What's the purpose of a CD for data?

Question

Is the purpose for permanent storage? Based on my reading it's best to save a document first to hard drive, then to CD-ROM for permanent storage, and is formatting the CD for data preparation necessary or can I just insert the CD and save. Is this true? Also, how can I retrieve the files from Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint, etc. I can't retrieve any files or save any files directly from Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc. using the CD. I have a Dell Dimension E310, and I can't determine which drive is which. Whenever I insert a CD, I get the error messages, "Selected drive not in use" or "No access to E:/ see network administrator." I don't have an admnistrator. What's the problem? Please, please explain.

Answer 1

You are right. For regular use, SAVE on your hard drive. Use a CD for backup and long term archive.

For short term backup, you can use a CD-RW. Format it first, so you can use it like a storage device and REWRITE the changed files. Keep in mind that a CD-RW might only be readable on the device that BURNED IT. THE BRAND of Media is critial for good operation. So when you find a brand that works with you, stick with it.

For long term backup, use a CD-R and BURN once. Change the setting to CLOSE SESSION, so the disk is made ready for any CD player device. The media brand is less critical. But if you have a CD of photos, try it on your television's DVD player to be sure. If the slide show starts, you are in BUSINESS.

Yes, some programs will be released on CD and DVD. Huge programs will come on DVD.

For easy carry, use a newer style USB Thumb Drive. Since floppy disk drives are disappearing quick, a USB Thumb drive will be how data is transported from one computer to the next. But some thumb drives will work only on PCs, and others will only work on MACS. There are only a few brands that are properly formatted so both Macs and PCs can read the same data. This is really quirky, since the basic user is clueless to the issue.

Answer 2

You are right about CDs being for permanent storage, also backup storage.

Your files must be filed under the program they are filed in. There may be a way around this, I haven't found a way to do it yet.

If you formatted your hard drive and did not replace all the programs from the original CDs, or a copy burned directly from another copy or the original, your computer no longer has that program on its C drive.

If the CD you are copying to is a new one, you do not need to format it. If it was used for something else, you probably should.

! other possibility for your problem: My CD drive is the M drive. I have no clue why.

Answer 3

Only certain CD-RW's were formatted prior to writing the info on them. They were known as "DirectCD" format. A mini-file system was added, making it more of a Zip Drive, dragging files to the CD. Now it is more standard to burn the entire disc in Nero one time, and if it's re-writable, erase the disc in Nero also. Now you would save 650Megs worth of DATA to your hard disk, and then burn it in Nero. Sounds like Word, Excell, is having trouble reading your drive, and thus retrieving your files.

The best method is to copy the files from the CD to the HDD and open them from the HDD.

If your CD drive is E: and you have no access to it, you are using a "limited" account. Administative accounts have full access to all drives. You say you are unaware of an administrator, however this error means you have been denied access.

Answer 4

I have two burners -- a Dell and a Samsung. Both require that you use CD/RWs and that they be formatted with their software before data files can be copied and retrieved from the CD/RW.

Additionally, you could not take the CD/RW to another computer and access the files unless the other PC had the "reader" that came with the burner's software.

You will save yourself a lot of aggravation by buying one or two flashdrives. Price has come down dramatically and they transport and are used like floppies.

I am "crash paranoid" so I have two flashdrives and keep two copies of particular files.

Answer 5

Primarily, from your description of the problem, it would appear that your installation of the OS was faulty.

If someone else did it for you, he forgot to assign the administrative rights to you and probably assigned them to himself.

To correct this, you'll need to uninstall and reinstall the OS. This time, assigning yourself as the Administrator with your own password.

Now, it also appears that your removable media drives have not been configured. You'll need to do that, too; when you've done with the reinstallation. In fact, it might be a good idea for you to check and configure all the peripherals, this time around.

Coming to the rerieval of files from the CD, I wonder if you've got MS Office installed there? If not, which is quite likely, please install that, too. Then you'll have no problem reading these files.

Finally, the Data CD/DVD is meant for permanent storage.

All the best.

PS,

Robert's problem of having his CD Drive assigned as the "M" Drive is also a symptom of faulty installion.

The HDD has probably been segmented too much. All the way from "C" to "M"!

He needs to reinstall his OS, too.

Answer 6

You can use the CD for storing files/data/whatever. In order to do so, you need a cd burning program to burn the files you want archived from your hard drive (c: ) to the CD (usually E:). You cannot just insert a blank Cd and save. For the MS office files, for example, *.doc (Word), *.xls (excel), *.mdb (Access) you need to use the cd burning program to copy and 'burn' these files to the blank cd. The CD burning program will treat those files like regular files/folders when you burn them to the CD. Try deepburner.com and read the tutorials/

Answer 7

omg dell again ok cd always best ot make a back up of work on a cd so your always have it
Word, Excel, Powerpoint,
to save files on to cd
put a cd (r) in the drive right click the drive click on explorer , then move your files to the open window of the drive
then on the top of the open window click on
file/write these files to cd .then click on ok and the then they will be burn onto cd ,if the files from Word, Excel, Powerpoint,will not go on the cd then your have to reinstall it coz its gone mad

Answer 8

Yes, you can save documents and pictures on CD. You don't need to format the cd, but you should be able to specify "data" as opposed to "music" and "videos."

The drive to burn is usually the E: drive and the play is D: drive. Depends on how your tower is set up. Hope that helps.

Here is a place to look up errors:
Runtime Errors and others:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;255058

Good Luck

Answer 9

No, you desire a DVD burner to burn something to a DVD. some CD burners can study DVDs -- they are mentioned as "mixture drives" -- yet you are able to purely burn a DVD in a DVD burner. A complication-unfastened DVD burner will set you decrease back approximately $50.00 or so. A twin-layer one with Lightscribe would be around $one hundred.00.