Hi -



I got an Acer desktop with Vista preinstalled. From day one I have problems
trying to back up files on a CD-RW using the Explorer burn option. Ised to
be able to right click and send to the E (I have a D partition) drive, but
when I go to burn them I get a "format disk" message. I've ruined several
disks after choosing either of the format options. Explorer hangs in the
"calculating time remaining" phase, and when I try to use the disk again it
says it's been finalized. Also - what I can put on the CD eventually will
intermittently show up when I put the disk in. One folder one time - another
time it will show as a blank disk and bring up a "prepare this disk"
message. I seem to be able to perform these operations OK with Nero, but
Explorer is usually easier, and I'd like to get my money's worth after
"upgrading". This is like going back to the days when floppy disks had to be
IBM formatted.

Called Acer - They told me to restore the system to factory defaults -
losing two months of work. Canned answer that isn't acceptable. I can't
decide if this is a hardware issue, Vista incompatibility, or both.

On Sat, 11 Aug 2007 01:40:40 -0400, "Bill Gaul" wrote:

>I got an Acer desktop with Vista preinstalled. From day one I have problems
>trying to back up files on a CD-RW using the Explorer burn option.

I avoid using Windows' built-in optical disk writing, and use Nero (or
whatever bundleware authoring package came with the PC) instead,

A new install of the same buggy system isn't likely to work better.

>Called Acer - They told me to restore the system to factory defaults -
>losing two months of work. Canned answer that isn't acceptable.

Agreed.

>I can't decide if this is a hardware issue, Vista incompatibility, or both.

Smells like what passes for normal, where built-in burning support is
concerned. Really, I consider that to border on the unusable.

OTOH, if real authoring software also has problems, you may have a
duff optical drive, and I'd try swapping that out.



>------------ ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
The most accurate diagnostic instrument
in medicine is the Retrospectoscope
>------------ ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

I think the Windows utility is reading only the initial burn on the CD-RW
(like happens with some remote computers, I've discovered). This is
definitely a backward step. Seem to be a lot of these with Vista. (love the
"snipping tool", though)

"cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)" > On Sat, 11 Aug 2007 01:40:40 -0400,
"Bill Gaul" wrote:
>
>>I got an Acer desktop with Vista preinstalled. From day one I have
>>problems
>>trying to back up files on a CD-RW using the Explorer burn option.
>
> I avoid using Windows' built-in optical disk writing, and use Nero (or
> whatever bundleware authoring package came with the PC) instead,
>
> A new install of the same buggy system isn't likely to work better.
>
>>Called Acer - They told me to restore the system to factory defaults -
>>losing two months of work. Canned answer that isn't acceptable.
>
> Agreed.
>
>>I can't decide if this is a hardware issue, Vista incompatibility, or
>>both.
>
> Smells like what passes for normal, where built-in burning support is
> concerned. Really, I consider that to border on the unusable.
>
> OTOH, if real authoring software also has problems, you may have a
> duff optical drive, and I'd try swapping that out.
>
>
>
>>------------ ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
> The most accurate diagnostic instrument
> in medicine is the Retrospectoscope
>>------------ ----- ---- --- -- - - - -