UnFinalize

[CADMan]

If I have a CD which has been write protected, is there any hardware or software anywhere which can re-open that CD for writing?
What is the physical process? Is it just a single bit somewhere on the disc which indicates write protected, or is there more to it?
Thanx

[cfitz]

I'm not sure what you mean by write protected, but if you mean that the disc has been finalized as implied by the subject line of your posting, then you are out of luck. Once a disc has been finalized, you can't add anything more to that disc.

The solution is to copy the files on the disc to a new CD, this time creating a multi-session disc and not finalizing it.

If you want a disc to which you can add and delete files on a regular basis, get a CD-RW disc and use it with packet writing software.

cfitz

[aviationwiz]

Actually I think there is an unfinalize option somewhere in Nero for Rewriteable CD's.

[Inertia]

I assume by "write protected" you mean that the Read-Only attribute is set.

This is the default of a closed (finalized) CD-ROM disk, since it can only be read, but not written.

[cfitz]

Actually I think there is an unfinalize option somewhere in Nero for Rewriteable CD's.

There is an "unclose the last session" option in the "Recorder->Erase ReWritable" menu, but I had assumed CADMan was talking about a CD-R. That's why I suggested moving to CD-RW as a long-term solution. But, I guess I may have assumed too much.

cfitz

[aviationwiz]

I assumed he was talking about CD-RW because obviously CD-R's are write once, even if you don't finalize the disk.

[cfitz]

CD-Rs are sort of write once but also sort of not write once. They are write once in the sense that you can't change the physical areas that have already been written. Once the pattern of pits and lands is burned in, you can't change it. But if you burn a multi-session disc you can add additional files later in the unburned sections of the disc. And you can even make it appear that you have deleted files. The bits will still be on the disc taking up space, but they won't show up in the table of contents.

cfitz

[aviationwiz]

I see.

[CADMan]

I was talking about CD-R's. I know that a blank disc costs less than a postage stamp, but I still hate to waste one. For instance, I make disks which are playable in both DVD players and PC's. That is, they are VCD's but have extra files on them which can be played by a PC.
The other day, I wrote such a disk, but accidentally left off one measly file. The whole disk was wasted. I wished I could just tack on one extra file.
Look at it this way. If I buy a region 1 DVD, and take it to Europe, it won't play in my region 2 player. The rules tell me it can't be done. But I know that I can hack my player so that it ignores the region code and plays my disk. I'm asking if there's anything similar in CD land, that would let me add one more file to an already finalized CD. If NASA needed to do it to save five stranded astronauts, it would happen. I'm asking if anyone has done it without spending more than the GDP of Guyana.

[cfitz]

If you are talking about CD-R's, then it can't be done, at least not for Guyana rates. I'm not even sure that NASA could do it...

cfitz