How do I read/write to my CD?

A few years ago I had a computer running Windows 98 and I remember using my CD drive as a floppy disk, adding and removing files as I wanted. I now have Windows XP and I don’t seem to be able to do this. I’ve used a number of programs but they only let me write files to the CD, not remove or edit them. Any ideas?


This problem is here is that you don’t seem to be using the right media for the job. CDs aren’t really meant to be read/write media, but rather write once and store forever. The system you’re talking about is called “track at once” that writes the information to disk one track at a time, rather than burning the whole CD in one go. The problem with this technique, if my memory serves me well, is that if you delete or edit a file, the old storage space is not reclaimed, so eventually you can fill the disk up with old copies of your data.

What you should be using for what you’re trying to do is some sort of USB memory stick. There are loads of these around and they only cost a few pounds. They are designed to let you read and write your data easily, and are much more suited for the scenario you describe than CDs. They are also quicker to read and write from than CDs as they have no moving parts.

Your problem is that you’re using the wrong tool for the job, a bit like getting low cost health insurance when what you need is travel insurance. Try using one of these USB sticks and see how you get on.

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