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CD-R, CD-RW

Click here to go back to the intro page on backing up your files

CD-R, CD-RW, does it matter?
CD-R: compact disk-recorder
CD-RW: compact disk-rewriteable

 

Insert the CD into your cd-writer drive (compact disk recordable drive). Windows XP should respond to this action by opening a dialog box like the one on the left. You can choose whether to open the folder or not. You can also choose to always do the selected action. If you might change your mind later, then do not  check the "always do this action". For now, we'll use "Open Writable CD folder using Windows Explorer" - click on it if it is not selected by default and then click OK. Upon clicking OK, the CD will open as a folder in it's own window as shown in the picture below. You can drag and drop files and folders into this window.

When you drag and drop your files into the window, windows XP saves them and displays a list of items waiting to be recorded. At this point you can change the items you want to save to your cd by selecting and deleting any items you want to remove and dragging in any new items. The items you have dragged will appear in a list in the cd folder window

A single CD holds 650MB of data or more - equivalent to at least 433 floppy disks, a high capacity cd holds 850MB. If you try to add more than the cd can hold, the program will notify you and you can adjust your items accordingly. When you are ready to record, click Write these files to CD in the task bar to the left. This opens up the cd writing wizard. Type a name for your CD in the CD name box and click "Next"

The window below appears and Windows will begin to write to the cd.

I had selected to close the wizard after use. After less than a minute, cd-burning is complete the cd writing wizard closes and the cd pops out of the drive.

If you forget to add files to this cd, just pop it back in, add more files to the cd folder window, and write the files to cd again. You can add files to a CD-R disk this way, however you cannot delete files from disks in CD-R format. If you add a file of folder that has the same name as a folder already in the list, the new file/folder will replace the previous one. Windows allows you to record multiple times. If you decide that you don't need all the files that you have copied to that cd, since you can't delete them, you would have to toss that cd away - or use a CD-RW formatted disk.

If you would like the ability to delete files from your disk as well as add them, then you should use CD-RW formatted disks. This will allow you do drag or delete files from the disk after you have recorded them. Which means that with CD-RW disks you can drag files to and from a CD in a manner similar to the way you used to do it with floppy disks in the past, or the way you would with a USB flash drive (USB Key)