Vista - Format CD-RW

HELP - can anyone tell me how to format a CD-RW so I can create, save, edit
and reuse files on a CD-RW? I have tried following steps on disk management
but cannot format. I need to reuse CD-RWs and all files saved are Read-Only
files on the CD-RW. HELP!!!!

I would suggest you search the internet to understand how CDs and DVDs are
used. There are several formats that can be used with CD-RW and DVD+-RW
that are not in common with the CD-R & DVD+-R formats, but all the R formats
can be used with a RW. Some software has a UDF format that can be used to
allow a CD-RW or a DVD+-RW to be used as a random access hard drive.
Microsoft's operating systems do not support writing to those formats
usually, but it is an addon product. MS has been using a new version of UDF
for the OS DVDs that ship with Vista. If you load one of those UDF writers,
you will probably loose the ability to read the OS DVDs, unless the latest
versions from Nero and Roxio have fixed their drivers.

If you just want to use a RW as an erasable optical disc, then just do it.
You will find that Nero has an erase option that will allow you to write to
the media again as if it had never had files on it. Nero also provides the
ability to allow multiple sessions on standard +-R media, but each session
takes away from the total capacity of the media.

"sharon" <sharon@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0D909895-B719-418A-BB36-B1D89C884521@microsoft.com...
> HELP - can anyone tell me how to format a CD-RW so I can create, save,
> edit
> and reuse files on a CD-RW? I have tried following steps on disk
> management
> but cannot format. I need to reuse CD-RWs and all files saved are
> Read-Only
> files on the CD-RW. HELP!!!!

It is simple, when you insert the CD-RW into your Vista, or XP machine for
that matter, auto-run will ask you whether you want to format the CD or not.
It should anyway, but if it doesn't, here is another way. With the CD-rw in
the drive, go to "My computer", right click the drive that has the CD-RW in
it, and on the menu that comes up, click "Format"
That being said, a couple things, if you are doing this in windows. Before
you do all of that, right click on the drive, and select "Properties". When
the properties box comes up, select the "record" tab. Make sure the box that
ways "Enable this device for recording" (or something of that nature), is
checked.
Now, there is a simpler way of doing this, you can get a 3rd party software
that will take care of all of this for you. I am using Ashampoo, in Vista.
For XP, I use Nero 7 Ultra. Nero comes with INCD, which does all that and
more. But hey, teh choice is yours.

Hope this helps.

"sharon" wrote:

> HELP - can anyone tell me how to format a CD-RW so I can create, save, edit
> and reuse files on a CD-RW? I have tried following steps on disk management
> but cannot format. I need to reuse CD-RWs and all files saved are Read-Only
> files on the CD-RW. HELP!!!!