I have both EMC8 & 9. After some interesting discussion under EMC9 I was definitely advised that D2D is not a dependable tool . This is not a problem with CDR because you can always use creator classic which works well . My problem is that I need to format CDRW. I cannot see any alternative but the menu in D2D. Is there one?

D2D, like all packet writers, is the only burning program that requires you to format. Classic has no such requirement.

As far as Classic is concerned, it is a Data project and it could care less if the media is R or RW. Both are treated the same!

However, RW is not long term stable and should really only be used to test with. There is no solid definition for "long term" but trust us when we say it is not a stable media…

For backups, always use R media.

Thank you for that. Funnily enough I had just been reading an article on the differences between R and RW and the problems but forgive me if IU ask for clarification. Are you saying that Classic deals with R and RW in such a way that I can read them on non-EMC drives and they maintain R and RW characteristics?

No that is not completly correct.

Classic treats them the same way, a Data Disc. They are read only as is all optical media when burned as a Data Disc.

With Classic you can set the disc for Session Writing by clearing the Read Only checkmark.

This is a little misleading because the disc will be Read Only for all applications except Classic. Classic will be able to import the previous sessions and add to it. Again the type of media is irrelevant!

Sessions are very stable but you cannot get something for nothing! Session have overhead needing about 10mb every time you write one. You can never recover space on a disc with Sessions. You can "delete" files when writing a new session, but the space the "deleted" files occupy is never cleared and cannot be used.

Now in this case an RW disc can be erased and reused… But in doing so you are wearing your RW's out. (RW's I use, I keep track of the number of writes/erases. Mine average about 50 uses – some over 100 others failed at 3)

The main thing is you are used to magnetic media and optical media is a completely different animal. The only thing the two have in common is that both are round.

There is a post pinned at the top of this Forum with more information.

For purposes of writing to, CD-R and CD-RW are quite the same. You can format either R or RW media.

For purposes of preserving the data, RW media is created by re-crystalizing an aluminum alloy which promptly starts to de-crystalilze, taking the data with it - usually months, but can be days, weeks, or years. R media is created by the laser "cooking" a dye, and is much more stable - not quite as stable as a commercially pressed CD, but close.

Or, to put it another way, I lost the 80% of the data on the formatted CD-RW that wasn't also on the Hard Drive. I was warned, but didn't believe it.

Lynn

I don't like the word "format"…

We have been talking about Classic and Sessions and there is no "format" needed or required.

"Format" is only used in packet writing (D2D) and that is something we are trying to avoid here.

If you are using Drag2Disc, it will format CD-R and CD-RW the same way. It's a CD as far as the program is concerned.

If you are using Classic Creator, it will burn it the same way. It's a CD as far as the program is concerned.

If you "delete" a disc using either, it merely removes the title from the TOC [Table of Contents] - you don't get any space back. The difference is you can erase the ENTIRE CD-RW and start over.

There is another difference - a CD-R is nearly as stable as a commercially pressed CD. A CD-RW will fade to blank over time as the re-crystalized aluminum alloy de-crystalizes, taking the data with it. Usually you have months, but it can be days, weeks, or years. It doesn't send an engraved notice ahead of time.

This is a link to the post pinned at the top -
http://forums.support.roxio.com/index.php?showtopic=12383

Lynn

Actually D2D, all packet writers for that matter, format CD-R and CD-RW in completely different ways!!!

This is invisible to the user but the media is not the same and has to be formatted and written to differently by packet writers.

To me, that is a technicality.

The point is, a RW disc - or any optical media - is NOT a "great-big floppy-disc". Treating it as if it were, causes loss of data (permantly).

A lot of people believe otherwise, and a lot of authorities - including the "for Dummies" books I've read (not the newest) support that belief. There is the impression that, like a floppy-disc, formatting is the same from Program to Program, and Version to Version.

And unless people learn before they lose data that they are making a BIG mistake, they will learn the hard way. They may not even believe the warning until they learn - I didn't.

Lynn