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What is a Data CD?
A data CD is a compact disc (CD) used for storing computer data. With Easy CD Creator, you can make your own data CD by recording any files and folders stored on your hard disk. Here are just some of the things you should know about a data CD:
- Unlike a music CD, a data CD is used for data storage only and cannot be played on your home stereo or car CD player.
- A data CD can typically hold up to 650 MB of data if you have a blank 74-minute CD-R or CD-RW disc, and 700 MB of data if you have a blank 80-minute CD-R disc.
- A data CD can be accessed on virtually any computer that has a CD-ROM or CD-Recorder drive.
- A data CD is ideal for backing up and archiving your important files such as spreadsheets, tax records, and financial data.
- A data CD is ideal for sharing multimedia presentations, graphics, CAD files, Internet downloads, Websites, and company documents with your colleagues.
CD-R and CD-RW
There are two types of recordable media that are used for making your own CDs:
- CD Recordable (CD-R)
- CD ReWritable (CD-RW)
You can obtain blank CD-R or CD-RW discs where you purchased your CD-Recorder or at local computer retailers.
CD-Recordable Disks (CD-R)
Virtually all CD-ROM and CD-Recorder drives can read CD-R discs. CD-R discs are excellent for permanent data storage and should be used when you do not need to erase the data. They are less expensive per CD than CD-RW discs. Here are some ideas for using CD-R discs:
- Use when you want to make a music CD that you can play on your home or car stereo CD player.
- Use when you want to copy a music CD for your own personal use.
- Use when you want to permanently save large project files.
- Use when you want to permanently archive or store files, such as your home records, photos, or videos.
CD-ReWriteable (CD-RW)
CD-RW discs can only be used in CD-ReWritable drives and MultiRead CD-ROM drives. You cannot play a music CD made on a CD-RW disc in most home or car stereo CD players. Here are some ideas for using CD-RW discs:
- Use when you need to write, erase, rewrite, and update all your large files on CD.
- Use when you want to make a practice CD or test the contents of a CD before making a permanent one
Create a Data CD
With Easy CD Creator, you can make a data CD to store computer data such as the files and folders on your hard disk. This is especially useful for archiving your important files or sharing them with your colleagues. Unlike a music CD, a data CD is used for data storage only and cannot be played on your home or car stereo CD player.
To make a data CD:
| Step 1: |
Start a new data CD project. From the File menu, point to New CD Project, then select Data CD. |
| Step 2: |
Insert a blank CD into your CD-Recorder (the destination drive). |
| Step 3: |
In the Select Source Files drop-down list, select the folder where your files are located; a list of all files in the folder appears in the Source window.
The Source window is the part of the Easy CD Creator user interface where you select the files, folders, and tracks (the source) you want to record to a CD. To make any kind of CD with Easy CD Creator, the source must be selected from the Source window and then added to the CD project. |
| Step 4: |
In the Select Source Files drop-down list box in the Source window, select the folder where your files are located, or the CD-ROM drive where your CD is inserted; the contents of the folder or CD-ROM appear below the list box. |
| Step 5: |
Select the file, folder, or track (hold down the Ctrl or Shift key to select multiple files) in the Source window, and then click Add. The file is added to the CD project. |
| Step 6: |
Select the file (hold down the Ctrl or Shift key to select multiple files) in the Source window, and then click Add. The file is added to the data CD project. |
| Step 7: |
Click Record. The Record CD Setup dialog box appears. |
| Step 8: |
Click Start Recording. |
| *Note: |
Up to 650 MB (74-minute CD) or 700 MB (80-minute CD) of files and folders can be added to a data CD project. |
Direct CD
DirectCD prepares a CD-Recordable (CD-R), CD-ReWritable (CD-RW), or DVD-Recordable disc so you can directly copy files to it in much the same way that you copy files to a floppy disk or removable drive. You can then use Windows Explorer, or any other program that can read from and write to a drive letter, to copy files to a CD.
