Enhanced Cd Question? (ecdc 5 Platinum)

[Richard Fdisk.exe]

Hi;

 

here's the question? (my apologies if this is already addressed, I couldn't find any related with "search")

 

I'm creating some enhanced CD's (special orders from the boss)

basically the Audio tracks and then adding MP3 copies of the same audio

@ different bitrates ie. 128Kbs or smaller files for Ipod & 256Kbs for use on the computer etc.

maybe add a link or two to the site home page etc.

 

here's what's buggin' me;

 

on the enhanced CD

 

It creates by default two locked (can't rename / delete etc.) folders / (directories for us who've used computers that long):

 

\PICTURES

\CDPLUS

 

in the \CDPLUS [Folder] are two files

INFO.CDP (2KB)

SUB_INFO.US (1KB)

 

 

in the \PICTURES [Folder] are four files

JACKET01.00J (11KB)

JACKET01.00N (14KB)

JACKET01.00S (120KB)

JACKET01.00T (30KB)

 

why are these in here and what are they for (besides to waste space)?

I can't find anything about them in the nice little orange book that came in the ECDC 5 box

 

is there any way to get rid of these / prevent them from being created since they are not real "pictures"

and just wasted space

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

[d_deweywright]

Hi;

 

here's the question? (my apologies if this is already addressed, I couldn't find any related with "search")

 

I'm creating some enhanced CD's (special orders from the boss)

basically the Audio tracks and then adding MP3 copies of the same audio

@ different bitrates ie. 128Kbs or smaller files for Ipod & 256Kbs for use on the computer etc.

maybe add a link or two to the site home page etc.

 

here's what's buggin' me;

 

on the enhanced CD

 

It creates by default two locked (can't rename / delete etc.) folders / (directories for us who've used computers that long):

 

\PICTURES

\CDPLUS

 

in the \CDPLUS [Folder] are two files

INFO.CDP (2KB)

SUB_INFO.US (1KB)

 

 

in the \PICTURES [Folder] are four files

JACKET01.00J (11KB)

JACKET01.00N (14KB)

JACKET01.00S (120KB)

JACKET01.00T (30KB)

 

why are these in here and what are they for (besides to waste space)?

I can't find anything about them in the nice little orange book that came in the ECDC 5 box

 

is there any way to get rid of these / prevent them from being created since they are not real "pictures"

and just wasted space

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

One thing you can do with ECDC 5 is write your audio tracks in DAO mode, and not close the disc, which is called "Session At Once" mode, something no longer available in Easy Media Creator. Anyway, if you do that, you can then add a Data track with your .MP3 files. When placed in an Audio CD player, it will play the first session's Audio Tracks. When put into a computer, you'll see the second Data TracK session. Technically, that's a CD Extra disc, not an Enhanced CD.

 

An Enhanced CD has the Data Track first, but if put into an Audio CD, will either not be recognized, or will play a potentially speaker destroying blast of sound.

 

So, my suggestion would be to either select the CD Extra option (which I believe ECDC 5 offers) or do it manually by writing the SAO session first, then closing the disc with the Data Track.

 

Hope that helps!

[Richard Fdisk.exe]

Thanks d_deweywright;

 

I'll fiddle around with it some more

I've never been able to get access to the checkbox for allow another recording on the DAO selection

which closes the Audio disc when it's done,

I can check the box when I'm doing a data CD session but it's grayed out for Audio CD's projects.

I usually burn DAO because TAO is a real pain when it adds the 2 seconds between tracks

a real nuisance when recording raw speech audio that shouldn't have those gaps

 

I've got the ECDC 5 book open here and it's chapter 13 & 14 that describe;

Enhanced CD's (a.k.a.CD Extra; CD Plus)

and

Mixed Mode CD's

 

Enhanced CD's have the CDAudio in the First session/track and the data portion in the Second session/track

(enhanced CD's play in cd players and show the data track on computers)

 

Mixed Mode CD's have the data portion in the First session and the CDAudio in the Second session {like some game cd's}

(Mixed Mode CD's are not playable on standard CD players but are for computer use only)

 

that's what the book says which is why I use the term "Enhanced CD"

 

until I figure out how to do the DAO CDAudio first without closing the Disc

& just closing the session I'm stuck with those weird files because if I do the data portion first

it doesn't play in CD players (it just makes static on some and won't do anything on others).

