Using your CD- Rom Writer With Adaptec Easy CD Creator 4.0 Direct CD (Now known as Roxio) This tutorial was written years ago, however, because I get so many emails about problems accessing files when using Adaptec Direct CD — CDs created previously in an older computer. If you upgraded to Windows xp Adaptec Easy CD Creator is NOT supported with this version of windows. Later, after a new computer purchase or upgrade and because the CDs were not closed when they were ejected (or it didn’t eject properly) you are unable to view the files on the CD in your new computer or windows xp. First try to close the CDs by reinserting them in your older computer if it is still operating. If you upgraded to windows xp, uninstall and go back to your previous version of windows….reinsert the CD made with Direct CD; then eject them with the option of “Organize the disc so that it can be read in most standard CD-Rom drives under Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3 or greater and Windows 2000 ”
If the first option does not work, this option may be better….give this a try if you cannot access the files. If you know someone with an older computer or if you still have that old computer and it is still operating… Copy the files from the CDs back to your hard drive or your friends (NOTE: Adaptec Easy CD has to be installed on your friends older PC with a CD writer installed). Then copy files from your hard drive to your new computer. There are many available USB Hard Drive Adapters online that you can purchase to turn an old hard drive into an external USB Hard drive.Hook it up to the new computer and then copy all the files back. If you are not comfortable doing this then ask your local computer tech do this for you. (Or purchase an external Hard Drive that will work with your older version of windows….these are becoming harder to find) If all above options fail….Find that old Adaptec Easy Creator CD if you can…seek out a computer tech and see if they still have an old PC that they can install it on and try to retrieve your data off those CDs. Then recopy them to new discs or external drive. It is highly recommended that you get an external Hard Drive It is so much easier to backup! .Always backup anything you never wish to lose!
How to make a CD-Rom ready to add files (photos) to
1.Place blank, new CD Disc in the CD Writer.
2.Double-left-click on the CD-Rom icon next to the clock.
3.The Adaptec Direct CD wizard window pops up.
4.Click next.
5.Click next again.
6.Format.
7.Select the top option.
8.Click next.
9.Type a name for your CD (Only 11 characters)
10.Click finish
11.Wait until it is done formatting.
12.Click OK when the window says “Direct CD Disc Ready”.
13.Click Ok.
14.Now your CD is ready to read and write to. To add files to the CD-Rom
15.Open your “My Documents” folder. (Or any folder)
16.Right-Click on the file you want to send to the CD-Rom.
17.Then left-click on Send to.
18.Then left-click drive: (Your direct CD Drive letter).
19.This will copy it to the folder.
20.You can also right-click on a whole folder and then left-click on send to drive:
(Your Drive Letter).
If you have more than one file you want to send, rather then send them one at a time you can press and hold down the ctrl key on your keyboard then click on each file.
Release the ctrl key then right-click directly on one of the files that you have selected.
Then left-click on send to then left-click on the Direct CD drive: (Your Drive Letter)
It can take a few minutes to copy large files and or folders.
When done writing to the CD-Drive, press the eject button on the CD writer. Wait for the CD wizard window to come up and select the top option “Leave the disc as it is so that it can be read and written through drive letter access in the future.” (If you want to add more files to it later)
Select the bottom option if you want to be able to read or access the CD in a normal CD-Rom drive. (I.e. if you wanted to send it to someone for viewing that doesn’t have a CD Writer.) This option will say “Organize the disc so that it can be read in most standard CD-Rom drives under Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3 or greater and Windows 2000. Note: You will have to make this disc writable to add more files to it.”
You can even check mark “Protect disc so it cannot be written to again.”
-but only if you never wish to add to it again.
You should always leave the box checked that says “Display this wizard next time I eject a DirectCD disc.”
Click Finish.
Then click OK when it is done!
Note:If the CD does not or says it can’t eject it and that there is something still running the background or some other error then just cancel that and restart your computer with the CD still in the CD Writer. When windows is done loading, then press the eject button on the CD Writer and that should take care of it. Choose if you want to be able to write to it again or not then click finish, then click OK. When you want to add more to a CD disc that you have written files or photos to previously at another time…. Place the CD in the CD Writer, then wait for the window to come up that says “The disc is ready for read/write access directly through drive: (Your Drive Letter) you may start reading and writing the disc through using Windows Explorer, or any other windows application such as Microsoft Word.” Click OK and start adding files/photos!
