Burning to disks

[AnthonyCian]

Using XP Pro SP2:
In Windows Explorer it's possible to turn off/on the record feature for a recordable drive. In Windows Explorer with the record feature ON, I can click on the drive (lets call the drive "D") with no disc in it or have a blank disc and I don't get a message no disc in drive that TC displays.

In Windows Explorer I can copy files to the "D" Drive and when all is done, I will put a blank CD-R disc in the drive, then click on write files to disc and the files are copied on the disc. I know burning CD-R disks this way is not packet writing.

What I like to know is, why can't TC do the same thing? That is, as long as the recordable drive is set to record, and if Windows Explorer can do it, why not have TC do the same?

Thanks,
AC

[Gral]

Is it possible to write to a paper without paper ?

[karlchen]

Yes, you can. At least, this is what Explorer makes you believe.

In order to do so, Explorer proceeds like this:
As long as you just copy files to the (empty) CDRW-drive, it actually copies the files to a folder called CD burning.
(E.g. on my machine for my user the complete name is "C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\Karl\Lokale Einstellungen\Anwendungsdaten\Microsoft\CD Burning")
Only if you select to write files to disc, a medium needs to be in the CDRW drive and using the burning service Explorer will actually write the files collected in "CD Burning" to the CD.

To proceed like described above, Explorer uses functions of the WinXP burning service. I do not know if these functions are documented and if they can be used in the same way by other programmes as well.

I hope Christian is going to read this thread and tell us.

[Added]
Ok, I knew I had read it before, just finding it took some time. Christian already gave the answer in the German forum. Here is my translation:

Strg+C Tab Strg+V (Copy+Paste). Reason: Microsoft's implementation of the burning function is faulty and only works correctly with Explorer. Copy+Paste uses Explorer to copy files.

[Added2]
If I get the rest of the German thread correctly, you can use TC to directly copy files to the "CD Burning" folder (use ctrl+c and ctrl+v). And then if you are done, you right click on the drive and select "Write files to disk" just like in Explorer.
Hope this really works.

Regards,
Karl
--
P.S.:
Before someone thinks I missed this one: Of course I know of the TCBurner plugin.
[OT]
Wonder who was first to mention TCBurner, Sir_Silva or me?

[Sir_SiLvA]

AnthonyCian: I think you should give the TCBurner plugin a try

[AnthonyCian]

Thanks everyone for the feedback on this topic. I understand how Windows Explorer burns CD's using the method I describe earlier. And know it's not the true drag and drop packet writing method. I just wanted to know why TC wasn't able to do the same.

I just downloaded the TC Burner Plug-In and will give it a try.

TC is a great file manager program and I use it regularly, which is why I inquired about this, so I wouldn't have to use Windows Explorer. I don't like packet writing that much, to unreliable. Which is why I like to use the Windows Explorer method.

Again thanks,
AC

[AnthonyCian]

Ok, I tried the TC Burner Plug-In and have to say one has to play with it to get the hang of it. I found out (and maybe something I'm doing) it only works if logged in as an Administrator, other users are unable to use it. Using the Windows Explorer burn method works fine for them. Is there something I need to set in security to have TC Burner Plug-In work for at least Power Users? Just in case it's asked, yes each user who tried using the plug-in had the recordable drive set to record (ON). This is on a home computer and not using a network.

Oh! In TC, I did the copy/paste method using the keyboard keys, then right clicked on the drive and it burned the files on the CD-R, this worked fine, thanks again for the assistance.

AC