What are the exact steps to save a file to disc? I have a new laptop
w/windows XP, and follow directions, but files do not copy. Do you have to
format every disc before you use it? I never see temporary files message/copy
to CD. Should formatting take 15 minutes EVERY time? Why aren't any
instructions complete, step by step, and include DISC must BE FORMATTED? I
am so frustrated................

It can vary by computer. But, this is what I do:

1. Open Windows Explorer, and navigate to the files you want copied. Select
the files, then press Ctrl+C to copy them to the clipboard.

2. In the list of folders, right-click on the CD drive and choose Paste.

3. Repeat #1 and #2 as needed.

4. Once all of the needed files have been thus designated for copying to the
CD drive, right-click the CD drive and choose Write these files to CD.

Note: you can drag and drop, if you prefer, rather than using the steps 1-3
outlined here.

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
http://www.herbtyson.com
Please respond in the newsgroups so everyone can follow along.
"Mayor Mae" Mayor wrote in message
...
What are the exact steps to save a file to disc? I have a new laptop
w/windows XP, and follow directions, but files do not copy. Do you have
to
format every disc before you use it? I never see temporary files
message/copy
to CD. Should formatting take 15 minutes EVERY time? Why aren't any
instructions complete, step by step, and include DISC must BE FORMATTED?
I
am so frustrated................

You need to post your question in the proper Windows XP newsgroup. This has
nothing to do with Word.

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]



"Mayor Mae" Mayor wrote in message
...
What are the exact steps to save a file to disc? I have a new laptop
w/windows XP, and follow directions, but files do not copy. Do you have
to
format every disc before you use it? I never see temporary files
message/copy
to CD. Should formatting take 15 minutes EVERY time? Why aren't any
instructions complete, step by step, and include DISC must BE FORMATTED?
I
am so frustrated................

If you want to be able to use your documents, when working within Word, act
as if your removable media drives do not exist! (This applies to floppy
drives, CDRW/CDR, flash drives or DVDR drives as well as any other kind of
removable media drives.)
Don't use Word to:
Open a document on removable media
Print a document on a removable media
Edit a document on a removable media
Save a document to a removable media (not even a copy)

Word regularly trashes documents on removable media drives!

Instead, work on the document using your hard drive. Copy it back and forth
using Windows.

I know that for some with shared computers (libraries, schools) this is a
tough prescription. All I can recommend for that is to use a brand new
formatted disk each time you save and don't do any editing.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/ which is awesome!

My criminal defense site: http://addbalance.com
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

"Mayor Mae" Mayor wrote in message
...
What are the exact steps to save a file to disc? I have a new laptop
w/windows XP, and follow directions, but files do not copy. Do you have
to
format every disc before you use it? I never see temporary files
message/copy
to CD. Should formatting take 15 minutes EVERY time? Why aren't any
instructions complete, step by step, and include DISC must BE FORMATTED?
I
am so frustrated................

Despite what seems to be a very popular misconception, CDs are *not* the
'New Age' replacement for floppies. Take Charles' recommendations seriously.

Yes, new CDs must be formatted before data can be written to them, &
somewhere in the literature that came with your laptop there *should* be
instructions for your specific unit. What you need to know can vary greatly
depending on the type of CDs, the type of drive, & the software that
addresses it. Contact the laptop mfr's Support if the necessary manuals were
not provided.

--
HTH |:)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

"Mayor Mae" Mayor wrote in message
...
What are the exact steps to save a file to disc? I have a new laptop
w/windows XP, and follow directions, but files do not copy. Do you have
to
format every disc before you use it? I never see temporary files
message/copy
to CD. Should formatting take 15 minutes EVERY time? Why aren't any
instructions complete, step by step, and include DISC must BE FORMATTED?
I
am so frustrated................

Well... that's not always the case--at least not for PCs. All of the CDs and
DVDs I've ever bought come pre-formatted. It's just a matter of dragging the
files to them, then choosing "Write these files..." In the PC world, if I'm
told that the CD needs to be formatted, that's usually an indication that
the drive is malfunctioning.

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
http://www.herbtyson.com
Please respond in the newsgroups so everyone can follow along.
"CyberTaz" typegeneraltaz1ATcomcastdotnet wrote in message
...

