FORMATTING A CD????

[Charlie]

I have the Windows XP operating system. I have tried to
find every way I KNOW to format a CD; there is NO "FORMAT"
OPTION for CD's on my D: (DVD) or E: (CD) drive? Is there
another way to format CD-R's? I also have 2 manuals for
Windows XP and I can't find any information on this
subject in them either???

Please Help!

[Harry Ohrn]

If you are using the term "format" to mean prepare a CD for packet writing
as you would with Direct CD or InCD then the answer is no. With XP you
simply drag and drop files or Send To the CD Writer and the files are burned
to disk using IS09660/Joliet format. Alex Nichol has an excellent primer
here on CD Burning in XP http://www.aumha.org/a/xpcd.htm

--

Harry Ohrn - MS MVP (Windows Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/
www.webtree.ca/newlife/


"Charlie" > wrote in message
...
> I have the Windows XP operating system. I have tried to
> find every way I KNOW to format a CD; there is NO "FORMAT"
> OPTION for CD's on my D: (DVD) or E: (CD) drive? Is there
> another way to format CD-R's? I also have 2 manuals for
> Windows XP and I can't find any information on this
> subject in them either???
>
> Please Help!

[R. C. White]

Hi, Charlie.

CD-R and CD-RW are handled quite differently. For a short
over-simplification: CD-RW is formatted and then used much like a very
large floppy or a very slow HD. CD-R is written to an unformatted disk as
an uninterrupted stream, formatting as it goes - no pre-formatting
necessary, or possible. (Newer products are blurring these distinctions; I
said this is a simplification. <g> )

That's why CD-R is typically used for music and for picture or other
archives that are not expected ever to be erased. CD-RW is better for
updatable files, including building up archives or collections to be burned
to CD-R later, when the collection is complete - or for rotating backups of
files, such as a father/grandfather system, where the oldest backup media
will be reused for the latest generation.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX

Microsoft Windows MVP

"Charlie" > wrote in message
...
> I have the Windows XP operating system. I have tried to
> find every way I KNOW to format a CD; there is NO "FORMAT"
> OPTION for CD's on my D: (DVD) or E: (CD) drive? Is there
> another way to format CD-R's? I also have 2 manuals for
> Windows XP and I can't find any information on this
> subject in them either???
>
> Please Help!