Why Can't Writing Data To DVD+R Be Easy?

[YMe]

One would think that writing data to DVD+R would be a simple matter. After all, it was supposed to be the computer manfacturers' (Dell, HP, Sony) computer-user-friendlier answer to DVD-R. Is it just me?

The DVD+R/DVD+RW hardware shipped with Nero Express and InCD software. I installed the hardware and it appeared in my Windows Explorer - that's the last thing that went as expected.

1. The InCd software won't talk to DVD+R, only DVD+RW so that wasn't useful.

2. Nero Express won't take long file names acceptable to Windows. If the name is OK with Windows, why not to a DVD+R?

3. Windows FAT32 supports files longer than 2GB - not DVD+R - how am I supposed to make copies of those files without splitting them apart?

4. I tried downloading at least 5 shareware packages. Some of them were unbelivably pathetic - only one worked reliabily except that it is over $100.00. The worst of the bunch showed the copy progressing and the byte counts incrementing - with the minor exception that the drive door was open. I suppose that the package was queuing my data to dust molecules in the air .

Does anyone have a way of writing Windows FAT32 data files to a DVD+R without all of the incompatibilities and exceptions?

Thanks.

[maineiac]

I use DVD+R without the problems you describe. Though I am using other software so I can't tell you exactly what your problem is. As to FAT32, while you can exceed the FAT16 limit of 2GB, FAT32 has its own limit of 4GB so if your files are larger than that this may be part of the problem. To use larger files you would need to reformat your hard drive using NTFS under either Win2K or XP.

[SLICK RICK]

Both of my internal drives are NTFS and I never have any problems.

SLICK RICK

[hotwings]

Well you probably already know this, but InCd is packet writing software which is meant to only work with rewritable media, like +rw not +r which is write once only. To write on once only media you would use Nero which also shipped with your hardware. Also while nero express maybe easy to use, it is less customizable than regular nero. Use regular nero, it isn't that much harder to use.

[YMe]

Thanks for your replies. I appreciate the time that you spent helping me. I would appreciate if maineiac would let me know what software you are using.

I've made some progress.

I tried NERO Express. Lot's and lot's of problems. Then I tried NERO Burner. No better for this app. I consider this not ready for prime time as a utility for backing-up data to DVD+R. What I don't like:

1) Doesn't display log - have to write to a file and display using editor.
2) Stops dead on every error.
3) Doesn't save projects - have to re-enter everything everytime the utility gets stuck - which is extremely often.
4) Joliet conversion rules not robust.
5) No help functions WAD (worth a damn).
6) No support WAD on the web-site.
7) Won't copy files > 2GB for DVD+R.
8) No spanning
9) This part may be minor, but is very offensive to me as a programmer - the so-called log is actually a program trace with internal messages and trace dumps meaning nothing to anyone but the programmer. They actually list C++ programs line numbers executed by the program. A user log gives messages in English meaningful to users. I don't mind a couple of technical details - but this has pages and pages of technical details when what I need to know is if my backup worked and if not, why not.

I'm trying Roxio Creator 6 right now. It has its share of problems but it already is a much better.

[Redd]

Well correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know burning DVD+ or DVD- depends on the burners formats. I don't think it has anything to do with the burning software. I burn DVD+ all the time with no problems, but my burner will burn the DVD+ format.

[YMe]

If you don't mind, could you tell me what software are you using ?

I just spent hours making backups using Roxio Classic Creator and it now tells me that the data didn't verify.

I'm just hopelessly frustrated. I've used Backup-Exec for years to tape and never had a problem. Then I used Handy Backup to CD-R and never had a problem. It's just since I got this DVD+R that I haven't been able to make a single backup.

[txpharoah]

Lot of odd info on this post. I'm not even going to bother correcting it.

Anyway, NERO is probably the best program for data (moreso even than Roxio's crash-happy products). Open Nero. Close Wizard. File. New. DVD-ROM (ISO). No Multisession. Make ISO9660 Level 1 Mode 1, then RELAX the ISO restrictions (both allows). No more problems on naming files, etc. Enable JOLIET. Click NEW.