Yes, new CDs must be formatted before data can be written to them...

I've never formatted a CD. Never had the need to do so.

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]



"Herb Tyson [MVP]" wrote in message
...
Well... that's not always the case--at least not for PCs. All of the CDs
and DVDs I've ever bought come pre-formatted. It's just a matter of
dragging the files to them, then choosing "Write these files..." In the PC
world, if I'm told that the CD needs to be formatted, that's usually an
indication that the drive is malfunctioning.

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
http://www.herbtyson.com
Please respond in the newsgroups so everyone can follow along.
"CyberTaz" typegeneraltaz1ATcomcastdotnet wrote in message
...

Yes, new CDs must be formatted before data can be written to them...

CD's don't require formatting, unless they are to be used as a 'big floppy'
using third party packet writing applications such as Nero's InCD and
Roxio's equivalent nonsense

I have never seen a pre-formatted CD?

Packet applications are notoriously unreliable and should be avoided like
the plague.

If you want to ensure you will still have the data when you need it, use
multisession data formats using your CD/DVD writing software. Ashampoo's
Burning Studio takes all the thinking out of the process for beginners and
the more experienced alike.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org


Herb Tyson [MVP] wrote:
Well... that's not always the case--at least not for PCs. All of the
CDs and DVDs I've ever bought come pre-formatted. It's just a matter
of dragging the files to them, then choosing "Write these files..."
In the PC world, if I'm told that the CD needs to be formatted,
that's usually an indication that the drive is malfunctioning.


Yes, new CDs must be formatted before data can be written to them...

You're an MVP?!

"Graham Mayor" wrote in message
...
CD's don't require formatting, unless they are to be used as a
'big floppy' using third party packet writing applications such
as Nero's InCD and Roxio's equivalent nonsense

That is patently untrue, and likely confusing to most newbies. A
CD needs to be formatted, same as any other data storage device.
Sometimes an app will format "on the fly", others lay down a set
of marks and then format "as you go", a little quicker for
writing data, and you can always fully format before you start,
giving you the fastest write times. But, a CD must be formatted
in order to use it, whether you're talking red, green, yellow or
orange book specs. Please don't mis-inform.


I have never seen a pre-formatted CD?

I have. Don't use them, but I have seen them. It's a way to
keep the costs up. I don't really think that's what the poster
meant though; he's probably using an "on the fly" formatting app
that lets him bypass a separate formatting process completely and
hasn't realized it. Or, maybe he did spring for the extra cost;
dunno. Wasn't really worth a comment w/r to the thread's subject
though.


Packet applications are notoriously unreliable and should be
avoided like the plague.

Again, patently untrue.
They are as reliable as the system running them and very seldom
cause problems on their own, as with any application.
Avoiding them is silly, almost stupid advice on your part.
They give one the ability to treat the CD as a floppy drive and
offer many other functional and desirable features; even the
freebie Roxio's that deliver with systems, and in particular
Nero, and a host of others.
Do not misinform people.

IMO you need to stick to Word advice, if you're any good at that.
I recognize you name but I perceive no reputation from your
posts, so IMO you've not been an oustanding poster in any way,
Word or not.


If you want to ensure you will still have the data when you
need it, use multisession data formats using your CD/DVD
writing software. Ashampoo's Burning Studio takes all the
thinking out of the process for beginners and the more
experienced alike.

Pop



--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org


Herb Tyson [MVP] wrote:
Well... that's not always the case--at least not for PCs. All
of the
CDs and DVDs I've ever bought come pre-formatted. It's just a
matter
of dragging the files to them, then choosing "Write these
files..."
In the PC world, if I'm told that the CD needs to be
formatted,
that's usually an indication that the drive is malfunctioning.


Yes, new CDs must be formatted before data can be written to
them...

Packet-writing applications are fine as long as the CDs are for your own use
only, but they cannot be read by anyone else who does not have the software
used to write the CDs. I have personally experienced this. You may not be
aware of it, but Graham is not only a Word MVP but also very knowledgeable
about CD issues (esp. wrt music CDs). See
http://www.gmayor.com/CDR_Pages.htm

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"PopS" wrote in message
...
You're an MVP?!