 

I had to do the research carefully before going ahead and burning these because the boss doesn't want

hundreds of these returned because they don't play, so I made bloody sure which one to use.

 

 

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

[d_deweywright]

Thanks d_deweywright;

 

I'll fiddle around with it some more

I've never been able to get access to the checkbox for allow another recording on the DAO selection

which closes the Audio disc when it's done,

I can check the box when I'm doing a data CD session but it's grayed out for Audio CD's projects.

I usually burn DAO because TAO is a real pain when it adds the 2 seconds between tracks

a real nuisance when recording raw speech audio that shouldn't have those gaps

 

I've got the ECDC 5 book open here and it's chapter 13 & 14 that describe;

Enhanced CD's (a.k.a.CD Extra; CD Plus)

and

Mixed Mode CD's

 

Enhanced CD's have the CDAudio in the First session/track and the data portion in the Second session/track

(enhanced CD's play in cd players and show the data track on computers)

 

Mixed Mode CD's have the data portion in the First session and the CDAudio in the Second session {like some game cd's}

(Mixed Mode CD's are not playable on standard CD players but are for computer use only)

 

that's what the book says which is why I use the term "Enhanced CD"

 

until I figure out how to do the DAO CDAudio first without closing the Disc

& just closing the session I'm stuck with those weird files because if I do the data portion first

it doesn't play in CD players (it just makes static on some and won't do anything on others).

 

I had to do the research carefully before going ahead and burning these because the boss doesn't want

hundreds of these returned because they don't play, so I made bloody sure which one to use.

 

 

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

Well, unfortunately, I don't have ECDC 5 installed anymore, but I don't recall having a problem selecting the Session at Once (DAO w/out closing the disc) button. I suspect Roxio decided not to deal with difference between CD Extra and Enhanced CDs, and just writes them all with the Audio session first. As you want, it's much more compatible/playable.

 

What is the source for your Audio files? Are they .WAV files on your HD?

[Richard Fdisk.exe]

 

the Audio is Track00 - ##.wav files from one large .wav file; 20071230.wav in this case;

which is when it was recorded;

we just do everything by date here because naming them otherwise

gets way too confusing especially for archiving purposes this way makes it simple

 

what I do to get the tracks is open the file set the snapping to "Snap to cues" and then

do save selection as... & save without the track index / cue marker in the file (extra non-audio info)

 

Track01.wav

...

until the last track is split off

then open defrag and check for fragmented files

and manually defrag any files that need it

(way faster that way, just grab and copy to any where and they usually get defragged )

check again and close defrag

 

Track00.wav is the intro info

Track01.wav is the beginning of the file

 

and all files (*.wav; *.mp3; etc.) reside on an internal Hard Disk

I won't burn from a network location nor an external drive / device.

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

 

[Brendon]

until I figure out how to do the DAO CDAudio first without closing the Disc

& just closing the session I'm stuck with those weird files because if I do the data portion first

it doesn't play in CD players (it just makes static on some and won't do anything on others).

Hi Richard,

 

Does this help? It's the Setup box you get when you click on 'Burn' in Creator 5, Music Disc project.

 

 

 

Regards,

Brendon

[d_deweywright]

Hi Richard,

 

Does this help? It's the Setup box you get when you click on 'Burn' in Creator 5, Music Disc project.

 

Regards,

Brendon

Thanks for the picture, Brendon. That should help. I remember that vividly in my mind, but that doesn't help anyone else much.

[Richard Fdisk.exe]

-

Hi Brendon;

 

 

Yes, that's the screen but I can't check that check box

when I select an Audio CD Project and check DAO

it's blank and greyed out preventing me from checking it

 

or un-checking it when it has a mark in it

like when I change the Enhanced CD to DAO from TAO

it checks the box and greys it out preventing me from un-checking it

 

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

[d_deweywright]

-

Hi Brendon;

 

 

Yes, that's the screen but I can't check that check box

when I select an Audio CD Project and check DAO

it's blank and greyed out preventing me from checking it

 

or un-checking it when it has a mark in it

like when I change the Enhanced CD to DAO from TAO

it checks the box and greys it out preventing me from un-checking it

 

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

You have to set it up as an Audio CD and record the audio tracks first. That option may not be available if you've selected the "Enhanced CD" project. So, it's a two step process, first record the Audio Tracks, then record the data files in the second session.

 

Are you starting by selecting the Audio (or Music) CD project? And is Buffer Underrun Protection selected?

