DLA & Easy Media Creator 9 Suite

[The Cats Meow]

I just purchased Easy Media Creator 9 Suite and when I go to My Computer and Select Properties on my DVD and CD drives, I do not see DLA listed as a TAB.

 

I cannot seem to find out where I can enable it.

 

The prior version that I received installed on my DELL computer was limited, but did have a selection on the Roxio menu to enable DLA.

 

I cannot seem to find anything in HELP or on all the Menus where it lists DLA.

 

Any ideas????

[DerekShaw]

I just purchased Easy Media Creator 9 Suite and when I go to My Computer and Select Properties on my DVD and CD drives, I do not see DLA listed as a TAB.

 

I cannot seem to find out where I can enable it.

 

The prior version that I received installed on my DELL computer was limited, but did have a selection on the Roxio menu to enable DLA.

 

I cannot seem to find anything in HELP or on all the Menus where it lists DLA.

 

Any ideas????

 

Following on from this thread I have now uninstalled all the Dell Sonic/Roxio programs and reinstalled EMC 9. I have now found that with Drag-to-Disc enabled CD-RW discs behave in exactly the same way as using DLA with the Dell programs.

 

It is, however, not possible to add files to previously prepared discs. To use these it is first necessary to erase the disc and then the first file(s) added can take up to about 20 minutes to write to the disc since it has to be "prepared" first - so if any of the files are needed they should be copied to the hard disc or a flash drive for safe keeping (is anything safe?) until they can be put back onto a CD.

 

After that it behaves the same as the previously DLA formatted discs provided the disc is kept "open" when it is ejected.

 

As a further comment in view of the questionable reliability of RW media, and perhaps a CD Burning Program Forum is not the wisest place to say this, maybe it would be better to use Flash Drives. This is certainly a lot easier as Flash Drives can be used on more than one computer and no software is needed to use them with Windows XP (and presumably also Vista). But Flash drives are probably also unreliable!

 

The later post in this thread by Digital Guru on the use of R media looks interesting in that it offers a method of adding files to those on an R disc, which should overcome the reliability issue without having to throw away discs until they be full. So far I have not tried this but it could be exactly what I would need for my backup purposes.

 

Derek Shaw

[gi7omy]

"...As a further comment in view of the questionable reliability of RW media, and perhaps a CD Burning Program Forum is not the wisest place to say this, maybe it would be better to use Flash Drives...."

 

Why not - we tell everybody that it's totally unreliable for backup

[DerekShaw]

Drag to Disc, DLA, InCD would be a good way to work, IF they were at all reliable. They aren't (their reliability would make an igloo in the Sahara look good).

 

Couple that with the impermanence of RW media and you are staring at a potential diaster for any backups you have

 

Are you saying that it would be wise not to use DLA, i.e. to reformat an RW disc every time one wants to put files on it (and hence copy all the files needed in one go)?

 

You also seem to be indicating that it is also not even a good idea to use RW discs. I actually am only using a couple of CDs for backing up my Firefox and Thunderbird Profiles (which contain things like bookmarks and all my e-mail. Therefore I like to do this every couple of days. Using CD-R disks would mean throwing away three or four discs every week instead of being able to overwrite (or rewrite) on an RW disc.

 

Derek Shaw

[ogdens]

Are you saying that it would be wise not to use DLA, i.e. to reformat an RW disc every time one wants to put files on it (and hence copy all the files needed in one go)?

 

You also seem to be indicating that it is also not even a good idea to use RW discs. I actually am only using a couple of CDs for backing up my Firefox and Thunderbird Profiles (which contain things like bookmarks and all my e-mail. Therefore I like to do this every couple of days. Using CD-R disks would mean throwing away three or four discs every week instead of being able to overwrite (or rewrite) on an RW disc.

 

Derek Shaw

 

 

YES to both questions.

[d_deweywright]

The later post in this thread by Digital Guru on the use of R media looks interesting in that it offers a method of adding files to those on an R disc, which should overcome the reliability issue without having to throw away discs until they be full. So far I have not tried this but it could be exactly what I would need for my backup purposes.

 

Derek Shaw

Actually, you can use RW media the same way. Starting with a blank, unformatted (or erased) disc, you can write to is using Creator Classic, and if the "read only" option is unchecked, (and if a RW disc is detected, I don't think it will allow that to be checked) then you can add more files later, just as with an "R" (write once) disc. The issue here is that RW media also tends to be unreliable for long-term storage. And, it can be erased and reused later. Personally, I stick with "R" media.

 

So, don't confuse the type of media (R vs. RW) with the method of writing (packets vs. sessions).

[james_hardin]

The focus was on packet writing but there is a simple way to use R media and add more to it at a later time…

 

Use Classic, add the files and after you click Burn, clear the checkmark by Read Only.