"Graham Mayor" wrote in message
...
CD's don't require formatting, unless they are to be used as a
'big floppy' using third party packet writing applications such
as Nero's InCD and Roxio's equivalent nonsense

That is patently untrue, and likely confusing to most newbies. A
CD needs to be formatted, same as any other data storage device.
Sometimes an app will format "on the fly", others lay down a set
of marks and then format "as you go", a little quicker for
writing data, and you can always fully format before you start,
giving you the fastest write times. But, a CD must be formatted
in order to use it, whether you're talking red, green, yellow or
orange book specs. Please don't mis-inform.


I have never seen a pre-formatted CD?

I have. Don't use them, but I have seen them. It's a way to
keep the costs up. I don't really think that's what the poster
meant though; he's probably using an "on the fly" formatting app
that lets him bypass a separate formatting process completely and
hasn't realized it. Or, maybe he did spring for the extra cost;
dunno. Wasn't really worth a comment w/r to the thread's subject
though.


Packet applications are notoriously unreliable and should be
avoided like the plague.

Again, patently untrue.
They are as reliable as the system running them and very seldom
cause problems on their own, as with any application.
Avoiding them is silly, almost stupid advice on your part.
They give one the ability to treat the CD as a floppy drive and
offer many other functional and desirable features; even the
freebie Roxio's that deliver with systems, and in particular
Nero, and a host of others.
Do not misinform people.

IMO you need to stick to Word advice, if you're any good at that.
I recognize you name but I perceive no reputation from your
posts, so IMO you've not been an oustanding poster in any way,
Word or not.


If you want to ensure you will still have the data when you
need it, use multisession data formats using your CD/DVD
writing software. Ashampoo's Burning Studio takes all the
thinking out of the process for beginners and the more
experienced alike.

Pop



--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org


Herb Tyson [MVP] wrote:
Well... that's not always the case--at least not for PCs. All
of the
CDs and DVDs I've ever bought come pre-formatted. It's just a
matter
of dragging the files to them, then choosing "Write these
files..."
In the PC world, if I'm told that the CD needs to be
formatted,
that's usually an indication that the drive is malfunctioning.


Yes, new CDs must be formatted before data can be written to
them...

Of course CD's are created using a special format which places the data in a
logical manner that can be read according to the type of disc created, but
that isn't the issue here. What the PC user understands by 'formatting' a
disc is the pre-formatting of a disc to accept data as (for example) would
be the case with a floppy disc. Writeable CDs do not require such formatting
EXCEPT for use by a packet writing system, so your comment that "you can
always fully format before you start, giving you the fastest write times" is
clearly drivel.

Your faith in the ability of such systems is touching. There is little
compatibility between the different types and InCd for example cannot even
read discs created by some earlier versions of the same software.
Furthermore InCD (unless it has changed very recently) cannot handle write
once discs. Packet filing systems are notoriously 'fragile' and if the disc
becomes corrupt they are usually incapable of recovery. If you want to trust
your valuable data to either a volatile filing system or to re-writable
disks then that is a matter for you. Most of us prefer to be able to access
our data in the future.

Pre-formatted CD discs would have to be pre-formatted with some packet
writing filing system or other and would have limited use thanks to the lack
of standards. As I said, I have never seen them - but if you can provide a
link I will concede that such things may be available.

As to the value of my posting, I am not afraid to put my name on anything I
post, and my antecedents are readily searchable on the internet. Pity the
same cannot be said for some arsehole who likes to snipe from behind a
pseudonym.


--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org



PopS wrote:
You're an MVP?!

"Graham Mayor" wrote in message
...
CD's don't require formatting, unless they are to be used as a
'big floppy' using third party packet writing applications such
as Nero's InCD and Roxio's equivalent nonsense

That is patently untrue, and likely confusing to most newbies. A
CD needs to be formatted, same as any other data storage device.
Sometimes an app will format "on the fly", others lay down a set
of marks and then format "as you go", a little quicker for
writing data, and you can always fully format before you start,
giving you the fastest write times. But, a CD must be formatted
in order to use it, whether you're talking red, green, yellow or
orange book specs. Please don't mis-inform.


I have never seen a pre-formatted CD?

