Utility to format CD-RW?

[clavedog]

When you put a CD-RW into Windows, a dialogue prompts you for formatting. When I do the same on my MacBook, "Finder" opens and that's it. I can copy data to the CD-RW and 'burn' the data, but only one time.

When I put the same CD-RW back in, I cannot modify the contents anymore. I realize this is because the CD-RW was never formatted, but how do I do that? I've tried looking into "Disk Utility", but this is just for repair and partitioning.

Do you need a separate utility to actually format a CD-RW?

 

[Kyomii]

Hi Clavedog and welcome

You can use Disk Utility to erase/format CD-RW discs before using them. Insert the disc in the optical drive of your computer. In the Finder, click on Applications and open Disk Utility. Select the disc in the column on the left and click Erase.

- Select Quick Erase if you want to overwrite the old contents with new. Quick erasing does not erase all the previous content on the disc, but only allows it to be overwritten.

- Select Erase. If you didn't select Quick Erase, the data on the entire disc is overwritten with zeroes (formatted.) This takes a bit longer than quick erasing.

 

[clavedog]

So this means that I cannot re-use "old" data, even if I use Quick Erase?

For example, if I put in a CD-RW disk that already has some pictures on it (any data). Then I use the Quick Erase to "overwrite" the old contents in order to put some new pictures on the disk. Will this disk now contain old and new pictures?

I love my Mac book, but this is really a pain in the butt...windows is much easier in this regard....once it is "formatted", you should be able to write and re-write to it just like the hard drive.

 

[Ric]

Hi all,

I presume you want a "Multi-Session" cd...

Have a look here.

regards

Ric