 

Once you've got a finished disc, you may be able to read the ISO or .C2D image of it and use that to record subsequent discs.

[Richard Fdisk.exe]

Hi d_deweywright;

 

here's what it looks like when I just want an audio CD;

> select Audio CD from the project selector

> add audio tracks

> hit the "big red button" (record/burn)

> get the above dialog / record cd options window; (screen shot that Brendon provided)

> check Disc-at-once

> allow another recording is empty and grayed out, and no amount of clicking on it will make a check in the box

 

if I burn this CD I cannot add another session to the CD because it's "closed"

 

- - -

here's what it looks like when I go the other way and want both the Audio and Data on the CD;

> select Audio or Data CD from the project selector

> in the main window, goto the menu bar and select new project > Enhanced CD

> add audio tracks to the audio CD portion

> add data to the data portion

> hit the "big red button" (record/burn)

> get the above dialog / record cd options window

> check Disc-at-once

> allow another recording is checked & grayed out and no amount of clicking will change it

 

if I select the other type (Mixed - mode CD) then the audio CD session isn't playable except on computers

because Data Track comes first only some cd players will still see the second track as containing Audio

I have a Sony Diskman that will play these but I have to select Track02 before allowing it to play

so when I put the CD in it I have to hit pause when it first starts to spin it up then hit the Track advance

button then the play button. if I allow the data track (Track01) to play it just makes weird scratchy / squealy noises

 

the enhancedCD project places the Audio tracks for the Audio CD portion first on the disc then the data track;

when I burn this disk it works fine (plays in cd players & the data track is readable on computers),

but it has those garbage files & Directories on it which prevented me from adding all the data I wanted to

on the last disc I created, I had to leave out one of the MP3 files even though the bar on the bottom showed

free space available there wasn't enough free space available to add the junk files so it kept spitting the disc

out and refusing to burn.

 

I appreciate the time & effort, THX

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

[d_deweywright]

Hi d_deweywright;

 

here's what it looks like when I just want an audio CD;

> select Audio CD from the project selector

> add audio tracks

> hit the "big red button" (record/burn)

> get the above dialog / record cd options window; (screen shot that Brendon provided)

> check Disc-at-once

> allow another recording is empty and grayed out, and no amount of clicking on it will make a check in the box

 

if I burn this CD I cannot add another session to the CD because it's "closed"

 

- - -

here's what it looks like when I go the other way and want both the Audio and Data on the CD;

> select Audio or Data CD from the project selector

> in the main window, goto the menu bar and select new project > Enhanced CD

> add audio tracks to the audio CD portion

> add data to the data portion

> hit the "big red button" (record/burn)

> get the above dialog / record cd options window

> check Disc-at-once

> allow another recording is checked & grayed out and no amount of clicking will change it

 

if I select the other type (Mixed - mode CD) then the audio CD session isn't playable except on computers

because Data Track comes first only some cd players will still see the second track as containing Audio

I have a Sony Diskman that will play these but I have to select Track02 before allowing it to play

so when I put the CD in it I have to hit pause when it first starts to spin it up then hit the Track advance

button then the play button. if I allow the data track (Track01) to play it just makes weird scratchy / squealy noises

 

the enhancedCD project places the Audio tracks for the Audio CD portion first on the disc then the data track;

when I burn this disk it works fine (plays in cd players & the data track is readable on computers),

but it has those garbage files & Directories on it which prevented me from adding all the data I wanted to

on the last disc I created, I had to leave out one of the MP3 files even though the bar on the bottom showed

free space available there wasn't enough free space available to add the junk files so it kept spitting the disc

out and refusing to burn.

 

I appreciate the time & effort, THX

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

But what about the "Buffer Underrun Protection" option? Is that available and checked? I have a nagging thought that that option is involved. Also, what specific version of ECDC 5 are you running (under "Help" -> "About")?

[Richard Fdisk.exe]

Hi d_deweywright;

 

the Version Number in the About Box is 5.3.5.10

 

and the Buffer under run is checked

 

anyhow here's what I discovered

but creates another problem

if I hit the "big red burn button" without a CD in the drive

I can select the checkbox "allow another recording"

but then the selected write speed is buggered up

and I can't change it from 32x/Max. (I never burn @ any higher than 4x for Audio CD's or 8X for Data CD's)

I have 4x as default but the default only shows up when there's a disc in before I press the burn button

and I cannot select 4x if I put a disc in after I press the burn button, presumably because it's reading the

CD's "Preffered speeds"

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

[Brendon]

Richard,

 

Which drive are you burning with, and what model is it? Have you tried this with any of your other drives?

