This looks like a great forum - just found it tonight, and already I've found the answer to a question I had about writing a CD-R using either 'disc-at-once' or 'track-at-once'. So I've changed my default to 'disc-at-once'. Thanks!

Anyway, I had a couple of questions about using the CD writing utility that comes with WinXP. I just got this system, and it appears that it's possible to create a data CD using either Roxio Easy CD Creator 5 or the WinXP disk writing utility (where you just drop your file into the CD-RW drive folder and then click on 'write to disc').

What I don't understand is, when using Easy CD Creator, I write the disc and close the CD so that it can be read in other CD drives. With WinXP utility, the data is written, but the CD appears to be left open because I can put the same disc back in, after WinXP ejects it, and write more data to it. Also, when I put the disc in that WinXP writes, it will tell me if there is more room on the disc that can be written to, while if I put in a disc that is created with Easy CD Creator and try to write to it, (even if there is lots of room left), I get a message to insert a recordable disc instead. If I then take this WinXP 'open' disc to my old system and put it in its DVD-ROM drive, it recognizes it and shows me the files that are on the disc. I thought this was only possible if the disc was 'closed'. Anyone know about this? Seems strange to me...

No, many DVD roms and CD roms drives can read a disc if left open. Some software closes the session but not the disc. I like NERO the best for my mulisession writting, but whatever works best for you. You are right though, some drives will not see the disc if it is not finalized or closed...

(in reply to Sergeant Pinback)