I have. Don't use them, but I have seen them. It's a way to
keep the costs up. I don't really think that's what the poster
meant though; he's probably using an "on the fly" formatting app
that lets him bypass a separate formatting process completely and
hasn't realized it. Or, maybe he did spring for the extra cost;
dunno. Wasn't really worth a comment w/r to the thread's subject
though.


Packet applications are notoriously unreliable and should be
avoided like the plague.

Again, patently untrue.
They are as reliable as the system running them and very seldom
cause problems on their own, as with any application.
Avoiding them is silly, almost stupid advice on your part.
They give one the ability to treat the CD as a floppy drive and
offer many other functional and desirable features; even the
freebie Roxio's that deliver with systems, and in particular
Nero, and a host of others.
Do not misinform people.

IMO you need to stick to Word advice, if you're any good at that.
I recognize you name but I perceive no reputation from your
posts, so IMO you've not been an oustanding poster in any way,
Word or not.


If you want to ensure you will still have the data when you
need it, use multisession data formats using your CD/DVD
writing software. Ashampoo's Burning Studio takes all the
thinking out of the process for beginners and the more
experienced alike.

Pop



--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org


Herb Tyson [MVP] wrote:
Well... that's not always the case--at least not for PCs. All
of the
CDs and DVDs I've ever bought come pre-formatted. It's just a
matter
of dragging the files to them, then choosing "Write these
files..."
In the PC world, if I'm told that the CD needs to be
formatted,
that's usually an indication that the drive is malfunctioning.


Yes, new CDs must be formatted before data can be written to
them...

[don]

I cant get the new thread question to work, so I'll try posting it as a reply
Syncing my iPhone corrupted my XP. System restore fixed all of the damage I
know of (scrambled IE7 favorites, put phone #s in address boxes in OE6
address book) EXCEPT: I CANNOT write to my usb floppy drive A. The computer
sees it and tells me to insert disk. Inserting the disk shuts down the PC.
Toshiba says must do a total re-install.
Don

"Herb Tyson [MVP]" wrote:

Well... that's not always the case--at least not for PCs. All of the CDs and
DVDs I've ever bought come pre-formatted. It's just a matter of dragging the
files to them, then choosing "Write these files..." In the PC world, if I'm
told that the CD needs to be formatted, that's usually an indication that
the drive is malfunctioning.

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
http://www.herbtyson.com
Please respond in the newsgroups so everyone can follow along.
"CyberTaz" typegeneraltaz1ATcomcastdotnet wrote in message
...

Yes, new CDs must be formatted before data can be written to them...

[Terry Farrell]

Why are you posting this in a newsgroup for WORD problems?

--
Terry Farrell - MSWord MVP

"Don" wrote in message
...
I cant get the new thread question to work, so I'll try posting it as a
reply
Syncing my iPhone corrupted my XP. System restore fixed all of the damage
I
know of (scrambled IE7 favorites, put phone #s in address boxes in OE6
address book) EXCEPT: I CANNOT write to my usb floppy drive A. The
computer
sees it and tells me to insert disk. Inserting the disk shuts down the PC.
Toshiba says must do a total re-install.
Don

"Herb Tyson [MVP]" wrote:

Well... that's not always the case--at least not for PCs. All of the CDs
and
DVDs I've ever bought come pre-formatted. It's just a matter of dragging
the
files to them, then choosing "Write these files..." In the PC world, if
I'm
told that the CD needs to be formatted, that's usually an indication that
the drive is malfunctioning.

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
http://www.herbtyson.com
Please respond in the newsgroups so everyone can follow along.
"CyberTaz" typegeneraltaz1ATcomcastdotnet wrote in message
...

Yes, new CDs must be formatted before data can be written to them...

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

This question has (virtually) nothing to do with Microsoft Word.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

"Don" wrote in message
...
I cant get the new thread question to work, so I'll try posting it as a
reply
Syncing my iPhone corrupted my XP. System restore fixed all of the damage
I
know of (scrambled IE7 favorites, put phone #s in address boxes in OE6
address book) EXCEPT: I CANNOT write to my usb floppy drive A. The
computer
sees it and tells me to insert disk. Inserting the disk shuts down the PC.
Toshiba says must do a total re-install.
Don

"Herb Tyson [MVP]" wrote:

Well... that's not always the case--at least not for PCs. All of the CDs
and
DVDs I've ever bought come pre-formatted. It's just a matter of dragging
the
files to them, then choosing "Write these files..." In the PC world, if
I'm
told that the CD needs to be formatted, that's usually an indication that
the drive is malfunctioning.