 

Next time you want to add to the disc, open Classic, insert the disc and wait for a pop-up asking if you want to import previous data into you Project.

 

Click Yes then add the new files and burn. Again with Read Only turned off.

 

You can continue this until the disc is full. I suggest if you are writing the same files, create a folder with the date for its' name – 4-15-07, 5-28-07, etc.

 

PS, these discs cost 20¢ which is a bargin considering what you will lose if you don't have a backup.

[DerekShaw]

It's called Drag to Disc in EMC 6, 7, 8, and 9, but I have never seen the selection that you are talking about.

 

If you want to use Drag to Disc, just open up the program, and use it.

I too have a Dell with Dell versions of Roxio programs and Sonic DLA.

 

The properties for my CD writer drive include a DLA tab and options to use DLA. Right clicking the drive also has a Format option which enables RW CDs to be formatted with DLA.

 

The real advantage of DLA is that an RW CD behaves like a very large floppy. It is possible to use Windows Explorer with Copy and Paste or Drag and Drop to add, update, rename or delete files - just like on a floppy, Zip Disk, flash drive or any folder on the Hard Drive.

 

I have now purchased Easy Creator 9. The right mouse options for DLA no longer exist even though this facility should be part of Creator 9 - the installation advised uninstalling Sonic DLA as this would otherwise cause a conflict. Worse is that RW CDs formatted with the Dell Sonic DLA cannot have files added to them with Creator 9. It looks as though to use Creator in this way (e.g. for backup purposes) all CDs would first have to be reformatted with Creator thus destroying all the data on them - so files would first need copying to the hard drive and then copied back to the CD after reformatting, and reformatting takes about 30 minutes!

 

I did not get as far as reformatting with Creator 9 and trying this out but at this point restored the Dell versions.

 

Surely DLA formatting ought to be DLA formatting and the discs formatted with Sonic DLA should work as a DLA disc with Creator 9 without needing to reformat. Is there any way that this is possible? If not I am now very reluctant to reinstall Creator 9 even though the Dell Roxio program is producing errors when it is closed.

 

So I ask for comments and help on this please.

 

Derek Shaw.

[grandpabruce]

I too have a Dell with Dell versions of Roxio programs and Sonic DLA.

 

The properties for my CD writer drive include a DLA tab and options to use DLA. Right clicking the drive also has a Format option which enables RW CDs to be formatted with DLA.

 

The real advantage of DLA is that an RW CD behaves like a very large floppy. It is possible to use Windows Explorer with Copy and Paste or Drag and Drop to add, update, rename or delete files - just like on a floppy, Zip Disk, flash drive or any folder on the Hard Drive.

 

I have now purchased Easy Creator 9. The right mouse options for DLA no longer exist even though this facility should be part of Creator 9 - the installation advised uninstalling Sonic DLA as this would otherwise cause a conflict. Worse is that RW CDs formatted with the Dell Sonic DLA cannot have files added to them with Creator 9. It looks as though to use Creator in this way (e.g. for backup purposes) all CDs would first have to be reformatted with Creator thus destroying all the data on them - so files would first need copying to the hard drive and then copied back to the CD after reformatting, and reformatting takes about 30 minutes!

 

I did not get as far as reformatting with Creator 9 and trying this out but at this point restored the Dell versions.

 

Surely DLA formatting ought to be DLA formatting and the discs formatted with Sonic DLA should work as a DLA disc with Creator 9 without needing to reformat. Is there any way that this is possible? If not I am now very reluctant to reinstall Creator 9 even though the Dell Roxio program is producing errors when it is closed.

 

So I ask for comments and help on this please.

 

Derek Shaw.

 

It should work the way you want it to. I don't know why it wouldn't, and I can't test it myself. I would never knowingly have any packet writing software on my computer. Using it, to back up important data, is like playing Russian Roulette.

 

Packet writing software tricks the computer into thinking that optical media is a floppy disk, which of course, it is not.

[sknis]

I too have a Dell with Dell versions of Roxio programs and Sonic DLA.

 

The properties for my CD writer drive include a DLA tab and options to use DLA. Right clicking the drive also has a Format option which enables RW CDs to be formatted with DLA.

 

The real advantage of DLA is that an RW CD behaves like a very large floppy. It is possible to use Windows Explorer with Copy and Paste or Drag and Drop to add, update, rename or delete files - just like on a floppy, Zip Disk, flash drive or any folder on the Hard Drive.

