[philo]

My Experience of Roxio and EMC10

From customer
09/16/07 10:03 AM

I have just purchased EMC10 complete version - and since I have been upgrading since version
5 decided to clear out all of version 9 before installing, including clearing the registry.

I have installed version 10 but my DirectCD or drag-to-disc icon is not now on the desktop
and I cannot see how now to use that important facility which reads my discs.
______________________________________________

From Roxio
09/17/07 8:44 AM

Thanks for contacting Roxio Technical Support. Please read the information below:

http://kb.roxio.com/content/kb/Creator/000156CR

Regards,
Roxio Technical Support
http://support.roxio.com
_______________________________________________

From customer
09/20/07 3:04 PM

For Gods sake read my question. You have not even attempted to answer it
_______________________________________________

From Roxio
09/20/07 3:10 PM

Thank you for contacting Roxio Technical Support

Our apologies for the earlier agent's response. Please disregard it.

Drag to Disk and DirectCD have been discontinued in version 10 of our software due to
compatibility concerns. You should, however, be able to manage anything that they were able
to do using version 10.

Please tell us what you are trying to accomplish with them so that we may suggest other
means of doing so.

If the information provided does not resolve your issue simply update your webticket with a
detailed explanation with the steps you have tried and any error messages you receive.


Regards,

Roxio Technical Support
http://support.roxio.com
 
Thank you for your comments and we appreciate the feedback

___________________________________________

From customer
09/21/07 8:28 AM

I want to delete items and write to my DVD+RW discs of which I have many, and which were
made and organised through the previous facilities within Roxio.

You say I can still do that, but I cannot now see were there is the facility for continuing
or for managing those many read-write DVDs. I am left very stranded indeed.
________________________________________________

From Roxio
09/21/07 9:03 AM

Thank you for contacting Roxio Technical Support
 
http://www.roxio.com/enu/search/default.ht..._roxio_com&
output=xml_no_dtd&client=www_roxio_com&lr=&proxystylesheet=www_roxio_com&oe=&restrict=kb&fil
ter=0
 
Regards,
 
Roxio Technical Support
http://support.roxio.com

______________________________________________________

From customer
09/21/07 9:14 AM

What are you doing? You have sent me a list of readings which are not relevant to my
question and none of them answer it.

I can hardly believe it. It is evident you do not even understand the issue.
__________________________________________________________

From Roxio
09/21/07 9:28 AM

Thank you for contacting Roxio Technical Support
 
http://support.roxio.com
 
Have you tried our online self-service tools?
RoxAnn & Knowledgebase - http://support.roxio.com
Discussion Groups - http://forums.support.roxio.com/
___________________________________________________________
 
From customer
09/22/07 3:14 PM

I spent a long time unsuccessfully searching where you suggest, before seeking the missing
information from you. If it is there then surely you know where.

I will state the issue simply. As you know there are two kinds of DVD CDs. There are the
re-writeable ones and the write-once-only variety - marked as DVD+RW and DVD+R respectively.

As you would expect the re-writable DVDs and CDs are more expensive than those you can write
to only once. However, in the long-run if you have constant and only slight changes to make
to the recorded data on the DVDs, then the re-writable DVDs are cheapest since the slight
changes can be made to the DVD, and you do not need to buy another new CD or DVD and recopy
everything onto another DVD just because one item has changed and needs replacing or
altering.

Re-writable CDs and DVDs are less reliable than write-once-only CDs and DVDs. So no
knowledgeable person uses them as their backup of last resort.

However many like me have stored data on re-writable DVDs that often need slight changes to
them - where one or two items on the DVD need to be deleted and/or added. That was what was
achieved by using what was once the only and and original feature of what is now called EMC.

Now I and others have large supplies of the more expensive re-writable DVDs. I and they need
to be able to access and amend those DVDs - which is the whole point of buying such
re-writables and for the stores to be stocking and selling them.

Making those amendments to re-writeable DVDs I used to do easily with EMC 9 and previous
versions. Now I need to know how to do it with EMC10.

