[stanleyC]

I know that I am still in the dark ages but I used Creator 5 with Windows 98 for a long time and was very satisfied. I used it for data backups on a CD. I could transfer the data very easily as though it was a alternative drive. Now with Windows XP I just cannot get it to work. I do not like the XP copy system which keeps asking my to make a list before burning. Is there anyway I can use the Easy Creator in XP as I did in Windows 98

[golinux]

I'm pretty sure Version 5 won't work with XP. You'll need to upgrade. I have EMC 7.5 and it works just fine with XP. Though it's now an old program, you might still be able to find a copy on eBay. That's where I got mine last year.

[cdanteek]

ECDC 5 does work in XP. It gets to be some work getting it to run in XP SP2 but some folks get it to run fine. I'm sure Brendon has a working 5 Platinum on XP XP2. Maybe he will stop by and give some advice.

cd

[Brendon]

I could transfer the data very easily as though it was a alternative drive. Now with Windows XP I just cannot get it to work. I do not like the XP copy system which keeps asking my to make a list before burning. Is there anyway I can use the Easy Creator in XP as I did in Windows 98

Stanley,

It looks as if you were using the Direct CD component of version 5 to 'drag and drop' files onto a formatted disc. [Now I've mentioned 'drag and drop' someone will probably be along shortly to rant about how unwise that is, but I've found it quite reliable in the short to medium term - it's just not recommended for archival storage.]

I run all of version 5 except Direct CD in XP, since the Direct CD system is the one which has problems in XP. XP has its own built-in drivers and filters to read packet-written discs, and the two systems tend to conflict.

Because of this conflict you're unlikely to get Direct CD 5 working properly in XP, and I endorse Sisterscape's recommendation of EMC 7.5 for your situation.

Regards,
Brendon

[james_hardin]

Stanley,

It looks as if you were using the Direct CD component of version 5 to 'drag and drop' files onto a formatted disc. [Now I've mentioned 'drag and drop' someone will probably be along shortly to rant about how unwise that is, but I've found it quite reliable in the short to medium term - it's just not recommended for archival storage.]

I run all of version 5 except Direct CD in XP, since the Direct CD system is the one which has problems in XP. XP has its own built-in drivers and filters to read packet-written discs, and the two systems tend to conflict.

Because of this conflict you're unlikely to get Direct CD 5 working properly in XP, and I endorse Sisterscape's recommendation of EMC 7.5 for your situation.

Regards,
Brendon

OK, I will confess…

Work PC, XP SP2. I took my V5 CD to work and installed, only DCD and nothing else.

It works fine…

[lynn98109]

As mentioned - I don't recommend using DirectCD for data storage. While it may be ok to transfer files from one computer to another if there are no other alternatives, it tends to be fussy at best (wanting the same Operating System and program Version that wrote it in order to read it), and can fail for any reason or none at all.

I hope your old files turned out to be still readable (and since there is a powerful .udf reader built into WinXP, if it won't read the CDs that is not a good sign), and suggest if you can still read them, use a Sessions-Based program (Data Project, Classic Creator, or WinXP's built in burning program) to burn the data to CD-R (assuming that losing the data would be more costly than the 15 cents or so that a CD-R costs when bought by the spindle).

I lost enough data with DirectCD to never have used it subsequently.

If you want a "great-big floppy-disc", I'd suggest either a Flash drive (aka Pen / Keychain / Thum / Jump drive), or an external Hard Drive (they are getting huge and cheap).

Lynn

[cdanteek]

[Now I've mentioned 'drag and drop' someone will probably be along shortly to rant about how unwise that is,

That didn't take long...

cd

[stanleyC]

Stanley,

It looks as if you were using the Direct CD component of version 5 to 'drag and drop' files onto a formatted disc. [Now I've mentioned 'drag and drop' someone will probably be along shortly to rant about how unwise that is, but I've found it quite reliable in the short to medium term - it's just not recommended for archival storage.]

I run all of version 5 except Direct CD in XP, since the Direct CD system is the one which has problems in XP. XP has its own built-in drivers and filters to read packet-written discs, and the two systems tend to conflict.

Because of this conflict you're unlikely to get Direct CD 5 working properly in XP, and I endorse Sisterscape's recommendation of EMC 7.5 for your situation.

Regards,
Brendon

Brendon thanks for your reply. What you suggested is exactly what I was doing 'drag and drop' files onto a formatted disc It was fine for me and very convenient. How can I do the same thing on XPWill the EMC 7.5 do the same thing. Perhaps you can explain the difference between the 'drag and drop' files onto a formatted disc and burning is it the same thing
As you can see I am a bit confused so any help would be appreciated

[ogdens]

Brendon thanks for your reply. What you suggested is exactly what I was doing 'drag and drop' files onto a formatted disc It was fine for me and very convenient. How can I do the same thing on XPWill the EMC 7.5 do the same thing. Perhaps you can explain the difference between the 'drag and drop' files onto a formatted disc and burning is it the same thing
As you can see I am a bit confused so any help would be appreciated

The following was taken from a post earlier by fellow user d deweywright:

"Drag-To-Disc is the application that will allow you to do what you want. Insert your disc, if Drag-To-Disc offers to format it, let it do so, and then you can do what you want. If it doesn't automatically offer to format the disc, open D2D (Drag-To-Disc) and tell it to format it.

