[cirrus11]

I have a CD-RW disk filled with photos which have always been viewable. It was in ntfs format. When I tried to view it recently, a message came up saying to install the udf reader. I clicked yes but am not able to view anything. When I try to open, there is a quick black flash on the screen, then nothing happens. When I click on the drive, it shows udfreader and files that have suddenly become cdfs format.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Brendon]

Tt looks as if you have been using a disc formatted by Drag to Disc or one of its near relatives. These discs have a small portion formatted in CDFS with a rudimentary reader resident, and the rest of the disc is in UDFS. The idea is that if your system can't read the main part of the disc, then you see the small part and you're offered the rudimentary reader.

If your UDF reader has broken somehow, then you'll see the result you describe.

Since you're posting here and not on the Nero forum, it might be safe to guess you have some Roxio software installed. What Roxio/Sonic software do you have installed, please? [name and version number]

What operating system are you running under, please?

Did you install/uninstall/update any software on your system between the last time you viewed the contents of the disc, and the first time you found the contents weren't viewable any more?

Brendon

[cirrus11]

I have Roxio Easy CD Creator 6 on my pc and Sonic Record Now 7 on the laptop. I'm running XP Pro, SP2 on the pc and XP Media Center, SP2 on the laptop. The only updates I've done have been the Microsoft Security updates.

Thanks for your initial response.

Bob

Tt looks as if you have been using a disc formatted by Drag to Disc or one of its near relatives. These discs have a small portion formatted in CDFS with a rudimentary reader resident, and the rest of the disc is in UDFS. The idea is that if your system can't read the main part of the disc, then you see the small part and you're offered the rudimentary reader.

If your UDF reader has broken somehow, then you'll see the result you describe.

Since you're posting here and not on the Nero forum, it might be safe to guess you have some Roxio software installed. What Roxio/Sonic software do you have installed, please? [name and version number]

What operating system are you running under, please?

Did you install/uninstall/update any software on your system between the last time you viewed the contents of the disc, and the first time you found the contents weren't viewable any more?

Brendon

[Brendon]

Thanks Bob,

Were you able to read that disc on BOTH systems previously?

Has this failure to read happened to both of them ?

Which security updates have been installed?

Regards,
Brendon

[cirrus11]

Thanks Bob,

Were you able to read that disc on BOTH systems previously?

Has this failure to read happened to both of them ?

Which security updates have been installed?

Regards,
Brendon

I was able to read on both systems before. I've been installing all the security updates from Microsoft as they became available for download.

Thanks

[Brendon]

Hi Bob,

You didn't say if the failure to read happened in both machines, but if it has, then either (1) the security updates have destroyed your UDF reader system in both machines
OR
(2) some crucial part of the RW disc has died, preventing the disc from being mounted properly.

I feel that (1) is unlikely, else we would have had a torrent of complaints from people with similar things happening - and we haven't. Cure for this would involve trying to back off all the security updates and hoping the system would suddenly start to work again.

Conversely, I think that (2) is very likely. RW discs are quite short-lived, especially when used by packet-writing systems, and it is usually the failure of some key [and often re-written] area on the disc which kills them. pretty much without warning. A disc going faulty would explain why both systems are having identical trouble with it. This is why we don't recommend RW discs for archiving or backup.

If (2) is the cause, then probably the best way of recovering your data is to use a recovery program such as Isobuster from www.isobuster.com/, or CDRoller from www.cdroller.com/. They're both very good programs and you can try them to see if they would recover the data. [You'll need to buy the program to actually do a recovery.]

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Brendon









p.s. Lyn I know I mentioned packet writers, but we don't need a lecture on how packet writers are only good for permantly (sic) losing your data, or how there are three types of disc with different reflectivity, or how data just fade away off RW discs. Please stay away from this thread.

[cirrus11]

Hi Bob,

You didn't say if the failure to read happened in both machines, but if it has, then either (1) the security updates have destroyed your UDF reader system in both machines
OR
(2) some crucial part of the RW disc has died, preventing the disc from being mounted properly.

I feel that (1) is unlikely, else we would have had a torrent of complaints from people with similar things happening - and we haven't. Cure for this would involve trying to back off all the security updates and hoping the system would suddenly start to work again.

Conversely, I think that (2) is very likely. RW discs are quite short-lived, especially when used by packet-writing systems, and it is usually the failure of some key [and often re-written] area on the disc which kills them. pretty much without warning. A disc going faulty would explain why both systems are having identical trouble with it. This is why we don't recommend RW discs for archiving or backup.

If (2) is the cause, then probably the best way of recovering your data is to use a recovery program such as Isobuster from www.isobuster.com/, or CDRoller from www.cdroller.com/. They're both very good programs and you can try them to see if they would recover the data. [You'll need to buy the program to actually do a recovery.]

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Brendon
p.s. Lyn I know I mentioned packet writers, but we don't need a lecture on how packet writers are only good for permantly (sic) losing your data, or how there are three types of disc with different reflectivity, or how data just fade away off RW discs. Please stay away from this thread.

Thanks Brendon,

I'll try one of the recovery programs as it seems that's the more likely scenario.

Bob

[cirrus11]

Thanks Brendon,

I'll try one of the recovery programs as it seems that's the more likely scenario.

Bob

Hi Brendon,

I just tried cdroller and it recovered the files perfectly. Thanks so much for your help and advic e.

Bob

[golinux]

Brendon's da best!

[Brendon]

(Blush!)

Happy Christmas.