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
http://www.herbtyson.com
Please respond in the newsgroups so everyone can follow along.
"CyberTaz" typegeneraltaz1ATcomcastdotnet wrote in message
...

Yes, new CDs must be formatted before data can be written to them...

Didn't mean to ruffle anyone's feathers, nor did I say the *user* had to
specifically do the formatting - in most cases it is transparently handled,
but still has to be done. Since the user made no mention of what model
laptop or what brand/type of drive I was just allowing for 'possibilities'.
Sorry if I wasn't clear enough.

Perhaps this excerpt states the point better:

3.1 Writing CD-ROMs (pure data)
Note that collecting the data to put onto a CD usually takes longer than one
expects. Consider that missing files cannot be added once the CD is written
and fixated. This is also true for CD-RW, which can currently only be
rewritten as a whole. Using the multi-session feature is no option for
single files, as it consumes much space for a new complete table of contents
(TOC). UDF is not ready yet for Linux.

Also keep in mind that a certain amount of the free space of a CD is used
for storing the information of the ISO-9660-filesystem (usually a few MB).
620 MB data will always fit on a 650 MB CD-R.


Creating an image of the later CD-ROM
Before any storage medium (e.g. floppy disk, hard disk or CD) can be used,
it must get a filesystem (DOS speak: get formatted). The filesystem is
responsible for organizing and incorporating the files that should be stored
on the medium.

The usual utilities for creating filesystems on hard disk partitions write
an empty filesystem onto them, which is then mounted and filled with files
by the users as they need it. A writable CD is only writable once so if we
wrote an empty filesystem to it, it would get formatted and remain
completely empty forever. This is also true for rewritable media as you
cannot change arbitrary sectors yet; you must erase their whole content.

-------------------------------

As well as this, pertaining to the actions that are seemingly 'transparent'
but account for some of the time:

Tick - It's the TOC
The Table of Contents (TOC) on a CD-R is the repository of all the
information required for your OS to understand the pattern of bytes on the
disc. Essentially, it contains everything needed for your system to figure
out what information is where and in what format, so that your request to
receive information can be satisfied.

For example, on an audio disc the data are not stored in files, but in a
continuous stream. The TOC informs the OS (or the player) that a specific
block is the beginning of a track. When you play a track, a command is given
to go to that block and to begin to retrieve the bit stream which follows.
Note that the track itself - in the audio sense - need not begin where the
TOC says it does, but that is irrelevant to the player. There are also
subcodes which can be used to interpret how to backspace and so on - but
they are beyond the present scope. (And if you want to read that as meaning
that I don't understand them, I couldn't argue.)

When you go to write a Disc At Once (DAO), all the information needed for
the job is available when you start. Mastering software assembles that
information and decides what is to be in the TOC. When everything is ready,
the laser is positioned and turned on and writing begins. The first thing
written is the TOC which says: this is a closed disc of a single session and
here is the information on what you will find where among the following
bytes. The laser then proceeds to write those bytes in sequence and in
accordance with the information saved to the TOC. When the last byte is
written, the laser turns off and you have a good disc. If that burn is
interrupted after the TOC is written but before the end, everything is
accessible up to the failure. An audio disc which fails when track 5 is
being written will be usable for tracks 1-4 and maybe for the written part
of 5 - but what happens when the track runs out depends on the player.

When you write Track At Once (TAO), the procedure is quite different. The
writer begins by inscribing a special area on the blank called the Program
Memory Area with information needed to close the session later. Then it
records track information and writes the track itself. When it's time to
close the session, the writing laser turns off, the mechanism returns to the
PMA and the information inscribed there is read back to close things up,
record how many tracks there are in all and, in general, to complete the
TOC. So if the burn fails before the PMA is read (or if the PMA cannot be
read at all), the TOC is not complete and a reader cannot make sense out of
it. However, not all is lost! Although the reader needs a complete TOC to do
its job, a writer is prepared to make do with less and, in fact, has what it
needs in the part of the TOC which is complete to retrieve the valid data.


