Can't read my backup document CDs on new machine

---

@quilts wrote:

I just purchased a new Dell Dimension 4600 and am getting everything set up.  My new machine has a 48x CD-ROM drive and 16x DVD+RW.  Operating system is Windows XP.

My old computer was still on Windows 98.  I used Adaptec Easy CD Creator 3.5c and Adaptec Direct CD 2.5d when I made my backup CDs.  I still have that disk, but see that it is for Windows 95, 98 and NT. What do I need to do it be able to read my backup documents on the new computer?  I can read the disk I made on CD-RW, but not the several I made on CD-R and I need that information!

---

If the option to Compress was chosen, that will present problems. In any case, I am surprised that you can read any DCD disc as backward compatibility only extends to v3.5c…

Your best solution is to use ECD and make Data CDs. If you use RWs you can recycle them until your transfers are complete.

If you don't have the old PC you might try ISO Buster as a recovery program, Here.

No luck.  I downloaded ISO Buster, but it was unable to read the CD-Rs either.  No, I did not use compression in creating them.

A local computer tech company still has my old machine.  Windows was too corrupted to repair, and since they just had to reformat the hard drive for the same reason four months ago, it seemed time to replace my nearly five-year-old computer.  They did tell me they could do a data transfer of my files that are on the computer.  But there were some they were unable to save when the computer was reformatted the first time.  It was those files that I was trying to recover with these old data discs.

I can't help but smile when I see your advice, "Your best solution is to use ECD and make Data CDs."  I had read that advice previously, and that is why I went from using the CD-RW to the CD-Rs.  Yet, as it turned out, the only one I'm able to read is the CD-RW, which is the oldest one!  Circumstantial, but strange.  I'm not able to edit the material on the disc, but at least I can read it.

 

When you burned the CD-Rs with EZ CD Creator, did you make them rewritable (i.e., "closing" the disk from further sessions)?  I've had problems with different drives being able to read CDs that EZCD had marked as rewritable. 

Well, to tell the truth, EZCD was so buggy I just started using XP's built-in burning software.  Haven't had a problem since.

I'm really not sure, as it has been quite a while since I burned those.  I did it so seldom that, with my poor memory, I didn't know what I was doing most of the time.  I doubt that I closed them to further writing, though. I usually checked to see that I was able to "see" it on the disk, so I was relatively sure there was actually something there that I expected to be able to read later.

---

@quilts wrote:
I'm really not sure, as it has been quite a while since I burned those.  I did it so seldom that, with my poor memory, I didn't know what I was doing most of the time.  I doubt that I closed them to further writing, though. I usually checked to see that I was able to "see" it on the disk, so I was relatively sure there was actually something there that I expected to be able to read later.

---

The type of media, CD-R or CD-RW, has nothing to do with it! It is how you burned it!!!

Put in one of the problem discs and tell us what it says when you Explore its' Properties.

It may be that you will have to install V5 along with the 5.3.5.10 update to be able to read the disc.

Note that XP has a built in packet reader. If a disc was made with normal packet writing, XP can read it without a fuss.

I can't even read the properties.  I put a disk in, but keep getting a message "Please insert a disk into drive D."  When I do, the arrow adds the hourglass, but it just sits like that, with the hourglass and the insert a disk message.  Nothing happens, even if I wait half an hour, it doesn't change.  I know there was actually something on these disks, as I was able to read them on my old computer.