Nero: reuse compilation

[vkargatis]

I have Nero 5.5.2.8 (yeah, need to upgrade...). I have the feeling this is probably a known problem, so please just point me to the right thread/solution source, if so.

I made a compilation, burned a cdr from it, and now just want to use it again. But when I call it up, all the files are greyed out, and Nero doesn't seem to think it has anything to write on the blank in the drive.

The compilation was a multisession (I just kept the default). Is it useless now - must I redo the compiling? I just want to burn a new copy, no changes... Thanks,

 

[daveml]

If youve got your first copy the just burn copy to copy.
If not have u moved any files?
Or as u said upgrade to 5.5.8.0. available on the main site.

 

[vkargatis]

- I don't have my first copy (in the mail)
- no file locations have changed
- I have updated to 5.5.8.0

Nothing's changed. I open the compilation, everything is greyed out. Although all the files/dirs are listed, the info window says
Total data to be written: 404KB (1MB)
Files/Folders: 176 Files, 11 Folders

So basically it sees all the files, but thinks there's nothing to be written. It seems to think it already has written it and has nothing left to do.

But it does - this is a blank, and I want to write the whole thing again. This has gotta be something simple, right? The manual does actually refer to reusing saved compilations...

 

[briceanus]

It isn't just as simple as making sure the 'compilation' window instead of the browser window is highlighted ? Or maybe you accidentally 'closed' the compilation last burn ?
I've made many multi-burn compilations, with several versions of Nero.

 

[vkargatis]

It's not an 'active window' problem. What do you mean by 'close' the compilation last burn? I did check 'finalize cd' on the previous burn, because I wasn't going to burn any more onto it. Are you implying that invalidates the comp for subsequent use?

The compilation is definitely in a state where it thinks it doesn't need/want to write anything that's already been burned once - that's obviously the greyed-out state. E.g., from Help: Continuing a multisession CD:
<< Folders and files shown in grey designate that they are already on your CD. They have been recorded during your last session and have not been changed. They are not going to be physically rewritten.>>

I should note that this compilation was a 'multisession' compilation (although I just wrote once and ended) - I was just keeping the default settings as much as possible. Are the comps you're reusing multisession? In general, if you make a comp that is to be written all-at-once, and you want to be able to reuse it in the future, what settings do you need to choose?

I really don't want to re-compile all these file selections! : )

 

[briceanus]

All I can think then is the settings under the multisession tab, that offer to write the files using a few options. Try the overwrite/replace choice.
I've never used a compilation (multisession or not) to burn a 2nd disk, sorry.

 

[daveml]

Tracks greyed out

I had similar probs with a couple of versions of nero.
Like u say it seemed to think I wanted to add to a multisession disc that I'd part way written.
I never write in multisession so this was total garbage.
When I upgraded to 5.5.8.0 the problem ended.
Cant guarantee it will work for u though!

 

[VIPER_1069]

erm did you miss this important part of this post daveml???

I did check >>> 'finalize cd' <<< on the previous burn, because I wasn't goin

Then there is no way possbile to add more data to a closed finalized cd it says that in nero 5.5.x.x right next to the finalize tickbox and the word finalize!!!

Only way round this is to copy all the data from the cd back to the hard disk and start a new multi session ! and add both lots of data in one session! and if its got enough space to add more leave the disk as open untick the finalize the cd because ticked the disk is closed and no more data can be written !

If you are using CDRW the disk can be erased and used again even if it has been closed but unfortunatly you loose everything on the disk so copy it to you hard disk first if you need it !!

 

[daveml]

No you missed my point

I said " It seemed to think" not it was a multisession.
The tracks were greyed out "as if " Id already buned them.I hadnt.
This just happened with some .nras that I'd saved with earlier versions(I think 5.5.7.2).
The problem no longer exists for me.
I never burn open session cds so that wasnt anything to do with it.
Just looks like one of the bugs Nero throws up from time to time.
I have some .nras that some versions of nero decide they cant open and when I upgrade then can. The next time is anybodys guess.

 

[vkargatis]

Then there is no way possbile to add more data to a closed finalized cd it says that in nero 5.5.x.x right next to the finalize tickbox and the word finalize!!!

No doubt. I don't want to add data to a finalized cd. I want to use a compilation that was used to write and finalize a cd to write a *new*, second cd. The first one's gone, done. But my compilation is still there, tantalizingly displaying all those files I want to burn to ANOTHER cd.

Perhaps my ignorance is being underestimated? Is it supposed to be obvious that a multisession compilation can be used for one cd and one only? I would expect it to see this new blank cd and say, ready to go sir, all files at your service!

My upgrade to 5.5.8.0 didn't change anything about the behavior, unfortunately. My compilation (-s, 4 of them) are all stubbornly useless.

So I want to know two things:
- can I salvage these comps and use them again as desired?
- If not, how do I avoid the problem in the future, in order to use the same compilation multiple times? Do I simply make sure they are single-session? Have people used single session comps to write multiple CDs (at separated instances)?

 

[daveml]

nero compilations.

I have about 350 nero compilations,audio .nra and 99% of the time I just open it and burn baby burn.I use the same compilations over a long period of time.
.nrg comps may be different, I dont do multiple burns of those, but I doubt it.
Try a new compilation(anything) and save it. Dont burn it, close nero and reopen it. See if you can open the compilation and refresh it. Hopefully no more grey!

 

[VIPER_1069]

Oh i think i can see what the problem is here if you want to make another burn after the first burn using the same files you have to close the far left drag/drop compilation box called (ISO in the bar), and open a new ISO multisession one to reburn the same compilation!, but onto a brand new blank disc!

