[Gaylord]

I used Drag-to-disk to backup some pdf files and may have ejected without finalizing (thinking I would add more later). Now I need some of those files, but drag to disk says there's no disk in the drive! Explore says the disk is 100% used, but can't read it because it's either corrupted or in a non-Windows format.

Thanks for any advice,
Gaylord

[gi7omy]

You willneed an external program to be able to access those files (you've already found out that EMC can't get at them)

www.isovuster.com

or

www.cdroller.com

Both have trial versions so you will be able to check if it can read the disc before buying the app

Now, unfortuinately, you can see why we have so many posts here telling people never to trust important data to packet writing

[james_hardin]

That is typical Drag to Disc behavior and the reason no one in their right mind will use it for anything they care about!

Maybe the one D2D Crusader will come along and tell you how to fix it…

[Gaylord]

Thanks, gi7omy, but neither IsoBuster nor CDRoller can see anything on the disk. Maybe this is just an elephant's print, but about 70% of the disk is a different shade from the outer rim...

Gaylord

[sknis]

Thanks, gi7omy, but neither IsoBuster nor CDRoller can see anything on the disk. Maybe this is just an elephant's print, but about 70% of the disk is a different shade from the outer rim...

Gaylord

If those programs can't see anything, I'm not sure you'll ever get anything off the discs.

[Brendon]

Yep, it's not necessarily Drag 2 Disc which has done it, but using Rewriteables will do it every time when they die.

[james_hardin]

Yep, it's not necessarily Drag 2 Disc which has done it, but using Rewriteables will do it every time when they die.

Brendon: Most of my DVD RW discs are passing the 3 years/100 Uses mark. When should I expect them to fail?

IF it were just a matter of media, we would be seeing the same number of data lose questions with Authored discs. But we don't…

The only consistent link with Data Lose is Packet Writers. You can stick your head in the sand as long as you can breath, but Packet Writing is the problem, not the media, not the burner, not the phase of the moon…

[Brendon]

Jim,

I've had more RW discs fail in sustained use than as a result of packet writing, and I haven't been using any of those discs with the new self-fading layer that some person claims was invented in 2000. (?!) A hundred uses for an RW disc isn't much. I will often write 7 or 8 sessions to a DVD RW in a day. Yours should be good for ages yet, but I wouldn't trust my only copy of a valuable file to one.

Very few if any of the people here who have suddenly found data discs unreadable, have been using write-once discs. Most times when a RW disc fails, it is DEAD and not even re-formatting will bring it back to reliable life - that's a media error, not software.

I'm not saying that you can use packet-writers carelessly, and I do say it's reckless to archive files to a disc you've been hammering repeatedly with packet writes. What I am saying is that you can't blame all data loss on the software and deliberately ignore the weaknesses of the medium. That's neither fair nor scientific.

You might note that a packet-writing system by Sonic is the default native writing system in Windows Vista. Much as we gleefully criticize the folks at Microsoft, I doubt they'd opt for such a system if it was half as bad as you say it is.

Cheers,
Brendon

[james_hardin]

Jim,

I've had more RW discs fail in sustained use than as a result of packet writing, and I haven't been using any of those discs with the new self-fading layer that some person claims was invented in 2000. (?!) A hundred uses for an RW disc isn't much. I will often write 7 or 8 sessions to a DVD RW in a day. Yours should be good for ages yet, but I wouldn't trust my only copy of a valuable file to one.

Very few if any of the people here who have suddenly found data discs unreadable, have been using write-once discs. Most times when a RW disc fails, it is DEAD and not even re-formatting will bring it back to reliable life - that's a media error, not software.

I'm not saying that you can use packet-writers carelessly, and I do say it's reckless to archive files to a disc you've been hammering repeatedly with packet writes. What I am saying is that you can't blame all data loss on the software and deliberately ignore the weaknesses of the medium. That's neither fair nor scientific.

You might note that a packet-writing system by Sonic is the default native writing system in Windows Vista. Much as we gleefully criticize the folks at Microsoft, I doubt they'd opt for such a system if it was half as bad as you say it is.

Cheers,
Brendon

MS has never made a mistake?

I am one who read the article around 2000 about the change in Dye for RW media and the subsequent lack of reliability… Sorry I didn't bookmark it but I did not realize I would be required to produce it for evidence.

You have absolutely no basis for your assumption that RW media is not used equally for Authored projects vs D2D projects other than to support your one man position that pw writing is OK. – you already lost all creditability when you said you wouldn’t trust it with your only copy of anything you value…

If it is so trustworthy, perhaps you should write a Tips and Tricks article on how to use it and we can replace the one I wrote there?

Perhaps you can explain to Gaylord why he lost all of his data using this trusted method? You also claim that RW media is good for many more uses beyond the 100 I have. But Gaylord's failed after only a few… Explain that?

[Brendon]

Jim,

I stand by what I said in post #8. Since me taking a different pov from yours just makes you angry, I'll leave it there.

Thank you,
Brendon