Drag and drop files. BURN. Enjoy disc. The end.

[rpgman]

I backed up my entire diskdrive (over 5 gig worth of data) from a Norton Ghost image using my sony writer...

I used VERITAS RecordNow DX

By the way, If anyone has 2 hard drives (I have 2 Western Digital 80 gig drives), to backup your main harddrive onto the 2nd harddrive using Norton Ghost....

so far, I've restored 2 systems using Norton Ghost.

My system in work somehow screwed up Internet Explorer with Flash, and I could't fix it, so I restored using the images Norton created on the 2nd harddrive, and the system works fine, the 2nd system was my home pc, putting on some crap software that came with my sony dvd, screwed my system up, restored from the just made images from Norton Ghost on my 2nd harddrive, everythings back to normal...

I use VERITAS RecordNow DX to write to dvd-rw the Norton Ghost images in case my 2nd harddrive goes out along with the 1st harddrive....

rpgman

[YMe]

Thanks to everyone that helped me. I used your suggestions to track down websites and info to arrive at my decision. What I'm writing here is to help the next person who has the questions that I did.

What I was looking for was simpliest, most direct way to drag-and-drop Windows data files to a DVD+R.

The leading contenders were:

1) Nero Express (came with DVD+R)
2) Nero Burner (latest revision as of yesterday)
3) Roxio CD Creator 6 (Classic Creator and Drag-To-Disk)
4) RecordNow DX from www.stompinc.com
5) BackupMyPc from same website
6) Novasoft Backup Software

The winner is: Roxio CD Easy Creator 6, which includes the Drag-To-Disk utility (DTD).

When you want to copy files to DVD+R, drag them to the DTD which will format the disk for you if needed. It can take files up to <4GB although you will have to wait a long time for those files to be copied. It will handle spanned backups although I don't recommend that as no product except for Roxio will be able to re-create the file. Better to group your files in 4.7GB chunks so that Windows can access the files on the DVD+R without help.

Problems with all of the utilities:

No utility tested simply made backups of what Windows XP had on my HD, which I would think would be the standard. None would handle more than a couple of hundred (perhaps thousand) files.

My test was to try to backup my entire file-set of an Oracle database and program set. Four problems kept on locking up the computer every time: 1) there are tens of thousands of files, 2) there are more than eight levels of directory, 3) some of the files have really long names <= 255 bytes, 4) there are more than 30 GB of data. With any DVD+R used, I had to use an archive utility like Winzip (I use HandyBackup 3.9) to make a few dozen zip files, none more than 1.5 GB. This got rid of the name problems and the directory lists.

Problems with Roxio.

The CD Creator 6 has lots of quirks such as not being able to expand a standard windows directory tree and not properly working with multiple sessions. Stay away from multiple sessions in any utility. Get it right the first time and lock it. Mutli-session just does not work. Also, the directory struture doesn't sort the way it should - really buggy. Ask for the list in name order? It's not in order. Some files are out of sequence, especially if the files begin with numbers (does 10XYZ really come after 41XYZ?). Ask for the list in size order - don't trust it. Files over 2GB don't sort to the right place. A plus with Roxio: automatic detect, download and installation of updates to registered versions. Drawback: Roxio does not allow 30 day trials - you must buy @ $80.00 and they promise a 30 day return policy based upon affidavit of destruction. And, remember, unlike Nero/Nero Express, Roxio does make backups of files <= 4GB and it does have a decent help manual with useful information.

Problems with Nero (all versions).

No help manual (clicking on help says "file not found").
Incoherent messages and log. Can't take files > 2GB even though Windows allows < 4GB.

Problems with RecordNow DX: available from www.stompinc.com. Couldn't get it going - it wanted to make backups of my Dell installed software and asked for a Dell disk that I did not have.

Other packages had other problems but Roxio (IMO) was the best.

Hope this helps someone.

Mark