Unreadable CD. What to do?

[huw_1]

I have a CD that my PC can't even see but Roxio can see that there is something on it, what's my best course of action folks? When I go into the 'Disc and Device Utility' it states:-

 

"CD-RW, Single session (with Mode 2-XA data), 1 Session(s), Track(s), Not appendable, Used space: 538.6MB (61:16:44 MSF / 275,744 Blocks)".

 

Is there any way I can get to see what's on it?

 

Also, I haven't got any instructions for this software. Will my IT section have them or are they on-line somewhere?

[d_deweywright]

I have a CD that my PC can't even see but Roxio can see that there is something on it, what's my best course of action folks? When I go into the 'Disc and Device Utility' it states:-

 

"CD-RW, Single session (with Mode 2-XA data), 1 Session(s), Track(s), Not appendable, Used space: 538.6MB (61:16:44 MSF / 275,744 Blocks)".

 

Is there any way I can get to see what's on it?

 

Also, I haven't got any instructions for this software. Will my IT section have them or are they on-line somewhere?

You'll likely need some other recovery utility software like ISOBuster or CD-Roller, but there's no guarantee that any of the data on the disc will be recoverable. Since the disc is recognized as a CD-RW (erasable) disc, it's possible that it has "spontaneously deteriorated" to where the data isn't readable anymore. Or, it's possible that it was written in DAO mode and the burn itself failed, so that all that's on the disc is the table of contents, or part of the TOC, and the rest of the disc didn't actually get written.

 

You could try, with absolutely no guarantees, to let Disc and Device Utility read the track off the disc. (Click the "Read Track" button when you select the track.) If it actually succeeds in reading a .ISO file, you could either look at it by loading it up in Disc Image Loader, or write it to CD-R and see what you can see.

 

My bet is that you'll need a recovery program, and may not be able to get everything.

 

If this is a disc you wrote, keep in mind that CD-R (write once) media is much more reliable than CD-RW (erasable) media for any sort of long-term storage.

 

Good luck!

[grandpabruce]

Dave is correct on what to use to try to recover that data. You used Drag to Disc to copy it, which is not a good idea. I won't even load it, or any other packet writing software on my computer. I use Creator Classic to backup my important files.

[huw_1]

Ah, thank you folks, I was away from work for a while and forgot, when I came back, about this question I'd asked.

 

Dave, I have been able to read this disc in the past. I can't remember how long ago I recorded to it, perhaps over five years ago. Should have used a recordable disc, usually do for storage, don't know why I used RW for this but then I don't know what's on it. I did use the 'Read Track' button and after spending quite some time it eventually planted a file on my hard drive called 'Track01.ISO'. If I double click that file Roxio Disk Copier opens and when I try to copy that ISO file onto a blank CD-R the message "Invalid parameter" pops up. I don't appear to have Disc Image Loader.

 

Grandpabruce, how do you know I used Drag to Disc to copy it? Is that what 'Mode 2- XA data' means?

[grandpabruce]

Ah, thank you folks, I was away from work for a while and forgot, when I came back, about this question I'd asked.

 

Dave, I have been able to read this disc in the past. I can't remember how long ago I recorded to it, perhaps over five years ago. Should have used a recordable disc, usually do for storage, don't know why I used RW for this but then I don't know what's on it. I did use the 'Read Track' button and after spending quite some time it eventually planted a file on my hard drive called 'Track01.ISO'. If I double click that file Roxio Disk Copier opens and when I try to copy that ISO file onto a blank CD-R the message "Invalid parameter" pops up. I don't appear to have Disc Image Loader.

 

Grandpabruce, how do you know I used Drag to Disc to copy it? Is that what 'Mode 2- XA data' means?

 

I think that is what the Mode 2 means, but my memory isn't always the best. Too much info on burning software has loaded the cells in my brain.

[d_deweywright]

I think that is what the Mode 2 means, but my memory isn't always the best. Too much info on burning software has loaded the cells in my brain.