 

You have the class of writers in your sig but not model numbers, so the sig is of no use to check the actual capabilities of your drives.

 

If any of those drives is at all modern and you have half-decent CDs you should be able to write a good audio disc at 32x speed. If you carry on and write the disc with "allow another recording" checked [disregarding the speed] can you afterwards write a data session on the disc?

 

Regards,

Brendon

[d_deweywright]

Let me agree with Brendon that writing your disc at 4X does not guarantee that it will be a "better" write than at 32X. I know some folks who have done some testing (some with very expensive test equipment) and have shown that writing a disc slower then the drives rated max speed actually resulted in more errors than when writing at the max speed. These are measured results. That being said, I know too of much anecdotal evidence to support writing slower. My point is that there is evidence for both writing slower and faster. If you haven't tested both write speeds and seen evidence to support the idea that writing slower in your drive is "better", why not try faster?

[Richard Fdisk.exe]

Hi Brendon / d_deweywright;

 

the stuff in my sig. is my home equipment not the older stuff @ work, which is what I'm currently using ECDC5 on

I have EMC9 @ home and I installed an old CD/RW I got out of a Compaq P4 for doing audio CD's because the

newer drives I have won't burn any CD-R properly without errors (even the good CD's get roasted)

the drives I have @ home will only do a decent data burn to CDRW's

if I put a CD-R in them and try to burn an audio CD

the resulting disc is usually so bad that it's a coaster

when I use a CD-R for a Data disk it usually isn't all that great either;

neither the SATA nor the E-IDE burners in my machine, burn CD's all that great

 

- - - -

anyhow back to the office stuff;

the burners I'm using in the office machine are;

 

> _NEC DVD+RW ND-2100AD

 

and it blows audio CD's that are written any higher than 4X

 

The other burner in the machine is fairly new;

DELL just shipped it out to us under the service contract

but I only use it for burning Data DVD's

& the DVD RW's for file transfering;

 

> PHILIPS DVD+-RW DVD8801

 

the CD's that I am making are the "master" copies that go into duplicators

and if there's one error on the Master CD the duplicators crash and all the

copies are ruined.

 

Also a couple of years back I was informed by the IT guy's Boss that

I can't burn @ high speeds because the HD's and the drive controllers

in the machine don't support high enough data transfer rates

here's an example; the transfer rate for the HD in the laptop is faster than

both drives on the P4 combined, if I take the exact same file and open it

on both machines, say a 35 minute *.wav audio session for example

it takes 1/2 the time on the laptop to open the file than it does on the desktop

 

the laptop is a core2duo @ 1.83 GHz w/1GB RAM

the desktop is a P4 @ 2.99 GHz w/3GB RAM

both are XP SP2

the laptop has a 74GB HD partitioned to C:\20GB & D:\54GB

the Desktop has C:\ 120GB & D:\ 160GB

both machines drives are defragmented daily (that is everyday that they're run)

 

I'll continue to fiddle with it and see if I can get that check box available with the disc in

here's a link to an image of a high speed session sandwiched between other sessions burned @ 4x

 

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

[Brendon]

Okay Richard,

 

I just reinstalled ECDC5 again and have been having a play. [Gee, it's good to get back to the clean, uncluttered version 5!!]

 

I went to 'Make a music CD' and threw three music tracks in the project. Set things for DAO and 'allow another recording' and burned it. No problems.

 

I then went to a Data CD project and dragged in some files. When I went to burn the data project to the same CD, Creator asked me if I wanted to 'make a new volume' so I told it Yes. In case there was likely to be any issues with having the disc open, I also told it at this point to close the CD when done.

 

That burned very nicely thank you, and I have been left with a CD which plays happily in my CD player but shows as a data disc if I put it in the computer. I can get the files off it, and I can play the music with the HACP player or Windows Media Player. I think that's what you're wanting, isn't it?

 

Here's what ECDC says it is . .

 

Please note I made that with my DW1640. Your DVD8801 is near if not equivalent to the DW1650, so should work even if your old NEC won't.

 

I don't see that transfer speeds should be a trouble with the CPU speed you have in the desktop, or with the optical drives. The NEC can write a CD at 32x, which is much less than DVD 4x so your system should be able to handle it unless your hard drive(s) are really really old clunkers. [if that's the case, your business should replace them - you're not writing at 78 r.p.m.!]

