uncle Bill's testicle pulling algorithm.

[Loose rivets]

Copying photos to CD & DVD.

It was alright, I have most of my pix on backup DVDs, but today, while I'm rushing to pack for an unknown period in the UK, things are going horribly wrong.

Whatever is happening clearly has been ordered from the little Daemon that lives deeply embedded in uncle Bill's testicle pulling algorithm.

Explorer clearly shows all kinds of files on any CD that I put in the writer, despite them not having been written yet. The HD light flickers showing that calls are being made to drive C. Refresh...no difference. Reboot, and for a few blissful moments, the drives show that there's no disc available. Try to copy and all sorts of things happen, so many in fact that it could be described as chaotic.

I have never had the need to use a sophisticated pix handling program...until now. With a few hours left, I would dearly like to carry the soft home, and indeed be backed up.

Can anyone tell me a quick trick to control Explorer, ie kill any buffering or whatever is hanging onto the files, or any soft that I could download and learn in about ten minuets? Taking into account my diminished brain-cell count.

I've tried doing this while uttering some incantation that came from I know not where.

[frostbite]

Download Power Desk 5 (the free one) and give that a try.

It's close enough to the M$ thing in appearance and use not to give you too much brainwork.

Are you sure you want to come back here? It's bloody cold atm.

[Loose rivets]

Thanks for that...will try in the dark hours after a dram or two. Think better that way.


Come back from today's temps here? 91f today and I haven't been cold for 5 years. So, no...I'm dreading it. Needs must.

[Bushfiva]

In the absence of more info about the software you are using, I'm assuming you're using the features of XP itself to write to CD. From the Help file, using "copying files to CD" as the search term, my guess is you haven't done steps 5 & 6:

To copy files and folders to a CD

1. Insert a blank, writable CD into the CD recorder.
2. Open My Computer.
3. Click the files or folders you want to copy to the CD. To select more than one file, hold down the CTRL key while you click the files you want. Then, under File and Folder Tasks, click Copy this file, Copy this folder, or Copy the selected items. If the files are located in My Pictures, under Picture Tasks, click Copy to CD or Copy all items to CD, and then skip to step 5.
4. In the Copy Items dialog box, click the CD recording drive, and then click Copy.
5. In My Computer, double-click the CD recording drive. Windows displays a temporary area where the files are held before they are copied to the CD. Verify that the files and folders that you intend to copy to the CD appear under Files Ready to be Written to the CD.
6. Under CD Writing Tasks, click Write these files to CD. Windows displays the CD Writing Wizard. Follow the instructions in the wizard.

[Loose rivets]

Thanks Bushfiva...despite getting me out of a scrape, it opens anouther two questions. One/ the wording was quite diffenet on my XP, but I could get the jist. Indeed I've never gone to the target disc for more than showing the target...having dialog with a popup is totally new to me...ony diffence is files sizes on limits.

Well, the deed is done. I can goo-goo while showing these to g-children 4 and 5...See, granddad used to have brown hair and walk up straight..They'll never believe me.

Thanks again everyone