Now, to Begin!
Lets hook this baby up.
1) Before you start.
right click on my computer, and select properties.
Click on device manager tab
Click view devices by type
expand the cdrom section
click on the cd-burner
(should say something like "matsushita cw-7502" )
click on properties down the bottom of the window
Next click on settings.
Now we should have a bunch of options up.
For SCSI
Tick the disconnect button ON.
Tick the sync Data transfer ON.
Tick the Auto insert notification OFF.
The DMA should be blanked out if it is a scsi device.
For IDE
If your burner is IDE, check you documentation to see if your burner supports DMA.
If it does, tick DMA ON. Otherwise Off. (this is the subject of a big debate)
If you have problems, turn it off.
Tick the Auto insert notification OFF.
Explanation.
2) The Aspi layer
is a BIG problem when burning discs. They are
the communication layer between your cd burner and the rest of
the system. It was originally developed for scsi devices only,
but it was so succesful for scsi that they adapted it to IDE devices
as well. Windows 95/98/ME/2K have an aspi layer that is installed
when you initially install it, but this aspi layer is VERY OLD and pretty much
useless. Just download aspime, or adaptecs aspilayer..
I've found that Adaptecs aspi layers (other than 1008 and 1021) are buggy and creates lots
of coasters.
I won't state that AspiMe are the best, and I won't say they are the most
reliable, but I personally have never had any trouble with them.
That makes me believe they are reliable, and I don't care about
the best.
Click Here to get them.
3) Burning programs
WHY NOT EZCD (CREATOR/DELUXE/ETC) ?
With bundled burning programs, you get what you pay for.
And you didn't pay for them.
Do not use easy cd creator, EZCD pro, or any other name they've used
to try to fool everyone into thinking it's a different, more reliable
program to make backups/copies of CD's.
Even adaptecs latest attempt EZCD deluxe 4 is pathetic.
Look under the "advanced" options. You can set the writing speed.
( hahahahahaha, what a joke!! )
EZCD 4.00 is soooo bad that people with all scsi systems get buffer underruns.
(scsi is a much fster interface,and scsi stuff is usually alot faster
than the ide us poor (as in "not rich") buggers have to use)
Scsi has a much higher transfer rate, but a corresponding price tag.
(well then mister , what cdr software should I use???)
For disk copying there are 2 main ways, but #1 is the sure, winner.
1) Clonecd. This will copy ANY disc, and I'm not kidding. Everything.
(although the most recent securom protected discs are causing problems)
Unfortunately, due to the way it works, it's only compatible with certain burners. Yours may not be supported.
If however you are only looking to buy a burner, make sure it works with clonecd before you buy it.
2) Blindwrite suite.
This is the program/s you use to copy discs if your burner isn't supported by clonecd.
If this program doesn't support your burner, then your burner is a true abomination,
or in other words, a PANASONIC built drive.
3) If you are unfortunate enough to have bought a PANASONIC or PLASMON (rebadged panny) drive
you won't be able to use blindwrite. In this case, use blindread to extract the cd to your HD
and then use either cdrwin, fireburner or NERO to write the image to CD.
What about all the other stuff you can do with a burner???
Well next on the agenda is simply a data backup, backing up stuff that you have on your Hard drive.
For this I recommend NERO over the rest. You can also use cdrwin,fireburner,prassi, EZCD(NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!)
In nero, It's simply a matter of loading Nero, clicking on Data cd.
It will give lots of options. For the most part, the standard settings will do, but 1 setting should be changed.
In the iso9660 settings and the joliet settings, Use Joliet descriptors.
iso9660 only supports 11 character filenames ie "Mydocument.doc" will become "mydocu~1.doc"
iso9660 will shorten all filenames that are greater than the 8.3 format allowed by the standard.
Joliet however will allow up to a 64.3 format, so your "mydocument.doc" will stay the same.
Excessively long filenames will be truncated similarly to the iso9660 format, but it will have 62 characters followed a ~1/~2/~3,etc.
After setting up the disc, it's a simple matter of using the nero explorer to find the files on you Hard drive and drag them onto the nero compilation.
Then Burn.
Audio cd's
Mp3's
If you just want to keep a copy of them, they can be treated as backing up data files. See the data section above
How do you get those pesky MP3's that you downloaded the other day onto an audio cd so you can listen to them in the car/at a friends place/etc?????
Easy.
Download winamp (if you haven't already).
In the option tab, find the output devices section.
Change it to the DISCWRITER plugin. configure the discwriter plugin to stick the created files into c:/windows/temp, or c:/temp, or where ever you feel is appropriate.
Remember that you can only have about 74 Minutes of songs on an audio cd, or 80 if you use 80minute cd's.
You will need about 10MB per minute free on your HD for audio cd's. so abput 750MB for 74min audio cd, or 800MB for an 80minute cd.
These created files are now decompressed into .wav files, ready to burnt to cd.
see the writing the audio cd section.
Notes*****. Occasionally there will be an MP3 that doesn't have the correct sample rate of 44.1KHz. For these you can use windows recorder to record to the right sample rate.
In windows recorder, choose cd quality, pcm format. Hit record, then play the song in winamp. That will record the song in the right format, ready to be burned.
A friend has an audio CD that I really like, I'd love to get a copy of it!!!
Well you can do a simple disk-copy, but I find that most programs don't copy audio cd's very well (clonecd is the exception)
Use audiograbber (see the sofware downloads) to extract the songs onto your HD into c:/temp or where ever you fell is appropriate.
Writing an Audio Cd
Simply use Nero.
Load Nero.
Select Audio cd compilation.
Use the nero explorer to find the .wav files you created earlier.
drag and drop the files onto the cd compilation (left window in nero)
Burn.
If you are a few seconds oversize on your cd, then you can reduce the gaps between songs.
In the cd compilation window, left click on a track, right click then choose properties .
The properties menu will allow you to change the gap between songs. Change the pause to 0 for all tracks except the first track.
You can gain up to 40 seconds extra this way, sometimes more.
Then burn.
Due to the fact that I couldn't be bothered with sys admin's that badger about
"not strictly legal" stuff, I've removed links to keygens.
For this stuff, see satcp's link, or the links section in the software section.
Keep in mind that you aren't allowed to copy discs which you don't own, not that I care anyway.
(the above line is included for legal reasons only)
CDFreaks are a bunch of guys that have dedicated their Web site to CDR/cdrw and general (mis?)information.
Try them, they have lots of stuff that you might use, although some of their advice is slightly , um ,
WRONG, most of it is correct.
cdfreaks link1
Disk-copying in Cdrwin or Nero
In Cdrwin, set the disc image to "raw" (on) and "errors" (ignore).
In cdrwin have the jitter correction OFF, and subcode OFF as well.
In NERO set the "crc correction" to "off" and set Ignore illegal TOC
If in NERO you are imaging first, then set it to ignore errors as well.
Want more software?
Here is the website of a guy I "type?" to all the time in forums .
He's got a page recommending a few cdr softwares to everyone.
Satcp's website
Tell him he's a legend.
Heres a place I found a few weeks ago, they have a few goodies for download.
Go here