Some examples include:
- Software programs, such as Microsoft Word, when you use the Save or Save As commands
- Windows Explorer when you drag and drop files
- The Windows Explorer Send To command
DirectCD provides a file system based on UDF v.1.5 and writes data to the CD using packet writing technology. This file system gives you drive letter access to your CD-Recorder.
Uses for DirectCD
DirectCD is the easiest way to copy data files directly to a CD. Some of the uses for DirectCD include:
- Archiving data
- Backing up a hard disk
- Disseminating information to field offices
- Transferring and distributing data to other Windows systems
- Distributing databases
Easy CD Creator versus Direct CD
You should use CD mastering software, such as Easy CD Creator, to make CDs when you want to make:
- A test copy of a CD before having it factory-duplicated
- CDs that can be read on different operating systems such as DOS or Windows 3.x
- Music CDs
- Special data CDs, such as enhanced CDs
Refer to your CD mastering software's Online Help for more information.
Supported Platforms
DirectCD works under the following platforms:
- Windows 95/98
- Windows 98SE
- Windows NT v.4.0, Service Pack 3 and above
- Windows 2000
- Windows Millennium Edition
- Windows XP
Getting Started with Direct CD
Choose one of these ways to start DirectCD so you can begin copying files to your CD:
- On the Windows taskbar, click Start, Programs, DirectCD, and select DirectCD Format Utility.
- From the Easy CD Creator Project Selector window, click Make a Data CD, then click DirectCD.
- Double-click the CD icon on the Windows taskbar.
- Insert a CD-R, CD-RW, or DVD-Recordable disc that you already formatted using DirectCD or another UDF v.1.5–compatible program into your CD-Recorder. After a few seconds, the CD Ready dialog box appears. This tells you that you can now read and write your files using any program that can read from and write to a drive letter.
The main DirectCD window appears, where you can prepare a CD for drag and drop file copying.
The DirectCD Main window gives you access to DirectCD's functions and displays information about the selected CD-Recorder and CD. You prepare a CD here for file copying. You actually copy files to a CD using Windows Explorer or other Windows programs. See Copying Methods.
| Select CD |
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Select the CD-Recorder that contains the CD you want to work with. If you have only one CD-Recorder installed, that CD-Recorder is automatically selected for you. |
| CD Info |
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Displays the following information about the CD in the selected CD-Recorder. |
| Label |
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Name you typed to identify the CD. |
| Compressed |
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Compression status of the CD: Yes or No. |
| Total Space |
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Amount of data (in MB) that the CD can store. |
| Free Space |
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Amount of space (in MB) that is available for use on the CD. |
| Type |
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Type of CD. See Understanding the Type and Status for CD-R Discs and Understanding the Type and Status for CD-RW and DVD-Recordable Discs. |
| Used By |
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Program that is currently using the CD. |
| Status |
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Current state of the CD. See Understanding the Type and Status for CD-R Discs and Understanding the Type and Status for CD-RW and DVD-Recordable Discs. |
| Format CD |
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Displays the Format dialog box, where you can format a new, unused CD. Formatting a CD prepares it to accept files. You can also format a previously used CD-RW or DVD-Recordable disc, which makes any existing files on the CD unavailable. See Copying Files to a CD-R Disc for the First Time, Copying Files to a CD-RW Disc for the First Time, Copying Files to a DVD-Recordable Disc for the First Time. |
| Eject |
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Ejects the CD from the currently selected CD-Recorder. Depending on the type of CD and the options you have selected, the Eject Options dialog box may appear. See Ejecting a CD-R Disc, Ejecting a CD-RW Disc, Ejecting a DVD-Recordable Disc. |
| CD Utilities |
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Displays the Utilities dialog box, where you can access ScanDisc and UnDelete. See Fixing an Unreadable CD and Undeleting Files. |
| Erase CD |
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Allows you to erase the contents of a CD-RW or DVD-Recordable disc to free up space. See Erasing a CD. |
| Make Writable |
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Allows you to add files to a CD-R disc that was made using Easy CD Creator and the Close Session and Leave CD Open option. You must make the CD writable before you can add more files to the CD. See Adding More Files to an Easy CD Creator CD-R Disc. |
| Web-CheckUp |
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Launches your computer's Internet browser and automatically goes to a software update Website. See Using Web-CheckUp to Update DirectCD. |
| Options |
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Displays the Options dialog box, where you can change DirectCD's options. See Changing DirectCD's Options. |
Format a CD-R
Before you can copy files to a CD-R disc, you must format it.
