<VV> CD files, lost in the ozone again

[djtcz at comcast.net]

bottom posted

-------------- Original message -------------- 
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 20:44:53 GMT
From: "kenpepke at juno.com" <kenpepke at juno.com>
Subject: Re: <VV> 2 - 5 year cds
To: carmerjr at mindspring.com
Cc: virtualvairs at corvair.org
Message-ID: <20080104.154453.10205.0 at webmail04.dca.untd.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I learned the hard way that this happens ... I tried to open some CDs
of articles I had recorded for a club magazine I was editing.  The index
came up but none of the files would.  I took the problem to a couple of
local experts and they said the CDs were too old to open.  Everything
was lost.  At that time I was told that pc burners worked differently than
the way commercial CD makers record things.  There may have been 
some further explanation but by then they were speaking 'computer-eez.'

Apparently there is no way to predict when the items will be lost and the
only way to save things is to 're-burn' the information onto a new CD 
before that happens.  A DVD is something different so I do not know if
there is a problem with them or not.  I have noticed there is some degree
of reverence reserved for those that can say D-V-D the fastest :-)

Pictures printed on paper can be preserved for untold lengths of time by
putting them in a album where thay are out of the light. 
Ken Pepke

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When you look at the back/bottom of the CD is there a tiny written band of written area, or a large area? Were they accessible before, and disappeared? Or is it possible the Cd was not accessed after burning until now?

Microsoft has a bulletin or 2 about "glitches" during dragging and dropping files
Windows XP here
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/301480

Still, I'd be looking for the CD writing program of the same vintage as when the CDs were made.

http://www.epinions.com/content_7216729732

Around 2001 When I copied files to CD with Adaptec or maybe Roxio (2 , 3, 4 ?) there were a few options as to what format to use. Some were "normal" , that is,  accessible with Windows explorer. Others were kind of proprietary, but I go the impression those formats were popular for music or something other than the data and pictures I was interested in.
AND, with those "other" formats the recording sessions could be left "open" for adding more files later,  or closed, so that  efforts to add files later to a nearly empty CD somehow obliterated the original session.  Very cantankerous programs, even when factory installed on my Compq computer, when just the day before Compaq was still among the PC stars for speed and well integrated features.

I may have an older machine with an older CD Writing program available if you'd like to give that a try.