It is no good telling me I can use the write-once-only facilities. It would be a huge
expense and even worse a cost in my time for me to buy new discs and recopy everying on each
disc just to accommodate a few changes, changes to what is presently on those re-writable
discs.

I have many already written-to re-writable DVDS, and many blanks, I am now seeking the
facility to use those re-writeable discs as re-writable discs.

The whole point of re-writeble DVD CDs is that they are re-writable and re-usable. Thats why
they are in the shops and why people buy them.

All I need to know is this: now that I have upgraded to EMC10, how do I access and write to
my re-writeable DVDS - those formated and created by EMC 9 and before.

So then, after so much explanation, let me now repeat what was my first response to you
again:

"I want to delete items and write to my DVD+RW discs of which I have many, and which were
made and organised through the previous facilities within Roxio."

How do I do it?
__________________________________________________________

From customer
09/26/07 10:13 AM

Reply urgently awaited as I am presently unable to use my re-writable DVDs
_________________________________________________________

From Roxio
09/27/07 12:25 PM

Thank you for contacting Roxio Technical Support

You can erase a re-writable DVD disc by launching Roxio Home -> Tools -> Erase Disc.

Regards,
Roxio Technical Support
http://support.roxio.com
_________________________________________________________

From customer
09/27/07 3:09 PM

It is really annoying that you are not, for some reason, answering my question.

I do not want to erase a re-writable DVD. I have made it quite clear that I want to delete
items on the disc and replace them with others. I want to use the re-writable DVD as a
re-writable disc. It is as simple as that.

Please reply urgently
___________________________________________________________

All so far and all a waste of time

Philo

[myguggi]

My Experience of Roxio and EMC10

From customer
09/16/07 10:03 AM

I have just purchased EMC10 complete version - and since I have been upgrading since version
5 decided to clear out all of version 9 before installing, including clearing the registry.

I have installed version 10 but my DirectCD or drag-to-disc icon is not now on the desktop
and I cannot see how now to use that important facility which reads my discs.
______________________________________________


From customer
09/27/07 3:09 PM

It is really annoying that you are not, for some reason, answering my question.

I do not want to erase a re-writable DVD. I have made it quite clear that I want to delete
items on the disc and replace them with others. I want to use the re-writable DVD as a
re-writable disc. It is as simple as that.

Please reply urgently
___________________________________________________________

All so far and all a waste of time

Philo

Drag-toDisc is no longer part of EMC 10 - its as simple as that!

When you delete a file from a RW DVD, you are not actually removing the file from the DVD, all you are doing is modifying the directory and re-writing the directory. No file is physically delete until you erase the DVD.

A much better way to to "emulate" rewritable is to use Creator Classic and Session Writing. But again no files are ever deleted until you erase!

The responses fromRoxio are still pretty useless and annoying but typical of many companies today.

This post has been edited by myguggi: 27 September 2007 - 01:49 PM

[lynn98109]

You seem to have two very widely held misconceptions. I've been there, done that, and learned the hard way.

R vs RW media

There are 3 kinds of discs, either CD or DVD:

• Commercially pressed discs, which have the pits and lands physically pressed into them (pits and lands are the physical equivalent of magnetic 0's and 1's)
• R discs, which have the pits and lands set by a laser "cooking" a dye - there are not quite as stable as commercially pressed discs, but close
• RW discs, which have the pits and lands set by the laser melting and re-crystalizing an aluminum alloy - which promptly starts to de-crystalize, taking all the data with it. At some point in time, the alloy was changed to make the discs less costly, and less reliable. You can't say in advance how long a given disc will last - usually months but it can be days or weeks or years, it varies from disc to disc - but it won't give you an engraved notice two weeks before it goes, it just goes when it goes.

RW media is useful for testing, or for transferring things between computers when there are no other options, and the original files are safely on the originating computer. Then it can be erased and re-used. (If you "delete" a file on either R or RW media, you do NOT gt the space back - you merely delete it from the TOC [Table of Contents]. The difference is you can erase the ENTIRE RW disc and start over.