Here's why I (and others) will recommend that you don't do this: there's a fair chance that at some point you will lose your data, and if this is your only copy, you'll be rather bummed. If it's important data, you'll be very bummed. If it's important and you've spent a lot of time on it, you'll be very, very bummed. If it's business related, you could be up the proverbial estuary without means of locomotion. (Up the creek without a paddle.) Drag-to-disc uses a method called "packet writing" to write to the disc. It's a rather complicated process, and there are several opportunities for the process to fail, causing lost data. Writing sessions, using EMC's Creator Classic option is much more reliable, though, as you've apparently noticed, the files obtain a "Read Only" status. Also, you've proposed using CD-RW (erasable) media, which can become unreadable over time, all on it's own, so don't consider it "permanent", and make sure if you go this route that you also backup your data to your HD. (True with anything, always have a backup somewhere else.)

Now, if you're also backing your data up to HD so it's not your only copy, and just using the CD-RW disc to transport some files from here to there, then using D2D and a CD-RW disc is fine. Just don't rely on it for your only copy."

Window Xp has built in burning capabilities that operate very similiar to D2D, but using the safer "sessions based" writing.

EMC 7.5 will do everything and more that ECDC 5 did.

This post has been edited by ogdens: 25 July 2007 - 10:28 AM

[stanleyC]

Thanks for the information. When I burn onto a CD-R it is irreversable, does the same apply to D2D

Stan

The following was taken from a post earlier by fellow user d deweywright:

"Drag-To-Disc is the application that will allow you to do what you want. Insert your disc, if Drag-To-Disc offers to format it, let it do so, and then you can do what you want. If it doesn't automatically offer to format the disc, open D2D (Drag-To-Disc) and tell it to format it.

Here's why I (and others) will recommend that you don't do this: there's a fair chance that at some point you will lose your data, and if this is your only copy, you'll be rather bummed. If it's important data, you'll be very bummed. If it's important and you've spent a lot of time on it, you'll be very, very bummed. If it's business related, you could be up the proverbial estuary without means of locomotion. (Up the creek without a paddle.) Drag-to-disc uses a method called "packet writing" to write to the disc. It's a rather complicated process, and there are several opportunities for the process to fail, causing lost data. Writing sessions, using EMC's Creator Classic option is much more reliable, though, as you've apparently noticed, the files obtain a "Read Only" status. Also, you've proposed using CD-RW (erasable) media, which can become unreadable over time, all on it's own, so don't consider it "permanent", and make sure if you go this route that you also backup your data to your HD. (True with anything, always have a backup somewhere else.)

Now, if you're also backing your data up to HD so it's not your only copy, and just using the CD-RW disc to transport some files from here to there, then using D2D and a CD-RW disc is fine. Just don't rely on it for your only copy."

Window Xp has built in burning capabilities that operate very similiar to D2D, but using the safer "sessions based" writing.

EMC 7.5 will do everything and more that ECDC 5 did.

[lynn98109]

Thanks for the information. When I burn onto a CD-R it is irreversable, does the same apply to D2D

Stan

Because of the not-entirely-stable nature of Packet-Writing, it has the capacity to reverse itself, and you put the disc in the drive and get a message that the disc is blank. If you format CD-RW, it will tend to speed up the disappearance of the data.

But then, maybe your data isn't worth the 15 cents or so it costs per CD-R when buying by the spindle ...

Lynn

[ml]

Thanks for the information. When I burn onto a CD-R it is irreversable, does the same apply to D2D
Stan

It's not the program you use, it's the type of CD.

CD - R is a WRITABLE CD. You can write to it and read from it.

CD - RW is REWriteable. You can erase the information on it and write to it again as well as read from it. It's good for short term use, but because of the materials used, don't trust it for long term storage.

This post has been edited by ml: 26 July 2007 - 08:42 AM

[james_hardin]

It's not the program you use, it's the type of CD.

CD - R is a WRITABLE CD. You can write to it and read from it.

CD - RW is REWriteable. You can erase the information on it and write to it again as well as read from it. It's good for short term use, but because of the materials used, don't trust it for long term storage.

The type of media has little to do with it (within reason).

It is the method you choose to burn it that determines what happens latter.

If I use D2D, I can write and delete as much as I want with either R or RW media! However, if I am using R media anything I delete will go away but the space it takes up cannot be recovered! With RW media it is recovered.

But since D2D is a packet writer and all packet writers have a proven record of unreliability, it is risky to use! ogdens covered this unreliability issue quite well in his post.

If I use Classic and write Sessions I can also "delete" files after I import the previous session into Classic! It does not matter if I am using R or RW media, the files I choose to delete will be gone!

But in the case of a Data project the space those "deleted" files used is not recovered regardless of R or RW media!

ml: if this seems like nit picking, it is! But I agree 100% that RW was never intended for any sort of long term storage.

[ml]

ml: if this seems like nit picking, it is!

It's not nit picking. You gave a very good explanation of the difference.... (within reason)

However, when you're using CD-R media, as you noted, you don't recover the space even if you 'erase' it. You only write to the unused space and I think it changes the 'index' so that you cannot see the files that were written before.

Because you can only write to CD-R media, as you noted it's supposed to be a safer storage medium than a CD-RW.

But you know me.....I'm overcautious. I use -R media, a second hard drive and online storage for the stuff I don't want to lose.

[stanleyC]

Thanks everyone for the informative input from you. I learnt a lot. After reading the replies I have changed my way of working to use the XP regular burning method for CD that I want to keep and a disk on key for backups that I regularly change

Stanley

[ml]

Thanks everyone for the informative input from you. I learnt a lot. After reading the replies I have changed my way of working to use the XP regular burning method for CD that I want to keep and a disk on key for backups that I regularly change

Stanley

Glad you found a solution to version 5 not working with XP and a better way to keep your files over short and long periods of time.