--
Regards |:)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac


"CyberTaz" typegeneraltaz1ATcomcastdotnet wrote in message
...

Despite what seems to be a very popular misconception, CDs are *not* the
'New Age' replacement for floppies. Take Charles' recommendations
seriously.

Yes, new CDs must be formatted before data can be written to them, &
somewhere in the literature that came with your laptop there *should* be
instructions for your specific unit. What you need to know can vary
greatly depending on the type of CDs, the type of drive, & the software
that addresses it. Contact the laptop mfr's Support if the necessary
manuals were not provided.

--
HTH |:)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

"Mayor Mae" Mayor wrote in message
...
What are the exact steps to save a file to disc? I have a new laptop
w/windows XP, and follow directions, but files do not copy. Do you have
to
format every disc before you use it? I never see temporary files
message/copy
to CD. Should formatting take 15 minutes EVERY time? Why aren't any
instructions complete, step by step, and include DISC must BE FORMATTED?
I
am so frustrated................

Thank you very much for your input- this granny is being "forced", "thrown",
however you want to say it, to thread further into the computer age, aside
from just e-mails, correspondence, etc. I have a Toshiba A105-S2716 laptop,
windows XP; using memorex CD-RW 700mb,80min, cd's and Memorex CD-R's. I can
use about any program, data base (excel, access, word), a dozen graphic
programs, and am very proficient. I've just never had a laptop that would
copy my files to CD's instead of an "A" drive. And when I'm asked to provide
a "copy" of my info, mainly data bases, I know it should be simple - but
you're talking to a person from the "manual typewriter" age - and I am trying
very hard to learn new steps and not look ignorant to the younger generation.
Thank you very much for your patience - you've done better explaining than
any manual, etc.

"CyberTaz" wrote:

Didn't mean to ruffle anyone's feathers, nor did I say the *user* had to
specifically do the formatting - in most cases it is transparently handled,
but still has to be done. Since the user made no mention of what model
laptop or what brand/type of drive I was just allowing for 'possibilities'.
Sorry if I wasn't clear enough.

Perhaps this excerpt states the point better:

3.1 Writing CD-ROMs (pure data)
Note that collecting the data to put onto a CD usually takes longer than one
expects. Consider that missing files cannot be added once the CD is written
and fixated. This is also true for CD-RW, which can currently only be
rewritten as a whole. Using the multi-session feature is no option for
single files, as it consumes much space for a new complete table of contents
(TOC). UDF is not ready yet for Linux.

Also keep in mind that a certain amount of the free space of a CD is used
for storing the information of the ISO-9660-filesystem (usually a few MB).
620 MB data will always fit on a 650 MB CD-R.


Creating an image of the later CD-ROM
Before any storage medium (e.g. floppy disk, hard disk or CD) can be used,
it must get a filesystem (DOS speak: get formatted). The filesystem is
responsible for organizing and incorporating the files that should be stored
on the medium.

The usual utilities for creating filesystems on hard disk partitions write
an empty filesystem onto them, which is then mounted and filled with files
by the users as they need it. A writable CD is only writable once so if we
wrote an empty filesystem to it, it would get formatted and remain
completely empty forever. This is also true for rewritable media as you
cannot change arbitrary sectors yet; you must erase their whole content.

-------------------------------

As well as this, pertaining to the actions that are seemingly 'transparent'
but account for some of the time:

Tick - It's the TOC
The Table of Contents (TOC) on a CD-R is the repository of all the
information required for your OS to understand the pattern of bytes on the
disc. Essentially, it contains everything needed for your system to figure
out what information is where and in what format, so that your request to
receive information can be satisfied.

For example, on an audio disc the data are not stored in files, but in a
continuous stream. The TOC informs the OS (or the player) that a specific
block is the beginning of a track. When you play a track, a command is given
to go to that block and to begin to retrieve the bit stream which follows.
Note that the track itself - in the audio sense - need not begin where the
TOC says it does, but that is irrelevant to the player. There are also
subcodes which can be used to interpret how to backspace and so on - but
they are beyond the present scope. (And if you want to read that as meaning
that I don't understand them, I couldn't argue.)