Packet-Writing (formatting the disc)

Packet-Writing (Nero's InCD, Sonic's DLA, Roxio's Drag2Disc and DirectCD, etc) was developed in the long ago when the alternative was a 1.44MB floppy. It can hold large files briefly, as, for example, while working on a webpage.

The people who really know what it is, use it for very temporary things like that. However, common misperception has latched onto it as a "great-big floppy-disc". At best it is very fussy (insisting on the same Operating System and and Program Version that created it), and it can fail for any reason or none at all.

What Packet-Writing is NOT, is a reliable long-term back-up. And if you are transferring files, the other computer has to have the appropriate reader - whch may vary from brand to brand and Version to Version.

The next big question becomes "how do I get my files back", but you didn't ask that yet. I've read some very emotional posts asking that, tho.

Meanwhile, if you aren't gearing up to tell me you disagree, I'd suggest a Flash drive (aka Pen / Thumb / Keychain / Jump drive) or an External Hard Drive. Both are pretty cheap these days.

Lynn

[PeterSanders]

Hi

I agree, Roxio's response is abysmal.

I wonder though, is it possible to install ONLY the "drag to disc" or other packet writing feature of EMC9?

I presume you are aware that there is a finite limit on how may times you can write to a * RW disk and flash drive? Though it is in the thousands of writes, at some point it will no longer be able to be written.

regards

Peter

[Tom at Roxio]

I wonder though, is it possible to install ONLY the "drag to disc" or other packet writing feature of EMC9?

Hi Peter,
I'm sorry to see that there was such a disconnect between your questions and our answers. The answers above are accurate, and they should help you a bit.

Easy Media Creator 10 was designed to co-exist with Easy Media Creator 9. In other words, you don't have to uninstall EMC 9 in order to install EMC 10. You can definitely re-install Drag to Disc from your EMC 9 installation CD, and you will be back in business.

Let us know if you run into any further issues.

Tom

[barryware]

Hi Peter,
I'm sorry to see that there was such a disconnect between your questions and our answers. The answers above are accurate, and they should help you a bit.

Easy Media Creator 10 was designed to co-exist with Easy Media Creator 9. In other words, you don't have to uninstall EMC 9 in order to install EMC 10. You can definitely re-install Drag to Disc from your EMC 9 installation CD, and you will be back in business.

Let us know if you run into any further issues.

Tom

Tom....

Very good answer. I am not being a wise guy as most of the guru's think I am. It indeed was a good answer.

In my case, I have NEVER had a problem using drag to disk. I use it all the time carting files back and forth from work. However as of late, I must admit I use a USB jump drive (4gb capacity).

It has been reported that if someone uses "packet writing software", you are asking for trouble. As I said, I have NEVER had a problem.

BUT..... If your data is REALLY important and loosing it may make you cry, then a backup copy is in order no matter what type of media the user may choose.

All media will fail. It is not a question of "if", it is a question of "when".

[Doris H.]

Yeah, my experience with the Roxio online support site has been less than stellar. Most of what I got were canned responses. The Roxio people on this discussion board were much more helpful.

[PeterSanders]

Hi

Hi Peter,
I'm sorry to see that there was such a disconnect between your questions and our answers. The answers above are accurate, and they should help you a bit.

Easy Media Creator 10 was designed to co-exist with Easy Media Creator 9. In other words, you don't have to uninstall EMC 9 in order to install EMC 10. You can definitely re-install Drag to Disc from your EMC 9 installation CD, and you will be back in business.

Let us know if you run into any further issues.

Tom

Well thanks for that Tom. Unfortunately your response has only "broadened" the "disconnect" you describe. MY post was a reply to the OP that complained about the inability of Roxio support to READ THE POST (and comprehend it of course) and provide an answer to the problem.