 

I think the issues which need to be dealt with are (1) can your NEC drive hack the pace? Try the Philips instead.

(2) This problem with checking the box. I have no trouble like that on my system with V5.3.5.10 in XP-SP2 and either my BenQ or my LG drive. Are you in a position to cleanly reinstall Easy CD Creator to try and clear the box-checking/writing speed problem?

 

Regards,

Brendon

 

[Richard Fdisk.exe]

Hi Brendon;

 

the sun must be coming up now there; on your side of the world,

here it's just starting to get a bit darker

 

anyhow,

I'll do some asking around about a re-install but I might have to accidentally

oops, delete a couple of the files or something relating to it so it needs to be reinstalled but

that's taking my job and placing it into the hands of someone else to decide if I should still have it.

 

& I do recall you mentioning before about a total delete / uninstall and reinstall before,

because of another problem with not being able to add sessions / Data to DVD+RW in either drive.

I could burn the first session only and if I tried to add it would say errors on the disc and spit it out and I would

have to fight with getting the disc erased but once I did manage to, it would be fine again,

 

-back to the subject at hand;

the IT guys have these machine so bloated with networking junk & anti-this, that and the other thing

& that's where I'm losing some performance, (actually quite a bit)

there's a minimum of 40 processes right @ boot

and a few of the McAfee ones run @ Priority Class {HIGH} and bog the machine

my home machine I've stripped the processes bare to 24-26 @ boot depending on some of the weird ones like

adobe reader speed launcher starts once in a while and then disappears after a while (anywhere from 3 minutes to half an hour)

3 or 4 of them are for the E-MU card and 4 for the onboard video chip

and most of the rest are classified as "Essential" for windows like RPC etc.

and it still won't burn good CDA's or Data CD's @ high speeds even with the Tayio Yueden Top Class CD's with the nice pretty blue dye

and those are supposed to be rated @ 48x with the preferred speeds starting @ minimum 10x going up to 48x

(it's been a while since I tried, because I hate coasters)

 

I've got binders upon binders of 4X (PC Burned) & real-time burned from an "HHB Burn-It" live direct to CD recording unit

master CDA's that are good, but every-time the burn speed has been set to something other than 4x by some PC ghost, bug, etc.

and I don't notice it wasn't what I usually set it at the disc is bombed even though it says disc created successfully,

when I do an extraction for comparison as well as try to use it in the duplicators they're junk

so I decided to set the default @ 4x in 2004 so I wouldn't ever have to check again.

I still do post burn audio extractions and write batch scripts to compare the contents of Data CD's / DVD's

using FC/b for a binary bit for bit comparison of the original against the file on the Data CD / DVD

 

but I will definitely fiddle around and do some experiments with it and order a few extra tubes of CD's

just in case a whole pile of them get bombed.

 

 

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

[d_deweywright]

Okay Richard,

 

I just reinstalled ECDC5 again and have been having a play. [Gee, it's good to get back to the clean, uncluttered version 5!!]

 

I went to 'Make a music CD' and threw three music tracks in the project. Set things for DAO and 'allow another recording' and burned it. No problems.

 

I then went to a Data CD project and dragged in some files. When I went to burn the data project to the same CD, Creator asked me if I wanted to 'make a new volume' so I told it Yes. In case there was likely to be any issues with having the disc open, I also told it at this point to close the CD when done.

 

That burned very nicely thank you, and I have been left with a CD which plays happily in my CD player but shows as a data disc if I put it in the computer. I can get the files off it, and I can play the music with the HACP player or Windows Media Player. I think that's what you're wanting, isn't it?

 

Here's what ECDC says it is . .

 

 

<snip>

 

Regards,

Brendon

Brendon, could you fire up ECDC 5 one more time, and try setting the speed down on your writer, and see if that affects the availability of the "Leave Disc Open" button?

[Brendon]

Hi Dave,

 

No difference whether I select 4x or 48x speed.

 

The only thing about 'Allow another recording' is that you have to click the Disc-at-once radio button before you can access the 'Allow another recording'.

 

Brendon

[Richard Fdisk.exe]

Hi Brendon;

 

does your's gray out if you put a disc in first before pressing the burn button or can you check or uncheck it either way?

