Cannot Retrieve Info From CDs

wrote:

On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 11:23:19 -0700, Mike Richter
wrote:

wrote:
I burned four CD-RWs last week. I cannot access two of them.

The two I cannot access had a 400MB single PGP encrypted archive on
each of them.

The two I could access had multiple PGP encrypted archives on them
consisting of files no larger than 200MB. I kept getting the message
that the drive could not read the format.

These were all burned on the same machine last week using the same
software on the same day.

The discs are Memorex 24X. My drive is a 50X jobber, if all this
matters.

It matters - a lot. 24x erasables are Ultra Speed; they should be
written only in an Ultra Speed drive; look carefully at the logo on the
faceplate of your drive. It may show Ultra Speed, High Speed (most
likely) or neither. You should use matching erasable media since the
alloy used is different and its recording process is different for each
speed class. If you can't find the logo, the rule is that Ultra Speed
has a rating above 10x; High Speed is rated for a maximum of 4-10x;
unlabelled is a maximum of 4x. If the drive or the medium is rated 4x,
it's probably the 'neither' category. Note that while it is sometimes
possible to write to the wrong category, error rates tend to be very high.

My drive is 50x, if that means anything.

What puzzles me is that two of the discs did copy OK.

Even if you have the right class of disc, the particular choice may be a
poor match for your drive. Again, measure the error rate and choose
media with few errors - both recoverable and not recoverable - if you
want to read the disc.

Finally, I assume that you are mastering the disc, not trying to write
packets.

Mike

Mastering? Haven't the slightest what that means. I'm using the UDF
method, at least that's what my program says. It allows me to erase,
delete and move things around.



You're using the least reliable method of writing to CD and also writing
to the least reliable kind of media. It isn't surprising that you have
problems. If you want your archives to last then burn in disc at once
mode to decent write once media (and I wouldn't call Memorex decent
media).

Cheers.

James.

In article ,
says...
You're using the least reliable method of writing to CD and also writing
to the least reliable kind of media. It isn't surprising that you have
problems. If you want your archives to last then burn in disc at once
mode to decent write once media (and I wouldn't call Memorex decent
media).

Cheers.

James.


Having used cdr since it became available, when a 1x burner
cost $350 (US) I concur with the above statement. CDRW is
NOT a reliable way to save data regardless of speed or
brand.

OTOH I've not had that kind of trouble with DvD-RW (either
+ or -).

If you MUST use eraseable media, I recommend DVD.

If you MUST use CD, Use CDR.


--
Larry Lynch
Mystic, Ct.

.. --------------------------------------
Mike Richter, were you born with
"Scam Artist" emblazoned on your face?
--------------------------------------

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm...mindspring.com

( No Pipsqueaks have been able to prove ANY of the above is a LIBEL )
( -- despite Mikey claimed to have proof of misquotes !! )

James Perrett squealed:

You're using the least reliable method of writing to CD and also writing
to the least reliable kind of media. It isn't surprising that you have
problems. If you want your archives to last then burn in disc at once
mode to decent write once media (and I wouldn't call Memorex decent
media).

Imagine then Take Two, supposedly a backup software, MUST use the least
reliable method of writing to CD -- and that's for Take Two to work
IDEALLY!!

=======================
From: Mike Richter (Acraptec ****)
Subject: A note on Take Two
Date: 9/1/99

For Take Two to work IDEALLY, your drive must support
packet writing and you must have DCD installed...to do it.
=======================

Moreover, the least reliable method of writing to CD was good enough for
BACKUP -- even when combined with not-decent CD-RW media:

=====================
From: Mike Richter (Acraptec ****)
Subject: A note on Take Two
Date: 9/1/99

You may back up ...to a DCD-formatted erasable.
=====================

.. --------------------------------------
Mike Richter, were you born with
"Scam Artist" emblazoned on your face?
--------------------------------------

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm...mindspring.com

( No Pipsqueaks have been able to prove ANY of the above is a LIBEL )
( -- despite Mikey claimed to have proof of misquotes !! )

James Perrett squealed:

You're using the least reliable method of writing to CD and also writing
to the least reliable kind of media. It isn't surprising that you have
problems. If you want your archives to last then burn in disc at once
mode to decent write once media (and I wouldn't call Memorex decent
media).

