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CD-RW full disk can’t view contents

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Windows XP. I had been saving my digital pictures to a CD-RW over the past couple of months. Everything was working fine, then I added a new folder to the CD-RW to prepare to add more digi pics and suddenly I can not add to or open the file on the disk! The machine reads there is no disk in the drive. I can not view the files in explorer or my computer, nor can I get the slideshow to work with it, which worked previously. Help! These are the only copies of the pics I have!

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In reply to CD-RW full disk can’t view contents

Disk being full should not matter. If drive is not recognizing disk, it’s likely that either disk or drive is faulty.

Try another disk in your drive and see if it is recognized. If not, drive or it’s drivers have failed.

Also try reading your RW disk in another XP machine with a CD-RW or DVD-RW drive.

I have had many problems with CD-RW disks over the years, mostly when using packet writing software.

I always recommend saving important files to both a hard disk and removable media. Believe it or not, hard disks are more reliable than most removable media, especially floppy disks and multi use CD-RW disks.

Good luck.

Dalton

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In reply to Reply To: CD-RW full disk can’t view contents

I had already tried the drive with another CD-RW and it worked. I will try another XP machine and pray I can get the pictures back. I had just recently deleted these off of my hard drive! How depressing. Lesson learned. Thank you.

Reply To: CD-RW full disk can’t view contents

In reply to CD-RW full disk can’t view contents

First, check if a different disk works properly.

If a different disk does not work, then you have a driver or hardware issue.

The driver for your CD-RW drive is part of a combination of the IDE driver for the chip-set on your motherboard and the CD recording software you are using.

If a new disk functions properly, now for the bad news.
I have seen MANY a CD-RW disk suddenly loose it’s formatting.
Basically, it becomes a blank CD-RW disk again.

I no longer use CD-RW disks as the sole location of any critical or non-replaceable files.
Except for transferring files, I make a minimum of 2 copies of ANY file stored on a CD-RW disk.

Even when burning files to a CD-R, I typically make at least 3 CDs of any files I consider important.

Chas

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In reply to Reply To: CD-RW full disk can’t view contents

Please see comment for Answer 1, same. Thank you.

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