[SteveABC123]

While using Windows 98SE and Roxio 4.0 I downloaded many JPEGS from a Sony Digital still camera. The photo transfer was via "Drag and Drop". I closed some sessions and not others. I upgraded to Roxio 6.0 and continued to burn CDs. Now I cannot open many of my photo CD's using Windwos XP2. The CDs used to open fine but now they will not. By a visual inspection I can tell the CDs have been written on but my computer will not recognize any of the information on the disc and nothing can be added to it. I would like to recover these files but I am at a loss as to how to do it. Please help! Thanks. Steve

[starchild]

Someone who knows more can probably help you better, but I was just trying to get pictures off a mini cd (from a Sony Mavica) and tried ISObuster and PC inspector "smart recovery". Apparently with mine the pictures never got saved on the cd (bad cd or problem with that brand) but you could find those programs (free) download them and try them.

if you put free data recovery programs in google you'll find others. I have another one saved on a CD I also tried, In this case there was nothing on the cds to recover, but since you know you have them it might work.

Seems like pictures on a cd saved with Win 98SE would work on XP2. I don't use Roxio so don't know anything about that. I have Win 98SE and have burned pictures on a CD (using NTI) and my daughter who has XP can open them.

Just making suggestions based on the little I know about it. Like a lot, I think I learn from the problems I have had and found answers to

Maybe someone else has another idea, or knows the name of another program.

~ Carrie

[SteveABC123]

Thank you Carrie for taking the time to respond. Computers and software are very fickle and this problem is driving me nuts! Thanks again. Steve

[kiwiguy]

Using "drag and drop" under Windows 98 denotes that "packet writing" was used (InCD or DirectCD.

This is a "non-standard" CD format that allows a CD to be used like a hard drive, not how the media was designed for (write once read many times, full disk erase and re-use with -RW media).

To read CDs created with "packet writer" software requires that the same software be loaded onto the PC to read it, as its non standard.

"Packet writing" might be convenient, but it lacks reliability and portability.

[hewee]

Good reason to burn images as a data CD.

[Gabriel]

Can opening them up in a photo-editing program re establish any of them?

[hewee]

I guess so Gabriel.
But when you burn the images as a data CD you don't have any other type of program that has taken over or needed to get to or see the images again.
My .jpg files on the CD can be viewed by any program that will open them.
I don't like any image program taking over other image formats.
I use ACDsee to view all the images it supports. I don't even have my image programs setup to open a image unless it is it's own format and there is no other way to see the image.

[slipe]

Since you refer to both drag and drop and closing sessions I am guessing you used packet writing to a CDR and not RW. DirectCD is the only common program that will do that.

Packet writing to a CDR with DirectCD is actually a very good and reliable way to archive images. What you didn’t seem to do was to close the CD so it can be read on any computer when you were finished. That converts the CD to Joliet format that can be read like any other CD.

Make sure you installed DirectCD with Roxio 6. Then try to
“close the CD so it can be read on any computer” with the software. If the DirectCD on Roxio 6 won’t read it or it didn’t come with DirectCD you might look for a patch to get your Roxio 4 DirectCD to work on XP. You would have to uninstall the DirectCD from Roxio 6 before doing that – it often doesn’t work to have two packet writing programs on the same computer.

If there is no patch you could set up a dual boot to Win98 if you can get hold of a CD and the photos are of a great enough value. Recovery software would probably be better if it will work for you.

[SteveABC123]

Thanks to each of you who offered advice on my delema. Yes I did use packet writing software and it is unreliable. I tried loading Adeptec EZ CD Creator 6.0 on my XP SP2 machine and it totally screwed up the system. I was told by the computer doctor who fixed it was that Roxio conflicts with XP and "don't use it"! Anyway the first posting I received on this issue was from Carrie and she suggested that I look for a downloadable software on-line that would solve the problem. Well I found one and downloaded it and tested it to see if it could recover the JPEGS. The test version would not but it showed that it could. So I spent $29.99 and retrieved over 2000 JPEGS that I thought were in photo heaven. The name of the program is DVD Data Rescue at it works like a charm. Steve