Topic: Burning "DATA" to DVD

[joudi]

Here?s a new problem which occupied me some months ago to which I have no solution yet:

Having a DVD writer, I wanted to copy all what is there on my HDD of storage to DVD?s. Unfortunately I lost many DVD?s, and their destination was the bin. The result was that I copied many file kinds on the DVD as ?DATA?, but It was possible to view or open only some of them. I couldn?t understand why it wasn?t possible to open the others.

Today I got an interesting message which the Techies will be able to decode better than me. Here it is:

?One of the files to be added is larger than 2 GB. If you add this file, the disc will only be readable under Windows 95, 2000 and XP (the UDF file system will be used). Do you want to proceed??

So, I can understand that if there?s more than 2 GB there will be a problem, am I write? Do you understand that in a different way?

I don?t understand the meaning of ?UDF? neither.

So, can anyone make that problem clearer to me?

What configuration do you think I can make to be able to copy correctly?

If it?s useful for you, I?m using ?Nero? as a writing program. I didn?t find an option mentioning that. I used also another program which gave me the same result.

Any solution?

Thank you ?

[Simon]

I have burned data to DVDs, Joudi, up to 4.7Gb, and they still read OK.  I think it depends what option you use in Nero, and what you're burning.  I usually use the straight Data option in Nero, rather than UDF, but that's because I don't know what UDF is either!

[joudi]

Thanks Simon for your answer. At last I see someone came close to my question. I posted it about 7 hours ago and no one even opened it till now. Surprising no?    :slightlymad:

Well, I'm not sure, but probably if it's only one file I think it would burn it correctly. But the problem is, I like to use the DVD like a normal CD to burn everything on it, and mixed  data at the same time.    

[Simon]

When you say 'mixed data', I think you can only mix certain types of data, Joudi, but I'm no expert as you know.  Sandra would know more about this sort of thing, but she has been unwell, and now, I believe, she has guests staying, so can't be with us as much as usual for a few days.  Sorry I can't give you a definative answer.  My only suggestion would be to try to categorise your DVDs, so you are burning similar data on each, rather than mixing too many different file types.

[joudi]

We discussed that matter me and Sandra few weeks ago Simon. She has no idea what could be the reason or the solution. I admit that I exposed this very problem to two other french forums without a satisfying answer.

Well, I thought that as I received this message today, it might mean something to someone else here more than me. If not, I'll feel the need to search a forum special for burning DVD's and CD's.    

[Simon]

?One of the files to be added is larger than 2 GB. If you add this file, the disc will only be readable under Windows 95, 2000 and XP (the UDF file system will be used). Do you want to proceed??

Can I ask what type of file that would be, Joudi?  It may be that you have to burn different types of stuff, with different methods.

[joudi]

Well Simon, it's one of a total of two files of "Drive Image" files (the restoration image of my system)Which I wanted to keep as a secure copy, in case I need it later.

The method which I'm using is the same "DVD > DATA > ADD > BURN" in nero.

As I said before, I used a,other burning program too, which gave the same result.    

In fact, I felt better to get this message this time, because it gives me more light on why it used not to work correctly. This time is clearer I think. But I need the solution now.

[Sandra]

Sorry for the delay, I havent had any time over the last 48 hours to get on any forums at all  

I think that the 2gig limit is a bit like the 2gig limitation of the old FAT system, pre FAT 32 you could only have a maximum partition of up to 2 gig on a hard drive due to the way the file structure or "File Allocation Table" worked. This means that on operating systems that werent at least using FAT 32 formatted drives wouldnt be able to read a file larger that 2 gig, I think.

I dont really know the difference between udf and the other options but notice that Nero does have a dvd option of udf/iso which I would have thought would be the one to use if you were mixing an image file and normal data on a dvd as the image files are ISO  

[joudi]

I really can?t understand it yet. I don't know how to make my thoughts clear.    

I tried to copy normal data formed of many video and other files too, each is much less than 2 gb, it plays only a part of them, and the rest not. Does that mean that it can?t play more than 2 gb? If so, why it can copy and read the DVD files which are in DVD format and which make more than 4 gb?

Maybe it considers the total of DVD files format as only one file! Well, if it considers it only one file, why that one file  still works, though it makes more than 2 gb?

I copied games too, which are in ?Image File? format. They work correctly. They?re more than 4 gb.

I started to doubt a little in my burning drive. I don?t know if someone among you is ready to sacrifice one DVD to copy any data to it (multiple data, 3 or 4 gb if possible), and tell me if the same problem happens there too.

Thanks?

[Simon]

Well, as I said above, Joudi, I have filled many DVDs with data, and I mean FILLED, right up to 4.7Gb, and they have all been readable afterwards.  In fact, similarly to you, that's how I back up my files on my PC.  I just copy the whole of My Documents to a DVD, and it usually just fits on.  That's using Nero, with the same method as you described above.

Sorry I have no solution, but I can tell you that it does work.  Have you tried a different brand of blank DVDs?  I do know that some drives work better with some brands, and sone drives don't seem to like the cheaper brands.

[joudi]

Thanks Simon,

I think I'll consider your suggestion seriously, and try another brand.

BTW, have you tried to backup a data of audio or video?

If yes, then according to what you've just witnessed, they've worked properly I suppose!!!  Right?

[Simon]

I regularly download music files (MP3, FLAC, etc) and back them up onto DVDs, Joudi.  In fact, that's what most of the DVDs I have burned with Nero consist of.  What you can't do, I don't think, is mix 'data' type music files, with 'audio' type music files.

[joudi]

Thanks Simon for your care for this problem.    

In fact I've just had a look on some DVD's which I kept temporarily (not yet in the bin), and I found among them some DVD's which have only one kind of data (not mixed). Well, they are like the others. They work just partially.    

Maybe it's worthy to mention here that, when I give the command to burn, it tells me that if I like to keep the DVD as multisession, I must choose the option "don't allow adding files" (means: I must close the DVD). It says that if I don't close the DVD then some drives will not be able to play the DVD. Unfortunately, My other DVD drive doesn't work actually (I have to buy a new one), so, I'm obliged to play them on the same drive which burned them. Well, in that case, I take the option to close the DVD, but in spite of that it doesn't play it correctly.

[Simon]

It could be something to do with Multisession, Joudi.  I never use it myself, as I just burn a whole full disc in one go.  Perhaps try without multisessioning?

[joudi]

That's what I'm doing Simon.

It's the same result in both options.    

Simon, please excuse me for one more thing which I would like you to check again on your copied DVD, (I just like to be more sure):

Can you please check them again and see if they play correctly the second half of the copied DVD?      (Especially if they are audio or video data files)

Thanks...