Solve : Can you tell if a blank cd-r has ever been written to ??

1.	Solve : Can you tell if a blank cd-r has ever been written to ??
Answer» Hi, I am a new poster. I'm relatively familiar with computers and software, but sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing! If you can help, please answer in idiot proof language. I have recently been sent a cd-r that allegedley has a 20MB file on it. When I put it in to my CD ROM DRIVE I automatically get the autoplay options asking me what I want to do with this type of media. It shows as a blank DISC. If I open up explorer, go to my computer, go to the CD ROM drive and explore, it shows as empty. I am certain that when I contact the sender they will swear blind the file was on there and I must have erased it. My burning ( no pun intended ! ) question, is ......... Is there any way to tell if the disc has ever been written to before ? Thanks very much in advance for any help. This disc shold have contained a communication book for my mum who lost her speech after a stroke. Curvy xWith a (never been burned) blank CD-R, if you try to click on the drive letter in My Computer, you SEE this: and if you try to do a DIR of the drive from the command prompt you see this: Quote It shows as a blank disc. If I open up explorer, go to my computer, go to the CD ROM drive and explore, it shows as empty. A blank disk? 0 bytes free? or around 700 MB? Quote Is there any way to tell if the disc has ever been written to before ? See above, also if you turn the disk over and look at the underneath surface under a bright light you can usually see if it has been burned. It is hard to describe, but the burned part is a different colour. If the disk only has a 20 MB file on it, from the middle going out about half an inch or less should look a slightly different colour. You may have to tilt the disk different ways to catch the light to see this. If you have a burned disk and a new one side by side you can see the difference. Quote I am certain that when I contact the sender they will swear blind the file was on there and I must have erased it. CD-R disks cannot be erased. They can be damaged though. can you see any scratches or scuff marks? The recording surface is fairly delicate and you can ruin a disk by being careless. Was it packed in a sensible way? Have you tried the disk out in another computer? Thanks so much for your reply. If I click on the drive letter ( in windows xp ) it shows an empty space. My choices on the right are to : CD Writing tasks: Write files to this CD File and Folder Tasks : Make a new floder , publsh folder to the web. share this folder. If I bring up the command prompt and try and get a dir, it responds as you illustrated : "incorrect function". It shows as 0 bytes used and 0 bytes free Your explanation of the colour difference was excellent ! - I have looked at it under a desk lamp and compared it with a disc that has 146 mb on it. I can see that the disc I am querying has a different colour, of a about a half centimetre, coming out from the centre, so looks like there was something on it at some time ? - this conflicts with it looking like an unused one from the first test : ( There are no scratched, scuffs etc on the disc. I have tried it in three machines, but have only done the tests you mentioned on the third machine, but it showed as blank on the first two with 0 bytes and 0 bytes. Curvy X I believe that the disk is defective, either in manufacture or as a result of deterioration after the burn, or perhaps the burn failed in some way. Burning CDs is not a 100% guaranteed process, and failures are not unknown. You noticed a burned band of about 0.5 cm WIDTH which sounds about right for 20MB; however the disk contents are not accessible. You have tried the disk in 3 computers, so it clearly is not something you are doing wrong. You sound like somebody who does things CAREFULLY and thoughtfully - I suggest you contact the sender and inform them of the problem.is it possible it was written with packet writing software? Quote from: BC_Programmer on January 24, 2010, 12:58:10 PM is it possible it was written with packet writing software? In a default Windows installation, wouldn't the disk contents show up? Hi BC, No, It's doubtful. The sender didn't even know how to break a file into chapters or zip it to send over email so packet writing software wont be among their tools. Thanks for taking the time to respond. Salmon, thanks for that - I will go back to them again and hope it doesn't take another 3 months to get a reply: I was hoping I had done something silly but my fears that they have lost ,deleted, or corrupted the file in question seem about to be realised : ) Glad I found this site though - I am always trying to "fix" things myself and sometimes have hiccups , so will be back. Have a great evening both. Curvy x Quote from: curvy_angel on January 24, 2010, 01:02:58 PM The sender didn't even know how to break a file into chapters or zip it to send over email so packet writing software wont be among their tools. Nothing could be less technical than packet writing; It is built into Windows Vista by default; it is sometimes called "drive letter access" and it enables you to just drag and drop files into a CD-R or RW in Windows Explorer, without using a burning application. BC may be onto something.