The varied answers to which you refer do not concern me at all. I DON'T have the problem, I ONLY REPLIED to the op. YOUR reply should have been directed to the op, Philo.

In fact the answer I gave and you confirmed as a soluition, is probably the answer that should have been provided to Philo in the first instance.

I wouldn't worry too much about this "mistake" as it is something that happens frequently on this forum. There have been many instances were questions have been not understood or completely misunderstood and the answers have been odd or even other questions.

Kind regards

Peter

[shister12345]

Philo, just to let you know you are not alone in having problems with Roxio support. Took me two days and 2 emails and one chat to receive an answer as to why drag-to-disc was not included in EMC 10. Because it is not compatible with Vista so I was told. Roxio support (email) is usually very vague and incomplete.

[gi7omy]

Actually the reason it's not compatible with Vista is very simple

No two packet writing apps can co-exist on one OS and Vista has its own packet writing app buiilt in

In XP it was the safer session writing system which didn't cause any problems, but then it couldn't handle DVD-RW

[Tom at Roxio]

Hi

Well thanks for that Tom. Unfortunately your response has only "broadened" the "disconnect" you describe. MY post was a reply to the OP that complained about the inability of Roxio support to READ THE POST (and comprehend it of course) and provide an answer to the problem.

The varied answers to which you refer do not concern me at all. I DON'T have the problem, I ONLY REPLIED to the op. YOUR reply should have been directed to the op, Philo.

In fact the answer I gave and you confirmed as a soluition, is probably the answer that should have been provided to Philo in the first instance.

I wouldn't worry too much about this "mistake" as it is something that happens frequently on this forum. There have been many instances were questions have been not understood or completely misunderstood and the answers have been odd or even other questions.

Kind regards

Peter

Thanks Peter... I meant to direct this to Philo... the hazard of responding to a long thread.

Tom

... why drag-to-disc was not included in EMC 10. Because it is not compatible with Vista so I was told.

Not true. Drag to Disc was certified for Windows Vista in Easy Media Creator 9.1.

We removed it from the suite because few customers still require it given Vista's support for packet writing (something MS calls "Live File System"). We know that many of you who have older versions of Creator use Drag to Disc, and we know that you will still be able to use Drag to Disc (so we didn't really take it away from anyone... we just aren't including it in the new version).

Tom

[jim666]

Thanks Peter... I meant to direct this to Philo... the hazard of responding to a long thread.

Tom
Not true. Drag to Disc was certified for Windows Vista in Easy Media Creator 9.1.

We removed it from the suite because few customers still require it given Vista's support for packet writing (something MS calls "Live File System"). We know that many of you who have older versions of Creator use Drag to Disc, and we know that you will still be able to use Drag to Disc (so we didn't really take it away from anyone... we just aren't including it in the new version).

Tom

Read all the Drag toDisc notes above with interest. I moved from EMC 7.5 to Creator 10 but left a skeleton version of 7.5 on the computer for CD burning routines only. This solves many problems. Meanwhile, I have Nero 7.10 also on the computer and have found it still does some things better Roxio 10. Probably foolish but unfortunately no single program will stand alone sufficiently for my purposes/

[JSAP]

I too was surprised to find that version 10 did not include drag-to-disk, as I also regularly back up my business files on both DVD+R and DVD+RW.

I purchased version 9 on-line and could not get it to operate at all on my XP Pro system. Two weeks later version 10 was offered for a very low price, so I again purchased it on line. I assumed that there were so many problems with version 9, that the company was forced to release an update to deal with the many problems.

I was disappointed version 10 did not include what I felt was a very important component (drag-to-disk) and that no mention was made in any of the promotional material to suggest this component was missing.

Consequently, I am returning the product and have re-installed verion 8 which works perfectly.

As a sophisticated computer/software user, I am cognizant of the limitations of re-writable disks. That said, they have a purpose, many people use them, and to eliminate the feature allowing for their use in an upgrade, without advising customers, is very bad form and may well prompt long-term users like me, who own many versions of the product, to explore alternatives in the future.