The OP got bitten by DirectCD bug. And the bug bites decent write once
media, too.

======================
From: Mike Richter (Roxio ****)
Subject: Direct CD - I know, I know, but could somebody help?
Date: 10/7/02

I formatted a new CDR, and successfully burned a 200 MB
mpeg file to it. I even ejected it, put it back in, played the
file, and everything seemed ok.)

But then when I tried to burn the second large file, it appeared
to write only about 20 seconds of the mpeg, and then just stopped.

packet writing is made for drag-and-drop of smaller files
======================

--------------------------------------
Mike Richter, were you born with
"Scam Artist" emblazoned on your face?
--------------------------------------

(Mike Richter, any Material Connection w/ Roxio?)

--------------------------------------
Mike Richter, were you born with
"Scam Artist" emblazoned on your face?
--------------------------------------

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm...mindspring.com

( No Pipsqueaks have been able to prove ANY of the above is a LIBEL )
( -- despite Mikey claimed to have proof of misquotes !! )


James Perrett squeaked:

You're using the least reliable method of writing to CD and also writing
to the least reliable kind of media. It isn't surprising that you have
problems. If you want your archives to last then burn in disc at once
mode to decent write once media (and I wouldn't call Memorex decent
media).

Imagine then Take Two, supposedly a backup software, MUST use the least
reliable method of writing to CD -- and that's for Take Two to work
IDEALLY!!

=======================
From: Mike Richter (Acraptec ****)
Date: 9/1/99

For Take Two to work IDEALLY, your drive must support
packet writing and you must have DCD installed...to do it.
=======================

Moreover, the least reliable method of writing to CD was good enough for
BACKUP -- even when combined with the least reliable CD-RW media:

=====================
From: Mike Richter (Acraptec ****)
Date: 9/1/99

You may back up ...to a DCD-formatted erasable.
=====================

The above was when Mikey was shilling for Take Two as the second coming.

But then when the reports of DirectCD bugs started pouring in, the SAME
combination of packet writing and CD-RW media that was good enough for
backup became -- LETHAL for archiving!!

======================
From: Mike Richter (Roxio ****)
Date: 10/15/01
Subject: File Integrity Errors - DirectCD Bug?

Combining the flaky UDF fixed-length packets with
the tendency of erasables (particularly HS) to forget
is LETHAL for archiving.
=====================

-------------------
What a Friggin SOB!
-------------------

--------------------------------------
Mike Richter, were you born with
"Scam Artist" emblazoned on your face?
--------------------------------------

(Mike Richter, any Material Connection w/ Roxio?)

wrote:
On Tue, 19 Oct 2004 11:49:35 -0400, Dave Cohen
wrote:

wrote:

On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 10:54:24 -0400, Dave Cohen
wrote:


wrote:


I burned four CD-RWs last week. I cannot access two of them.

The two I cannot access had a 400MB single PGP encrypted archive
on each of them.

The two I could access had multiple PGP encrypted archives on them
consisting of files no larger than 200MB. I kept getting the
message that the drive could not read the format.

These were all burned on the same machine last week using the same
software on the same day.

The discs are Memorex 24X. My drive is a 50X jobber, if all this
matters.

Is there some reason the two larger files can't be read but the
two discs with the smaller files can be read?

I just had the disc installed last week and thought it the end of
my backup problems. Ha!

I had crash problem and now find myself utterly screwed by
trusting those damn discs.

Any answers?

Possibly. I got a pack of 5 of the media you are using. Three
consistently fail to verify when I 'fill up' the cd. Changing write
speed doesn't help.
Try a 10x cd-rw, I have no problem at all with these (Memorex) or
old 4x cd-rw of which I have many left over from earlier machine.
No problem at all with any cd-r I have used.
Dave Cohen


I will definitely go lower in speed when I buy the next batch.

