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General discussion

CD-R: Adding to or erasing

Jun 1, 2004 11:38AM PDT

First of all, I know about CD-RWs, & that they can get around some of the questions below. Unfortunately they're short-lived & expensive, so I need some answers about using CD-Rs to manage my research data. There are a lot of other people I know who would like these answers also.
Second of all, floppy disks are too small for copying what we need. 1 picture or 1 document copied off of microfilm can fill or exceed the capacity of a floppy disk.
Is it possible to add more data to a CD-R that isn't full? We use it to copy data off of microfilm & the most that can get scanned & copied at a time is less than 10 MB. Is all the rest of that space now useless?
If I find new data to go with the old, can I add it to the same CD-R? I share a lot of data with others on CDs, do we have to keep making new CDs rather than just adding the new data? All this data needs to be on disks that will last a long time, which eliminates CD-RWs.
Can a CD-R be erased somehow, rather than tossing a CD that is 99% empty? (Please don't say it doesn't matter because they're so cheap, it's still a
waste of money, & we generate too much non-biodegradable & possibly toxic garbage for our landfills already).
If all else fails, can CD-Rs be recycled somewhere?

Discussion is locked

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Re:CD-R: Adding to or erasing
Jun 1, 2004 11:53AM PDT

I have 4 year old CDRWs and still use them. Even with daily erasure and use, it would take a few years to hit the 1000 erase rating. http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-7588-0.html?forumID=70&threadID=22146&messageID=239705

As to CD-R, IF your recording supports multi-session, then I wish you well, but can't tell you how many get freaked out when a multisession doesn't work on other machines than what it was made on.

Maybe an USB Hard Disk with an daily CDRW backup would make sense?

Bob

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Re:CD-R: Adding to or erasing
Jun 2, 2004 1:56AM PDT

cat,

Well, using the various packet writing programs such as Roxio's Direct CD/Drag to Disk or Nero's InCD, a CD-R CAN be formatted, then copied to, then files can be deleted, or added to, or written to again. BUT, there are definitely drawbacks to doing so. First, in my opinion, packet writing programs aren't reliable enough to be used for research project data storage. (I use formatted CD-RW's constantly, and they will last a long time, but I use them to transfer/transport data and program installations and updates, not for important storage needs.) And second, a CD-R is basically "write once" media. Although you can write, erase, then rewrite, or add data to a formatted CD-R, once the space has been used on the disk, nothing more can be placed on the disk. You can't "erase" it. It doesn't work like a CD-RW which can be filled, then erased, then filled again, over and over again until the disk wears out.

Like Bob mentioned above, you can attempt using the multi-session burns that various CD writer programs offer, but I've never been successful at getting them to work reliably.

In regards to price, for situations such as your's, I watch for sales and buy "free" CD-R's in the 100 pack spindles. Not just cheap, FREE, after discounts and rebates. I can buy fairly large quantities that way, even for the agency I work for. CD-RW's aren't as cheap, but large spindles can also be purchased quite inexpensively.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Let me echo the above. . .
Jun 2, 2004 8:30AM PDT

I use NTI CD/DVD Maker Platinum. It allows multi-session and I've never had a problem. I use the burned CDs on my four different PCs, each one with a different CD burner drive, and one high speed burner in a USB-2 case. Zero problems.

As was also mentioned, CD-RWs last a loooong time, up to and over a thousand runs. Consider this. Filling up and destroying the CD-Rs takes how much time and resources? How about a thousand CD-Rs to go to the land fill versus one CD-RW?

Good luck,

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Catsaver, As To Recycling CDs....
Jun 2, 2004 9:32AM PDT