Reading Mac-burned CD-RW discs on a PC

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When I make a CD-RW data disc on my eMac and try to read it on a PC (a recent, Dell one running Windows NT) the folders are displayed but when I try to open one I get the error message 'D:\Digital pics is not accessible. The folder was moved or removed'.

If I burn files to the top level of the disc, without putting them in folders, it works fine. But this is a pain when I've got a disc of hundreds of files.

I can't find any help for this on the net. Does this problem sound normal to you.

Shouldn't CD-RW disc formatting be platform independent?

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 30 November 2002 17:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Ah, so I'm not alone. I've found a couple of situations like that where I've burned discs for friends that come out that way. This is a very good question to ask! Any advice would be definitely appreciated...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 30 November 2002 17:51 (twenty-three years ago)

I am pinning my hopes on Graham.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 30 November 2002 18:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ugh, I have no idea, but if you keep your filenames 8 characters long at most and don't put spaces or any other punctuation or strange characters in, do they work? If they do (or possssibly even if they don't) I'd check what filesystem format your Mac is writing the CD-RW as and try to persuade it to write it as Joliet or ISO-9660 level 2 or 3. (Level 1 is understood by Windows but doesn't allow filenames longer than 8 characters.)

If the top level files which work have long filenames with spaces in then I don't know, but if the actual files have names in some digicam standard format like DSCF7009.jpg or whatever and it's just the directory names that don't fit this then it might explain it. "Might"...

But I have no idea and I should've got the idea that I shouldn't post on tech threads by now. Someone will be along in a minute to laugh at me, which is fine as long as they actually answer the question :)

― Rebecca shouldn't be on this thread (reb), Saturday, 30 November 2002 18:22 (twenty-three years ago)

You seem pretty expert to me Rebecca! You seem to know loads more than I do, and I have a 1st in computer science! Anyway, I think lots of ludicrous speculation from people with no idea at all is always more fun => The Pinefox to thread.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 30 November 2002 18:29 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought about the long filename possibility and tried just using short, DOS-style ones but no luck.

I will see if can find out about the filesystem my Mac writes in.

My one clue was a Mac Format news item about the next version of OSX (I already have 10.2 running). It said something about improved CD-R compatibility with Windows I think but didn't specify the problem. I just find it odd that I can find nothing on the net. I'm glad Ned has had the same problem (if you see what I mean). Even a search on the text of that Windows error message reveals hardly anything.

But yes, pinefox to thread.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 30 November 2002 18:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Ah-ha.

Since I last looked, a search on that error message now yields

I think I probably do have the first version of 10.2 as it came slipped into my eMac box like a thief in the night and it was a week or two before the press reviewed it.

I will hunt for these 'patches'. Thanks.

Am more confused than ever about the different standards. It is IS0/9660 but that's not good enough, yes? HFS+ format is needed, whatever that is.

And what's this about hybrid (ie. cross-platform?) discs needing twice the space of a Mac only one? Does that mean I can only fit 320MB onto any CD-R I want to be readable on a PC?

You can have a corner of cold toast, Graham.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 30 November 2002 18:56 (twenty-three years ago)