I'll tell you one thing, I'm going to make sure the next ones are OK
by writing them back to my disk before taking it for granted I have
them saved.

Thanks for answering.

Most mastering software offer a veriy option, burn4free does and my
LiteOn came with record now which offers same (once you find out
where they hide it).
Dave Cohen

I've scoured the Help section and can find no such animal, except for
when formatting the drive.

I'm surprised to hear the Memorex is not considered a decent product.
Which discs are considered prime?

When I want to be sure that my CD is written ok, I do this:
Put CD in another drive (not the writer in which it was burned), then wse
this little tool: http://www.elpros.si/CDCheck/ to compare the CD against
the original files which still are on my disk. Am not sure if this is better
than doing the verification in the writer itself, but somehow I feel this is
a more robust test.

On Tue, 19 Oct 2004 23:00:19 -0500, wrote:

I've scoured the Help section and can find no such animal, except for
when formatting the drive.

I'm jumping in on this conversation late, however I would like to
stress the proper use of terminology if you want proper help.

For example, read the original post quoted above. It is completely
inaccurate, as on can not "format" a CDR(W) drive. You can only
format CDR(W) media!

wrote:
On Wed, 20 Oct 2004 11:39:38 +0200, "Markus L"
wrote:


wrote:

On Tue, 19 Oct 2004 11:49:35 -0400, Dave Cohen
wrote:


wrote:


On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 10:54:24 -0400, Dave Cohen
wrote:



wrote:



I burned four CD-RWs last week. I cannot access two of them.

The two I cannot access had a 400MB single PGP encrypted archive
on each of them.

The two I could access had multiple PGP encrypted archives on them
consisting of files no larger than 200MB. I kept getting the
message that the drive could not read the format.

These were all burned on the same machine last week using the same
software on the same day.

The discs are Memorex 24X. My drive is a 50X jobber, if all this
matters.

Is there some reason the two larger files can't be read but the
two discs with the smaller files can be read?

I just had the disc installed last week and thought it the end of
my backup problems. Ha!

I had crash problem and now find myself utterly screwed by
trusting those damn discs.

Any answers?

Possibly. I got a pack of 5 of the media you are using. Three
consistently fail to verify when I 'fill up' the cd. Changing write
speed doesn't help.
Try a 10x cd-rw, I have no problem at all with these (Memorex) or
old 4x cd-rw of which I have many left over from earlier machine.
No problem at all with any cd-r I have used.
Dave Cohen


I will definitely go lower in speed when I buy the next batch.

I'll tell you one thing, I'm going to make sure the next ones are OK
by writing them back to my disk before taking it for granted I have
them saved.

Thanks for answering.

Most mastering software offer a veriy option, burn4free does and my
LiteOn came with record now which offers same (once you find out
where they hide it).
Dave Cohen

I've scoured the Help section and can find no such animal, except for
when formatting the drive.

I'm surprised to hear the Memorex is not considered a decent product.
Which discs are considered prime?

When I want to be sure that my CD is written ok, I do this:
Put CD in another drive (not the writer in which it was burned), then wse
this little tool: http://www.elpros.si/CDCheck/ to compare the CD against
the original files which still are on my disk. Am not sure if this is better
than doing the verification in the writer itself, but somehow I feel this is
a more robust test.


Since I cannot for the life of me find any "verify" function for
writing to the disk in my Nero Express, I would try the tool you
suggest. However, don't you need a 2nd CD reader on your machine to
"compare the CD against the original files?"

This is very disheartning to find that after as long a time as these
drives have been on the market that they are so undependable. There
simply isn't any reason for this situation to be. And they want us to
now buy DVD drives? They don't even have a common standard for those
things yet.

I am looking into how to run 3 hard drives with my machine. In my
short experience with CD-RW, I have kind of had it with the whole
idea. It has cost me dearly, namely, a few years of collected data
files.

That button is on the burn page lower section