Can't save Word or Excel documents to removable disc

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@Caljer wrote:

I am having trouble saving backup documents to my E drive (Philips DVD+-RW DVD 8631) on my just delivered Dimension 8400.  If I read a disc that was created on my old computer and make changes to on the new computer the error message I get on the new computer is: Cannot save 'E:\' copy of(file name).xls.  The folder is marked as read only.  If I create a file in Excel on the new computer and try to save to a CD I first get an error box that says Incorrect function.  When I close this box another box appears with the error message: You do not have access to the folder 'E:\' see your administrator for access to this folder.  It keeps referring to the drive as a folder instead of drive E.  Dell tech support has been no help in resolving this problem.  I am running Excel 97 on the old computer and Excel 2003 on the new one, but this should not cause any problem that.  Please someone help.  There is no administrator - there is just me and my knowledge pretty much consists of turning on the computer and using it.

Message Edited by Caljer on 03-17-2005 04:14 PM

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Optical media is not a shinny floppy… Normally when written the media is Read Only, thus you cannot write to it again.

Of course there are exceptions such a packet writing, Drag to Disc, InCD, DLA etc. Packet writers require formatting a disc and then it does behave much like a shinny floppy. Drawback is that no packet writer has ever been called reliable.

They are good for portability between PCs where no other means exists but too unpredictable for backup use.

Personally, for transferring files between PCs, I prefer using a Flash Drive like a Sandisk Microcruzer. One of these that has 512MB of capacity should cost about $40 after rebate.

At work, I would use a CD-RW to transfer files between two PCs. One PC had Roxio Easy CD Creator 6 and the other had Nero. Every so often one of the PCs would become unable to read the contents of the CD-RW. It was a pain in the neck.

But with the Flash Drive I had no trouble copying files and reading files between my Windows ME PC at home and a Windows 2000 PC at work.

Hi Calijer,

As Jim mentioned, how were the discs created, did you format the disc with some Packet Writing Program or were the disc created as a Data Disc using the Mastering software? Also what is the name/ brand of the burning software you are using?


Best Regards




God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do and the eyesight to tell the
difference.

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CD/RW Link

The original discs that I have been using for several years on the old computer running Windows ME are verbatim DataLifePlus formatted discs.  All I have been doing in the past on the old computer in Word or Excel is save to disc - no problem - no formatting required.  As far as I know no burning software is involved.  I just saved the data.  I don't want to have to go thru a process to "burn" a disc to save data on a large spreadsheet, I just want to be able to click on save within Excel or Word as I am working on the spreadsheet or Word document to save the contents as I work. 

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@ieee488 wrote:
Personally, for transferring files between PCs, I prefer using a Flash Drive like a Sandisk Microcruzer. One of these that has 512MB of capacity should cost about $40 after rebate.

At work, I would use a CD-RW to transfer files between two PCs. One PC had Roxio Easy CD Creator 6 and the other had Nero. Every so often one of the PCs would become unable to read the contents of the CD-RW. It was a pain in the neck.

But with the Flash Drive I had no trouble copying files and reading files between my Windows ME PC at home and a Windows 2000 PC at work.

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ieee: For your 'Work PC's, I would use a Data CD project on RW media. It will be readable by all PCs and is erasable, thus reusable…

For packet writing, most have to have the same program in order to write. I have found that DLA formatted discs are interchangeable with Drag to Disc/DirectCD. Not having Nero's InCD, I have not been able to test those two…

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@Caljer wrote:
The original discs that I have been using for several years on the old computer running Windows ME are verbatim DataLifePlus formatted discs.  All I have been doing in the past on the old computer in Word or Excel is save to disc - no problem - no formatting required.  As far as I know no burning software is involved.  I just saved the data.  I don't want to have to go thru a process to "burn" a disc to save data on a large spreadsheet, I just want to be able to click on save within Excel or Word as I am working on the spreadsheet or Word document to save the contents as I work. 

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Caljer: Like many users you have not been paying much attention to how you have been burning… It would be nice if we didn't have to, but burning is completely different from working with magnetic media.

From what you have provided, I would guess you used a packet writer (DirectCD?) on your old PC. In order to continue to be able to use that method on your new PC, you are going to have to have another packet writer!

Your Dell probably came with Sonic's DLA, however it is not compatible with your old disc, for writing.

You will have to copy the files to your HD and format the media with DLA.

It should be pretty transparent if you use Windows Explorer. After you copy the files to your HD, right click on the media drive and select Format.

From there, it should behave the same way it did on your old PC.

I know it was working on your old PC, but I have to point out that you work method is very poor. Packet writing is not known for reliability, thus you may lose everything from one session to the next!

A better method would be to work on your HD. When you are done and want to save, use a Data CD project w/Sessions and burn to disc. XP can do this without any software. While the disc slowly fills up and it lacks the ability to erase files, it is far more reliable.

If you use RW media, you can erase the entire disc when it gets full. But again, CD-R media has proven much more reliable than RW media and it only cost about 20 cents a disc. So you can fill-up and throw away 5 discs for a dollar…

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@Jim Hardin wrote:

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@ieee488 wrote:
Personally, for transferring files between PCs, I prefer using a Flash Drive like a Sandisk Microcruzer. One of these that has 512MB of capacity should cost about $40 after rebate.

At work, I would use a CD-RW to transfer files between two PCs. One PC had Roxio Easy CD Creator 6 and the other had Nero. Every so often one of the PCs would become unable to read the contents of the CD-RW. It was a pain in the neck.

But with the Flash Drive I had no trouble copying files and reading files between my Windows ME PC at home and a Windows 2000 PC at work.

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ieee: For your 'Work PC's, I would use a Data CD project on RW media. It will be readable by all PCs and is erasable, thus reusable…

For packet writing, most have to have the same program in order to write. I have found that DLA formatted discs are interchangeable with Drag to Disc/DirectCD. Not having Nero's InCD, I have not been able to test those two…

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"Most" of the time, Roxio and Nero's packetwriting work okay with each other.
But it has already happened twice where the Nero InCD was unable
to read the CD-RW.

I agree that using a Data CD project on CD-RW would be best, but I was
using the CD-RW to act as a giant floppy disk to exchange files between
two PCs. For this type of data exchange, I would definitely recommend
a Flash drive approach.