When you go to write a Disc At Once (DAO), all the information needed for
the job is available when you start. Mastering software assembles that
information and decides what is to be in the TOC. When everything is ready,
the laser is positioned and turned on and writing begins. The first thing
written is the TOC which says: this is a closed disc of a single session and
here is the information on what you will find where among the following
bytes. The laser then proceeds to write those bytes in sequence and in
accordance with the information saved to the TOC. When the last byte is
written, the laser turns off and you have a good disc. If that burn is
interrupted after the TOC is written but before the end, everything is
accessible up to the failure. An audio disc which fails when track 5 is
being written will be usable for tracks 1-4 and maybe for the written part
of 5 - but what happens when the track runs out depends on the player.

When you write Track At Once (TAO), the procedure is quite different. The
writer begins by inscribing a special area on the blank called the Program
Memory Area with information needed to close the session later. Then it
records track information and writes the track itself. When it's time to
close the session, the writing laser turns off, the mechanism returns to the
PMA and the information inscribed there is read back to close things up,
record how many tracks there are in all and, in general, to complete the
TOC. So if the burn fails before the PMA is read (or if the PMA cannot be
read at all), the TOC is not complete and a reader cannot make sense out of
it. However, not all is lost! Although the reader needs a complete TOC to do
its job, a writer is prepared to make do with less and, in fact, has what it
needs in the part of the TOC which is complete to retrieve the valid data.


--
Regards |:)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac


"CyberTaz" typegeneraltaz1ATcomcastdotnet wrote in message
...

Despite what seems to be a very popular misconception, CDs are *not* the
'New Age' replacement for floppies. Take Charles' recommendations
seriously.

Yes, new CDs must be formatted before data can be written to them, &
somewhere in the literature that came with your laptop there *should* be
instructions for your specific unit. What you need to know can vary
greatly depending on the type of CDs, the type of drive, & the software
that addresses it. Contact the laptop mfr's Support if the necessary
manuals were not provided.

--
HTH |:)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

"Mayor Mae" Mayor wrote in message
...
What are the exact steps to save a file to disc? I have a new laptop
w/windows XP, and follow directions, but files do not copy. Do you have
to
format every disc before you use it? I never see temporary files
message/copy
to CD. Should formatting take 15 minutes EVERY time? Why aren't any
instructions complete, step by step, and include DISC must BE FORMATTED?
I
am so frustrated................

[123-45*42]

when i insert it nothing pops up HELP ME NOW

"Mayor Mae" wrote:

What are the exact steps to save a file to disc? I have a new laptop
w/windows XP, and follow directions, but files do not copy. Do you have to
format every disc before you use it? I never see temporary files message/copy
to CD. Should formatting take 15 minutes EVERY time? Why aren't any
instructions complete, step by step, and include DISC must BE FORMATTED? I
am so frustrated................

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

This really has nothing to do with Word. Use the software that came with
your CD burner.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"123-45*42" wrote in message
...
when i insert it nothing pops up HELP ME NOW

"Mayor Mae" wrote:

What are the exact steps to save a file to disc? I have a new laptop
w/windows XP, and follow directions, but files do not copy. Do you have
to
format every disc before you use it? I never see temporary files
message/copy
to CD. Should formatting take 15 minutes EVERY time? Why aren't any
instructions complete, step by step, and include DISC must BE FORMATTED?
I
am so frustrated................

[Terry Farrell]

Never save directly to any form of removable media. Save to the local HDD
first and then copy to a flash drive (or burn to a CDR using the CD burning
software). Try to save to removable media will end in tears.

--
Terry Farrell - MS Word MVP

"123-45*42" wrote in message
...
when i insert it nothing pops up HELP ME NOW

"Mayor Mae" wrote:

What are the exact steps to save a file to disc? I have a new laptop
w/windows XP, and follow directions, but files do not copy. Do you have
to
format every disc before you use it? I never see temporary files
message/copy
to CD. Should formatting take 15 minutes EVERY time? Why aren't any
instructions complete, step by step, and include DISC must BE FORMATTED?
I
am so frustrated................