It simply will not allow you to reburn to the closed finalised disk, also it will request the previous disk that you just wrote to because it thinks its still in the drive so it can add more files to the current multi session and as that disk is finalized /closed it will fail to update or add new files and will not allow more files to be added as simple as that!





note to DAVEML sorry should of pointed that my post referal here was to vkargatis post prior to your own doh @ me lol !! i was pointing out his post lol sorry mate !

 

[daveml]

VIPER_1069

No probs mate.
I sometimes cant tell what I'm on about myself!
Sounds good what u just posted.

 

[VIPER_1069]

does it make any sense lol after a beer or 3 late at night ?!, you start to make more sense i think lol i was unsure so i just tested the theory with a trusty CDRW lol dont ya just love em for practice burns lol !!!

and a small note to vkargatis if you cannot read the data on your disk get iso buster or cdr diagnostic i have both and find them invaluable as they are capable of rescuing cds that seem to be blank but you know you have data on them! take it from experience lol i recovered a couple of disks in full that i thought i had lost alltogether when i was messing about with different cdr software as most of us do lol !!!

 

[vkargatis]

Oh i think i can see what the problem is here if you want to make another burn after the first burn using the same files you have to close the far left drag/drop compilation box called (ISO in the bar), and open a new ISO multisession one to reburn the same compilation!, but onto a brand new blank disc!

Meaning I have to redrag/drop all the files? That's exactly what I was trying to avoid.

Someone on usenet thinks the problem is that I saved (upon quitting the app) the post-burn compilation (thereby "locking" the state), and that in general, if you want to reuse a comp, don't save (again) post-burn comps.

I'm beginning to think I won't be able to avoid redoing all the drag/dropping.

 

[VIPER_1069]

hmmmmmmm will have to do some more testing later and let you know i know you can save iso compilations to your hd to reburn at a later date but im not sure that if you burn with finalize ticked that you can re-use the same iso data if thats stored in the iso compilation file info then logic tells me that it will load this back into nero when you want to use it again and it will still think that you have the same finalized cd in the drive as you had before as that info is stored in the save file!

I will test this later on today and post my findings for you

 

[vkargatis]

Yes, what you typed is, I fear, the situation. A situation that annoys the hell out of me. Is it that much to ask that after finalizing, the comp would refresh itself when offered a new media? I mean, compilations can take quite a bit of effort to compile, sometimes (in my case, a multi-foldered, multi-genred pile of MP3s) - who wants to redo them? Grumble grumble.

Anyway, the not-saving after the initial save is probably the way to go, though you have to remember to say 'no' later on.

 

[VIPER_1069]

ok after a few tests well bout 20 tests i can conclude using nero 5.5.8.0 that it is definately not possible to reburn any data to a closed finalized disk! which is what i predicted and guessed before i started ! no matter what i tried it refused to let me burn more to the finalized compilation so the answer here is shor t and sweet NO you cant add more to your disk YOU CAN reburn this data to another blank disk if you dont close any windows and just get another blank to burn to (incidentally i notice that FINALIZE after being ticked for the first disk is unticked automatically!) before the next burn so maby this was a bug in the version you have !? suggest upgrade a.s.a.p. so you dont have problems in the future !

Also here note that even if you save yer burned compilation to your hard drive and reload it FINALIZE is unticked again it doesent keep it as a ticked item in the datafile

Only tick FINALIZE if you are truely sure that you do not want to add more data ! you dont have to FINALIZE a mutisession to be able to read the disk after burning as each session is automatically closed as a multi session closure and a new session added and opened the for the next session to be added

Note here that each session on a multi session uses a certain amount disk space each time you are adding to close the disk as a multi session so it can use up your disk space quicky if you are adding multiple sessions it soon adds up to a fair amount of disk wasted with the lead burn in and lead out burn i figured this after running out of space on a compilation and not knowing why !? so again more tests later i find it better to just use a couple of multi sessions per disk this way you save valuable disk space instead of writing 1 meg multi sessions and adding every 10 minutes to the same disk seems pointless and a waste!!

 

[vkargatis]

Let met remind posters that any talk of writing multiple times to a single CD is extraneous to my problem. I'm only talking about
- creating and saving a .nri compilation file
- using it to write a cd
- much later, trying to use is to write the same files to a second, DIFFERENT cd

That's it.

YOU CAN reburn this data to another blank disk if you dont close any windows and just get another blank to burn to (incidentally i notice that FINALIZE after being ticked for the first disk is unticked automatically!) before the next burn so maby this was a bug in the version you have !? suggest upgrade a.s.a.p. so you dont have problems in the future !

I created my .nri on 5.5.2.8, but upgraded as I noted to 5.5.8.0 later. No change in behavior.

In my case, my second cd burning attempt is days later, so no windows were kept open. The .nri was saved and everything closed days ago.

I still can't tell from your email whether you saw the behavior I'm seeing, which is that the reopened .nri won't write to a new cd, or whether you know if something can be done to make that .nri work.

Don't forget, this is NOT about writing anew to the same cd! This is about writing a new cd.

 

[vkargatis]

Ahh. Although I've remained unsuccessful in actually reusing my multisession compilations for a new blank, I did find a solution to my dilemma. Simply dragging the full contents of the old comp to a new comp file worked like a charm. (It had never occured to me before... I'd tried copy/paste, but that was disallowed.)

So, I can handle that - it's a lot less work than recompiling all those files!