*Note: The Format CD button is not available for a previously formatted CD-R disc.
To format a CD-R disc:
| Step 1: |
From the Select CD drop-down list box on the DirectCD window, select the CD-Recorder you want. |
| Step 2: |
Click Format CD. The Format dialog box appears. |
| Step 3: |
In the Label text box, type a name to identify your CD.
The CD label can be up to 11 characters. You cannot use the following characters in a label: \ / : ; * ? " < > | + = . , [ ]. If you are formatting a CD-R disc, you have no Format Type options available and the formatting takes 15 to 30 seconds. |
| Step 4: |
Click Start Format. CD formatting begins and a progress dialog box appears. |
| Step 5: |
You can do other tasks on your computer while the CD is being formatted. The CD Ready dialog box appears when formatting is complete. |
| Step 6: |
Click OK. The CD is formatted and ready for files. |
Format a CD-RW
Before you can copy files to a CD-RW disc, you must format it.
You can also format the CD to erase its data. Using Quick Format for this purpose only deletes the internal directory where the files are listed. You can no longer see the files, but the files are still there.
Format or erase a CD-RW:
| Step1: |
From the Select CD drop-down list box on the DirectCD window, select the CD-Recorder. |
| Step 2: |
Click Format CD, the Format dialog box appears. |
| Step 3: |
In the Label text box, type a name to identify your CD.
The CD label can be up to 11 characters. You cannot use the following characters in a label: \ / : ; * ? " < > | + = . , [ ]. |
| Step 4: |
If you want to enable data compression on the CD, select the Enable Compression option. |
| Step 5: |
Select the Format Type you want to use. |
Formatting a blank CD-RW:
| Fast Format |
Fast format is a special type of formatting supported only on some CD-RW drives. You will only see this option if your drive supports it. Fast format allows you to start using the CD in 3 to 7 minutes, while the remaining formatting is done in the background. Background formatting takes up to 90 minutes to complete, depending on the speed of the CD-Recorder and the other work the computer is doing at the time.
You can safely interrupt fast formatting by ejecting the CD. The CD is still readable in other devices that reads CD-RW discs, but you cannot write data to it until formatting is complete. When you re-insert the CD into a drive that supports fast format, the formatting continues from where it left off. |
| Full Format |
Full format takes about 60 minutes for a 2x drive and about 15 minutes for an 8x drive. It verifies the integrity of the CD surface, prepares the CD for data, and writes the UDF file system to the CD. |
Formatting a CD-RW that has been fully formatted before:
| Quick Format |
Quick format takes only a few minutes. It writes the DirectCD file system to the CD, but does not verify the physical condition of the CD. Any files that were on the CD will not be accessible, but they are still on the CD. |
| Full Format |
Same as described for the Full Format option above. Any data that was on the CD will be completely erased. |
| Step 1: |
Click Start Format. CD formatting begins and a progress dialog box appears.
You can do other tasks on your computer while the CD is being formatted. The CD Ready dialog box appears when formatting is complete. |
| Step 2: |
Click OK. The CD is ready for you to write information to it. |
Moving Files to DirectCD
Once your CD is formatted and ready for data, you can copy files to it a number of ways:
- In Windows Explorer, drag and drop files onto the CD-Recorder drive letter.
- Select Save As from any Windows program's File menu and select the drive letter of your CD-Recorder.
- Use the Send To command by right-clicking a file in Windows Explorer and then selecting the drive letter of your CD-Recorder from the pop-up menu.
- Use MS-DOS commands from a DOS window.
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