Answer»

Hi,
I am a new poster. I'm relatively familiar with computers and software, but sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing!

If you can help, please answer in idiot proof language.

I have recently been sent a cd-r that allegedley has a 20MB file on it. When I put it in to my CD ROM DRIVE I automatically get the autoplay options asking me what I want to do with this type of media.

It shows as a blank DISC.

If I open up explorer, go to my computer, go to the CD ROM drive and explore, it shows as empty.

I am certain that when I contact the sender they will swear blind the file was on there and I must have erased it.

My burning ( no pun intended ! ) question, is .........

Is there any way to tell if the disc has ever been written to before ?

Thanks very much in advance for any help. This disc shold have contained a communication book for my mum who lost her speech after a stroke.

Curvy xWith a (never been burned) blank CD-R, if you try to click on the drive letter in My Computer, you SEE this:

and if you try to do a DIR of the drive from the command prompt you see this:

Quote

It shows as a blank disc.

If I open up explorer, go to my computer, go to the CD ROM drive and explore, it shows as empty.

A blank disk? 0 bytes free? or around 700 MB?

Quote

Is there any way to tell if the disc has ever been written to before ?

See above, also if you turn the disk over and look at the underneath surface under a bright light you can usually see if it has been burned. It is hard to describe, but the burned part is a different colour. If the disk only has a 20 MB file on it, from the middle going out about half an inch or less should look a slightly different colour. You may have to tilt the disk different ways to catch the light to see this. If you have a burned disk and a new one side by side you can see the difference.

Quote

I am certain that when I contact the sender they will swear blind the file was on there and I must have erased it.

CD-R disks cannot be erased.

They can be damaged though. can you see any scratches or scuff marks? The recording surface is fairly delicate and you can ruin a disk by being careless. Was it packed in a sensible way?

Have you tried the disk out in another computer?

Thanks so much for your reply.

If I click on the drive letter ( in windows xp ) it shows an empty space.
My choices on the right are to :
CD Writing tasks: Write files to this CD
File and Folder Tasks : Make a new floder , publsh folder to the web. share this folder.

If I bring up the command prompt and try and get a dir, it responds as you illustrated : "incorrect function".

It shows as 0 bytes used and 0 bytes free

Your explanation of the colour difference was excellent ! - I have looked at it under a desk lamp and compared it with a disc that has 146 mb on it. I can see that the disc I am querying has a different colour, of a about a half centimetre, coming out from the centre, so looks like there was something on it at some time ? - this conflicts with it looking like an unused one from the first test : (

There are no scratched, scuffs etc on the disc.

I have tried it in three machines, but have only done the tests you mentioned on the third machine, but it showed as blank on the first two with 0 bytes and 0 bytes.

Curvy X

I believe that the disk is defective, either in manufacture or as a result of deterioration after the burn, or perhaps the burn failed in some way. Burning CDs is not a 100% guaranteed process, and failures are not unknown. You noticed a burned band of about 0.5 cm WIDTH which sounds about right for 20MB; however the disk contents are not accessible. You have tried the disk in 3 computers, so it clearly is not something you are doing wrong. You sound like somebody who does things CAREFULLY and thoughtfully - I suggest you contact the sender and inform them of the problem.is it possible it was written with packet writing software? Quote from: BC_Programmer on January 24, 2010, 12:58:10 PM

is it possible it was written with packet writing software?

In a default Windows installation, wouldn't the disk contents show up?
Hi BC,
No, It's doubtful.
The sender didn't even know how to break a file into chapters or zip it to send over email so packet writing software wont be among their tools.
Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Salmon, thanks for that - I will go back to them again and hope it doesn't take another 3 months to get a reply: I was hoping I had done something silly but my fears that they have lost ,deleted, or corrupted the file in question seem about to be realised : )

Glad I found this site though - I am always trying to "fix" things myself and sometimes have hiccups , so will be back.

Have a great evening both.

Curvy x Quote from: curvy_angel on January 24, 2010, 01:02:58 PM

The sender didn't even know how to break a file into chapters or zip it to send over email so packet writing software wont be among their tools.

Nothing could be less technical than packet writing; It is built into Windows Vista by default; it is sometimes called "drive letter access" and it enables you to just drag and drop files into a CD-R or RW in Windows Explorer, without using a burning application.

BC may be onto something.

Solve : Can you tell if a blank cd-r has ever been written to ??

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