Are CD-RWs unreliable (as opposed to CD-Rs)?

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@julzie wrote:
A couple of weeks ago I had to reformat and reinstall WinXP to fix an aggravating problem. In the process I fixed the problem and also learned a lot. I had burned data backups on CD before I reformatted. While I was looking through all my CDs to line up my programs to reinstall them, I found a couple of Imation CD-Rewritable discs. I've had this computer for three years and I have never used a CD-RW disc. I'd heard what they're supposed to do but I just never bothered; I just made CD-Rs.

So I stuck a CD-RW in the drive to format it. I used my Nero program to format it and when it was done a window came up that said it was formatted and files could be saved to it just like a floppy disk. Cool, I thought, so I saved a backup of my journal to the CDRW.

Well, today this same CD-RW that I had formatted and was using as a backup suddenly decided that it wasn't going to let me save files to it any more. I tried to save to it and got an error message. When I opened up a file on it, it showed as Read-Only, just like it would on an ordinary CD-R disk. The disk is nowhere near full. I don't know what happened. I made no changes other than saving to it. I'm glad I'm not a trusting sort; I save backups in a lot of other places (USB Zip drive, HDD, Flash card).

Does this happen a lot? Are CD-RW disks generally unreliable like that? Should I just stick to burning CDs for backups and the like and not bother with the CD-RW function?

Thanks!

Julz
Dimension 4400
384 MB RAM
WinXP; SP-2
NEC NR-7900A CD-RW drive

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The least reliable form of burning is Packet Writing, like InCD, Drag to Disc, DLA and others!

Optical media was intended only as a Music CD and was designed with that purpose in mind. Only after many years did someone try to use it for Data storage.

Then sometime after that someone thought it would be cool if it could act like a big floppy so some voodoo was cooked up. Many years later and it is still unreliable voodoo.

Now let's talk about the media itself. CD-R is rock solid stable when used as a Data CD or as a Music CD. (it can be used for packet writing and improves reliability although you cannot recover any space once written)

CD-RWs on the other hand are less reliable due to the nature of their dyes. Likewise, nothing is free so the dyes wear out with use. Some of the newer ones actually wear out just sitting around!

So essentially you combined the least reliable media with the least reliable form of burning.

Considering that CD-R are about 20 cents each, do you see any economy in using RWs???

Jim Hardin wrote...

The least reliable form of burning is Packet Writing, like InCD, Drag to Disc, DLA and others!

Optical media was intended only as a Music CD and was designed with that purpose in mind. Only after many years did someone try to use it for Data storage.

Then sometime after that someone thought it would be cool if it could act like a big floppy so some voodoo was cooked up. Many years later and it is still unreliable voodoo.

Now let's talk about the media itself. CD-R is rock solid stable when used as a Data CD or as a Music CD. (it can be used for packet writing and improves reliability although you cannot recover any space once written)

CD-RWs on the other hand are less reliable due to the nature of their dyes. Likewise, nothing is free so the dyes wear out with use. Some of the newer ones actually wear out just sitting around!

So essentially you combined the least reliable media with the least reliable form of burning.

Considering that CD-R are about 20 cents each, do you see any economy in using RWs???
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Thank you for your sensible, interesting and studious reply. I have never been overly fond of unreliable voodoo; at my age one wants to rely on one's tools.

I'm thinking that could be that's why you don't hear too much about the advantage of CD-RW any more or see too many CD-RW disks advertised for sale anyplace; it's all CD-Rs or DVD stuff. Seemed like a few years ago CD-RW was widely touted as something ever so marvelous.

Guess I wasn't missing a doggone thing not using them!

Julzie:

I'll add to Jim's comments. When it comes to CD-RW media, not all discs are created equal. In particular, Imation and Memorex have a very poor reputation. Of course, these are the brands you're most likely to find on sale at Staples, Circuit City, etc. I recommend Maxell or Verbatim.

Thanks, Osprey! I think I'll just stick to CD-Rs. The CD-RWs sound like they're not worth it. Doggone computer has already aggravated my ulcer enough! ;-)