From the "random directory" explorer instance, I dragged a different file to the CD-RW drive letter. Call it File B.
• That gave me a window showing "these files are waiting" and "these files are already there"
• Right click on the CD-RW drive, "write these files", and it did
• CD ejected, I put it back in, and...
• _BOTH_ files are on the CD-R
• I dragged File A to the CD-RW drive _again_ and got a popup of "Do you want to overwrite...". I said "sure!".
• Right click, "write these files", and... both files are still on the CD-R.

The downside of this is that each time that it looks like you're copying a new instance of the same file to a CD-R, you're actually creating a new session on the disc (without deleting the old one) which is burning disc space. CD-RW media is different in that it will let you overwrite the same session a few hundred times.

The toss-up is the cost of the discs if you're handing them out. CD-Rs are less expensive than CD-RWs so it makes sense for when you're making copies of your latest recording session to hand to your bandmates. CD-RW makes sense when you're backing up repetitive data, like your Quicken data files.


A side note...

In the early days of CD-RW drives, I've had issues with CD-RW media. I only use CD-R media these days, so I can only figure that the drives and the media have gotten better. None-the-less, it probably wouldn't hurt to keep a stack of CD-Rs around and run a CD-R backup once a week along side of your daily CD-RW based images.

 

ooo... double side note.

You know what's even easier? A USB 2.0 flash drive. They're really cheap, faster than burning a CD, generally indestructable in your pocket, and take up very little space.

Just an example, there are many vendors with a LOT of different prices:
http://www.supermediastore.com/usb-f...rive&WT.srch=1

 

I second that! I got my 512mb Titanium SanDisk thumbdrive from www.newegg.com for $55. Everywhere else was selling them for over $100. It's so useful now, I couldn't do without it. I also bought my fiance a 128mb drive for $20. It's so easy and quick to use, there's no reason not to do it.

However, it has been said that the media is not the most reliable out there. I'm not saying that you're gonna lose your stuff all the time. I've never lost anything, and I trust mine to hold quite a bit of important information. That being said, it's not a bad idea to have a backup of your backup somewhere if you do decide to get one.

 

keep in mind that if you use a CD-RW disk, other computers may not be able to read it. CD-R disks are almost always guaranteed to be readable in other computers if you don't use multisession.

p.s. multisession is a way to continuously write to CD-R disks instead of having to use CD-RWs .. basically you don't overwrite data, you just keep adding to the CD until it is full.

 

I guess you learn something new everyday
I have heard of finalizing a disc before, but did not pay attention to it.

I am in the midst as I type getting ready to burn a few DVDs of the last two episodes of Star Trek Enterprise for Humanoid, and the software I am using warned me that my settings were set to not finalize the disc, and it may not be compatible in all drives.

So I went to the ops and sure enough I found the setting.
I had to change it to the lower one so it will close the disc so no more data can be added.