I recently bought a new computer with Windows XP (I have been a computer user for years). My new computer will not allow me to update files on disc. I can add to data on a cd but not delete or overwrite. I am told that the file is read only access. I have tried going into properties and changing the folder/file access to R/W but SOMETHING?? is resetting it. I keep all my accounts on cd and to update them I have to create a new file. To clear old data I have to reformat the disc. I am sure that there is a simple answer to my problem but I have yet to find it!

CAN YOU HELP ME PLEASE????


Gillian Davies

If you are talking about a cd-r, dvd-r, dvd+r those disks are designed by the manufacturer to be read only and that cannot be changed. The disk will have to end in rw to be re-writable and even then if the disk has been finalized you can't make any changes. If a cd-r has not been finalized you can "delete" a file but the file isn't really deleted it just doesn't show up; it is still taking up space on the disk but it isn't actually removed because it is a read only disk. If you keep doing that the disk will eventually fill up and then you can't do anything. cd is not designed to be a place to put files that you are continually updating but only as a way to transport from 1 computer to another or for backup purposes. The only way to update files on a re-writable disk is to delete them and overwrite them.

I am of course referring to CD-RW discs, I am well aware that you can't write to CD-R discs! Updating is perfectly possible with CD-RW discs without deleting - I have been doing it for years on my old computer (now dead) - you just open the file , make alterations and then save. Only, as I said it, doesn't work on my new machine.

GD

I'm sorry but I never know who knows what unless they say so in their first post. I haven't much experience using re-writable disks so I don't know what else to tell you. Perhaps someone else here will.

Is your optical drive recognized as a CD or DVD-RW, or just a CD or DVD-R?

Are you using media which the drive recognizes? (Not all drives will work with all brands of media.)

Hi
Thanks for your input. Both disc drives are OPTIARC DVD RW.
I hadn't thought that it could be a disc type problem as it recognises , reads from and writes to the disc -just won't let me update an existing file. I may have to experiment with different media/brands.
Any other ideas??

Gillian Davies

I would try a different media (1 disc) to rule this aspect from the picture.

Sometimes the media makes the difference.