 

this one's configured to "disc at once" as the default since I hate having coasters burned because of the two second gaps created in track at once;

(two second gaps really suck in the middle of a sentence between words)

 

kinda like

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

this!

 

cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

 

Edit: [rather than add another post]

 

I got it!

I changed the setting back to track@Once and it complained about losing all the current effects?

but when I changed back to Disc@Once the checkbox for "allow another recording" is now available

 

Thanks Again to all for the help!

Cheers!

( «►RfD◄» )

[Richard Fdisk.exe]

Hi Again;

 

problem #2

I get the box checked for allow another recording

and then try to add my data session and all it does is spit the disc out

saying

 

"The Disc Is Not Blank!"

 

now what? the disc is ruined!

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

[Brendon]

Hi Brendon;

 

does your's gray out if you put a disc in first before pressing the burn button or can you check or uncheck it either way?

It doesn't grey out, I can check or uncheck it either way.

 

When I go to write the data part it doesn't spit the disc out either, just asks me if I want to create a new volume on the disc, and I tell it 'yes'. I think from memory I've got it set to automatically import the contents of any previous session - I always have it that way - and it says something along the lines of "there's nothing to import, do you want to create a new volume?". Perhaps you should try that auto-import setting.

 

I don't know what's up in your system, it seems to be behaving strangely. That's why I suggested a clean uninstall/reinstall.

 

Regards,

Brendon

[Richard Fdisk.exe]

Hi Brendon;

 

I tried to import the first session (audio portion)

 

and it did tell me "nothing to import"

 

but it didn't ask if I wanted to create another volume

 

the dialog just said nothing to import and had only one button [OK]

 

when I went into "disc info"

it showed there was session 1 audio session and a blank session 2

and also showed the free space available but I couldn't use it for some strange reason

 

I'm just thinking if this is related to the other problem I have & that is that I cannot seem to

add another data session to a data DVD R or RW

(data cd's used to work but I'm betting that's probably bombed also)

I seem only to be able to write the first session to anything now

anyhow I'm going to do a combo attempt with the two machines

and that's write the first session (audio) w/ECDC 5 and then move the data

over to the laptop w/ the "creator dell edition" and see if it works if not I'll take it home and

try adding it there.

 

I'll try and make a suggestion with the boss & IT about doing a re-install

(I might have to bring them in here & show them how many times a "Re-Install" has been suggested

& how much time has been consumed on this)

 

here's the dialog boxes:

 

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )

[Brendon]

Hi Richard,

 

I burned the audio disc as seen in the above post, with 'Disc at Once' and 'Allow another recording' selected. [note: once you check the 'allow another recording' box, 'write CD-Text' is disabled and greyed-out.]

 

After burning I selected a new project, data disc. Here are the project settings, and burn settings for the data part. I didn't ask it to import, other than having these settings.

 

Here's the response I got when I went to burn the data onto the audio disc

 

 

I clicked 'Yes' and we were off! The result was what was wanted.

 

If you don't get the same responses from Creator 5, there's something wrong with it.

 

Regards,

Brendon

 

[Richard Fdisk.exe]

Brendon

 

Thanks again for continuing to help;

 

I'm wondering about 2 things

the machine was shipped with ECDC 5 Basic from Dell {minus Direct CD and a couple of features}

I found the box for "Platinum" in the software cabinet and the machine it was originally installed on was decommissioned.

 

now here's what I'm thinking.

 

1 ► when "IT" installed Platinum over Basic, it wasn't "Zapped" it was just "Add/Remove" programs

a► actually I put the CD for Platinum in and it told me that I had to remove the Basic first and when I went to it cancel I hit OK and it bombed it but

didn't install because I don't have the admin. passwords etc. (my "account" is above power user but below admin.)

2 ► when IT installed Platinum Direct CD was excluded

a► I called IT and told them I needed Direct CD to recover some CD's;

b► so IT did a temporary Install but daily crashes prevented me from burning anything, but I did recover all Data

 

after I had recovered the data from the old "Direct CD" formatted CD's I called IT and said "all CD's recovered; time to remove Direct CD again"

 

now I'm thinking that there may be bits of Basic remaining preventing me from accessing some of the features or just buggering thing up in general

 

I'll definitely make a case for reinstall with IT (I've mentioned this to the boss today and got the ball rolling towards this, next step is IT and justify the cost.)

 

 

 

Thanks again for the continued help.

 

Cheers

( «►RfD◄» )