 

I have now purchased Easy Creator 9. The right mouse options for DLA no longer exist even though this facility should be part of Creator 9 - the installation advised uninstalling Sonic DLA as this would otherwise cause a conflict. Worse is that RW CDs formatted with the Dell Sonic DLA cannot have files added to them with Creator 9. It looks as though to use Creator in this way (e.g. for backup purposes) all CDs would first have to be reformatted with Creator thus destroying all the data on them - so files would first need copying to the hard drive and then copied back to the CD after reformatting, and reformatting takes about 30 minutes!

 

I did not get as far as reformatting with Creator 9 and trying this out but at this point restored the Dell versions.

 

Surely DLA formatting ought to be DLA formatting and the discs formatted with Sonic DLA should work as a DLA disc with Creator 9 without needing to reformat. Is there any way that this is possible? If not I am now very reluctant to reinstall Creator 9 even though the Dell Roxio program is producing errors when it is closed.

 

So I ask for comments and help on this please.

 

Derek Shaw.

 

When you install EMC 9, just do a custom install and don't install D2D. The other program should work but it is obsolete and you may not be able to use it in the future. Neither is a good way of archiving important information.

[grandpabruce]

I just purchased Easy Media Creator 9 Suite and when I go to My Computer and Select Properties on my DVD and CD drives, I do not see DLA listed as a TAB.

 

I cannot seem to find out where I can enable it.

 

The prior version that I received installed on my DELL computer was limited, but did have a selection on the Roxio menu to enable DLA.

 

I cannot seem to find anything in HELP or on all the Menus where it lists DLA.

 

Any ideas????

 

It's called Drag to Disc in EMC 6, 7, 8, and 9, but I have never seen the selection that you are talking about.

 

If you want to use Drag to Disc, just open up the program, and use it.

[DerekShaw]

When you install EMC 9, just do a custom install and don't install D2D. The other program should work but it is obsolete and you may not be able to use it in the future. Neither is a good way of archiving important information.

 

I would have thought that copying files to a CD was quite a good way of making backups - certainly very much better than none. What though would be your suggestion?

 

Also the DLA feature makes using an RW CD extremely easy. Without this, once a single file has been added to a CD it is regarded a read only and full. The only way then to put more files onto the CD is to reformat it first - thus deleting any files.

 

Does the full install of EMC 9 (i.e. with D2D) also allow one to use Windows Explorer with copy and paste to add or update files? Also can one use Windows Explorer to rename files on the CD or delete individual files? All of this is possible with the Dell version of Sonic DLA.

 

Derek Shaw

[james_hardin]

I cannot think of a better place to discuss differences in media types!

 

When someone wants to make "backups", they intend to be able to access that "backup" at another time.

 

I use RW media for tests, duplicating errors other users report, etc. I keep track of the number of uses for each and find that;

 

CD-RWs get about 50 uses. I have had them fail in as few as 3 uses and some go past 100 uses. (A 'use' is anytime something is written, deleted or the disc erased).

 

My DVD RW media seems much more reliable but with the greater capacity, there is also much more to lose!!!

 

All things considered RW is just not the media to use for "backups"…

[grandpabruce]

I would have thought that copying files to a CD was quite a good way of making backups - certainly very much better than none. What though would be your suggestion?

 

Also the DLA feature makes using an RW CD extremely easy. Without this, once a single file has been added to a CD it is regarded a read only and full. The only way then to put more files onto the CD is to reformat it first - thus deleting any files.

 

Does the full install of EMC 9 (i.e. with D2D) also allow one to use Windows Explorer with copy and paste to add or update files? Also can one use Windows Explorer to rename files on the CD or delete individual files? All of this is possible with the Dell version of Sonic DLA.

 

Derek Shaw

 

Copying files to a CD is a very good way of making backups, but not using packet writing software to do it. Use Creator Classic instead.

[gi7omy]

Drag to Disc, DLA, InCD would be a good way to work, IF they were at all reliable. They aren't (their reliability would make an igloo in the Sahara look good).

 

Couple that with the impermanence of RW media and you are staring at a potential diaster for any backups you have

[d_deweywright]

I cannot think of a better place to discuss differences in media types!

 

When someone wants to make "backups", they intend to be able to access that "backup" at another time.

 

I use RW media for tests, duplicating errors other users report, etc. I keep track of the number of uses for each and find that;

 

CD-RWs get about 50 uses. I have had them fail in as few as 3 uses and some go past 100 uses. (A 'use' is anytime something is written, deleted or the disc erased).

 

My DVD RW media seems much more reliable but with the greater capacity, there is also much more to lose!!!

 

All things considered RW is just not the media to use for "backups"…

Not arguing against the discussion at all, James, just the confusion over how they can be used! Both types of media can be used for sessions. Both types of media can be used for packet writing.

 

Yes, a thorough understanding of the uses and limitations of RW media is well deserved, and essential for anyone getting into using optical media for storage.