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Write protected CD-RW media?
Two (up to date) XP computers quite separately but within the same couple of weeks are turning CD-RW into inaccessible "write protected" CDs. One PC is a year old, the other brand new. One has been using the CD-RW once or twice a week for a year, the other is using brand new CD-RW media. Before we get into why...
Question: how to I remove this "write protection" from the CD-RW? And what is a write protected CD-RW anyway? WHat makes a drive decide a CD-RW is write protected?
Question: how to I remove this "write protection" from the CD-RW? And what is a write protected CD-RW anyway? WHat makes a drive decide a CD-RW is write protected?
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Check the nero backup tool. there is an option which can be set to erase a CD if necessary, maybe that option isn't set?
I think u might be missing some configuration in Backup MY PC software, because of that u r getting the problem. See if its possible to use other tools like Nero, Alcohol 120% (http://www.alcohol-soft.com/) to earse the used CD-RW and then use them for Backup My PC software.
Its also might be possible that the Backup My PC software doesn't erase the CDs, as i dont use that software but i downloaded the trial version to test it. I didn't get time to try it yet...
Its also might be possible that the Backup My PC software doesn't erase the CDs, as i dont use that software but i downloaded the trial version to test it. I didn't get time to try it yet...
ASKER
The issue is that the software worked find for a year, and without any config changes, the problem occured. I have looked for "close session", "protect disc" or any other such inidcator or setting before posting this question, and none are obvious to me at this stage. The fact that this is a change that happened when the software and config were untouched suggests to me the problem is external to Backup My PC, like the underlying code for Windows or CD-R/RW drives themselves. But I'm happy to go look and do things when I am offered firm suggestions.
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ASKER
I have a big problem with that advice. What happens if I recommend this to these clients and they get overrun due to missing some security updates? You can bet your bottom buck that they'll blame for having given them poor advice.
Rolling back windows updates and then turning them off isn't an option I can sell. This is happening at a finacial advisory institution where they have the most detailed personal information on their clients' health and finances.
We have to change to different backup sofwtare.
I was hoping there was a more generic answer to CD-RW suddently turning "read only" - even to the point Backup My PC can't access them.
Rolling back windows updates and then turning them off isn't an option I can sell. This is happening at a finacial advisory institution where they have the most detailed personal information on their clients' health and finances.
We have to change to different backup sofwtare.
I was hoping there was a more generic answer to CD-RW suddently turning "read only" - even to the point Backup My PC can't access them.
All you need to do is erase the CD-RW's before reusing them. It surprises me that you didn't have to do that in the first place, as CD's whether they are RW or R, are read only by normal standards. There is a setting in backupItUp which you can set to "Erase rewritable disc automatically when required", though. Appart from that I advise to use CD-R's only, I've had bad experiance with CD-RW, they aren't reliable and don't last long. Do your customers regularly restore data from these media and test it's integrity? That is an absolute essentiality. What is the point of having backups that can't be used after a restore?
ASKER
"All you need to do is erase the CD-RW's before reusing them"
Love to.
EVen Nero says they are "Write Protected".
"I've had bad experiance with CD-RW, they aren't reliable and don't last long"
Well, one set were coming up to perhaps their 100th use, and happy for them to perhaps be thrown out for new ones.
But the other set were brand new. Went "write protected" on their first use.
"Do your customers regularly restore data from these media and test it's integrity? That is an absolute essentiality. What is the point of having backups that can't be used after a restore?"
We found that when we need to restore from them some months ago, everything worked as expected. The monitor the success of each backup, which is why they reported the "Write protected" error immediately.
Love to.
EVen Nero says they are "Write Protected".
"I've had bad experiance with CD-RW, they aren't reliable and don't last long"
Well, one set were coming up to perhaps their 100th use, and happy for them to perhaps be thrown out for new ones.
But the other set were brand new. Went "write protected" on their first use.
"Do your customers regularly restore data from these media and test it's integrity? That is an absolute essentiality. What is the point of having backups that can't be used after a restore?"
We found that when we need to restore from them some months ago, everything worked as expected. The monitor the success of each backup, which is why they reported the "Write protected" error immediately.
If you can't erase the CD-RW and there was no password protection set in the backup job, then the media isn't good. As I said, RW media is generally very unreliable. Go for CD-R media. And do regular restores, don't rely on the messages backitup shows, those don't really tell you if the backup is good or not. Only an actual restore will tell you that. If you were able to restore one backup from a couple of months back, you were probably just lucky.
ASKER
As for disk closed... the interesting thing is that nothing was changed. it worked fine for a year, and for a week or so on the new computer. and then suddenly, they both did it. but the application itself hasn't been updated.