I have a considerable library of DLA formatted disks (I guess). If I remember correctly, DLA was "removed" when I installed EMC8. At any rate drag and drop on a WINDOWS folder basis quit working.

If I used EMC8 dragndrop, the disk was unsuable due to several differing error messages. Which led me to the advice of copying them over to a dragndrop format.

To try to get back to what was working before the EMC8 install, I unstalled, EMC8, Nero Express, found Record Now and de-installed it too. With all of those uninstalled, post manual regediting of the CD filter keys (roxio tool did not work) DLA will install AND work too. I like it when things work the way they used to.

I would like to have my cake and eat it too. I have been very confused by so much conflict. So QUESTIONS:

1. Is there any way that EMC8 could/should support the dropping of files to a DLA "formatted" UDF DVD-RW? (yes I purchased EMC8 a few days before v9 came out and got behind the version game again).

2. Secondly, pro/cons on Drag-n-drop to DLA? Anyone have a "white paper" or could give me the scoop?

3. Is there an industry standard involved or is DVD-RW formats up for grabs (HP DLA-Sonic, Dragndrop-Roxio)?

4. Being so confused and dismayed, am I just missing something here?

Thanks for any advice/thouhts...
Dana

First off any drag and drop is packet writing,except for what is built into Windows (it's not the same).Packet writing software is inherently a bad idea.Different programs use their own proprietary ways to write and therefore are not interchangable.Using drag and drop,no matter which program requires you to format the disc,which makes it useless for anything else.As another guru Lynn will tell you,any drag and drop format is not really a good option for long term storage.So,

1)No,V8's Drag to Disc is not compatible with any other packet writing software.
2)There aren't any Pros I can think of and lots of Cons
3)Using a R/W disc doesn't mean you have to use packet writing (Drag to Disc,DLA,InCD).All it means is that the contents can be erased (totally,not items at a time)
4)You're not missing anything,it's just not a good idea to use.If you need to write data,stop,remove the disc and then write more data to it use a sessions based recording.This is what Windows uses even though it's sometimes called drag and drop.V8 will also create appendable (sessions) discs.

Lastly,NEVER,EVER put more than 1 packet writing app on your machine.This will cause nothing but trouble and most likely make them inoperable.If you have V8 off your machine and DLA installed again the best thing to do would be to use the discs you have and copy the files to your hard drive then write as many as you can to a DVD + or - R.Then remove DLA from your machine,reinstall V8,go to Add/Remove and remove Drag to Disc and start using Creator Classic to start making appendable discs in the future.

110% of what Terry said!

Note: DLA only works when it disables XP Burning. When removed, XP Burning can be enabled which allows you to "drag&drop" in Explorer but produce a Data CD using Sessions.

The appeal of packet writing is that it makes optical media seem to behave just like magnetic media. The reality is that the only similarity between the two forms of media is that both are round! Optical media is more similar to Records, physically and cassette tape, functionally.

I figured I'd chime in since Lynn hadn't replied.She's always got the best takes on packet writing...lol.

Thanks, I really like using the RW's like a 4.7gb floppy. I agree that having multiple gizmo's (Record now, HP (sonic) DLA, Roxio, Nero) is a train wreck waiting to happen.

Do the RAM disks support the "hard disk" like function or is that still a packet writer "thing"?

I don't think any of us 'regulars' have ever seen one. They were one of the first DVD formats in computing but never really caught on… For some reason Gateway seems to be trying to revive them lately??? Must have gotten an executive order to clean out the barn.

I think that DVD-RAM is much more stable and does lend itself better to mimic magnetic media. But keep in mind that it is the 8 Track of optical media.

If you want to KEEP the data, NEVER format the disc.

Despite common misconception, a RW disc is NOT "like a floppy". If you erase something from a RW disc, you do NOT get the space back, anymore than with an R disc. You simply delete it fromt he TOC [Table of Contents].

There are three kinds of media

• commercially pressed discs, which have the pits and lands physically pressed into the metal
• R media, which have the pits and lands created by "cooking" a dye with the laser
• RW media, which have the pits and lands created by melting and recrystalizng an aluminum alloy with the laser (at a lower temperature) - the aluminum alloy promptly starts to de-crystalize, taking the data with it

Experience suggests that if you format RW media for Packet-Writing, it will fade out faster than with just plain RW media. The data usually disappears over months, but may be days or weeks or years.

Microsoft's built-in WinXP burning is actually the much safer Sessions format, like Classic Creataor - as my software guru observed, Microsoft didn't want to deal with the inevitible complaints that come with Packet-Writing.

I'd suggest burning anything you want to KEEP on your formatted discs to R media. Then you can erase the RW media and use it for testing

And for short-term storage, might I suggest a Flash drive (aka Jump / Pen / Keychain / Thumb drive)?

You might find these of interest:
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=61943
Byers Guide

Lynn