I'm sure you could select Mode 2 XA from within ECDC 5, not Direct CD, so I don't think it's necessarily related. However, now that you have the .ISO from the CD, you could try running ISO Buster against it. The free version should at least tell you if there is anything it recognizes. I don't know what the limitations of the free version are, or if you buy it, if it'll be able to correctly read any files, but it does do some impressive work, I've used it. I've also has problems with it, but that may have been a combination of hardware and disc/disk issues.

 

Even if it were written using Direct CD/Packet Writing, ISO Buster should be able to find something, if it's there to be found.

 

Hope that helps!

[huw_1]

I'm still here. Thanks for the replies folks. I haven't had time to sort this out yet, they keep on giving me things to do at work here ..... the rotters. I'll have a look at it next week.

[ogdens]

I think that is what the Mode 2 means, but my memory isn't always the best. Too much info on burning software has loaded the cells in my brain.

 

FYI

 

Mode 2: CD-ROM XA was selected when making a Multisession CD in ECDC 5 Data Project. Nothing to do with Direct CD.

[grandpabruce]

FYI

 

Mode 2: CD-ROM XA was selected when making a Multisession CD in ECDC 5 Data Project. Nothing to do with Direct CD.

 

Thanks, Ogdens. I am still wondering why I thought it had something to do with Direct CD.

[huw_1]

However, now that you have the .ISO from the CD, you could try running ISO Buster against it. The free version should at least tell you if there is anything it recognizes.

 

Mmmm, I don't fancy downloading an application onto my PC myself. I'll get the blame if it messes something up on my PC. I'll try and get someone from IT to do it for me sometime.

 

Thanks for the help folks.

[tbrewst]

After reading this it could be some kind of enhanced cd.

 

Data on a CD-ROM is stored in sectors, or blocks of data. Each sector holds 2,352 bytes of data.

On a Mode 1 disc:

 

• 16 bytes of data is used to identify to the CD-ROM reader the location and identity of the block.
  
• Then follows 2,048 bytes of user data.
  
• There is also 304 bytes of extra error correction, above and beyond the standard error correction that exists on all CDs. This is needed because data CD-ROMs are less tolerant to faults than audio CDs.
  

On a Mode 2XA disc, the extra error correction is dispensed with, allowing 2,336 bytes of user data per sector. This means that because a disc can rotate at only a finite speed, you can read more data per rotation from a Mode 2XA disc than from a Mode 1 disc, making a Mode 2XA disc ideal for multimedia applications, such as QuickTime and MPEG video playback, where high reading speed is critical. But it is at the expense of the extra error correction given by the Mode 1 format.

 

Therefore, static data (such as text documents, PDFs, graphics, HTML, PowerPoint presentations, etc) should always be recorded Mode 1. Video files, and Enhanced CDs (CDs containing both CD Audio and CD-ROM data) should always be recorded Mode 2XA. This discussion about the merits of Mode 1 or Mode 2XA does not apply to DVD-ROM, because there is no option to record DVD-ROM discs in Mode 2XA.

[huw_1]

Thanks for that Terry. Complicated, but I think I got the jist of it. So, the next question has to be, how do you buy a Mode 1 or Mode 2XA CD? I can see nothing on the packaging of a batch of CDs I have here that mentions whether they are Mode 1 or 2XA.

[ogdens]

Thanks for that Terry. Complicated, but I think I got the jist of it. So, the next question has to be, how do you buy a Mode 1 or Mode 2XA CD? I can see nothing on the packaging of a batch of CDs I have here that mentions whether they are Mode 1 or 2XA.

 

You are getting all mixed up.

 

Mode 1 or Mode 2XA was a choice (option) that was made when using ECDC 5 (older version of Roxio) .

 

As was suggested earlier get one of the recovery utility software like ISOBuster or CD-Roller.

[huw_1]

Ah haa, I see. Thanks.