Setting Up and Using Your Computer 29
Using Blank CD-R Discs or Blank CD-RW Discs
Your CD-RW drive writes to two different types of recording media—CD-R
and CD-RW discs. Use blank CD-R (CD-Recordable) disks to record music
or permanently store data files. After creating a CD-R disc, you cannot write
to that disc again without changing your method of recording (see the
Roxio documentation for more information). Use blank CD-RW
(CD-ReWritable) discs when you want to write, erase, rewrite, and update
your files onto CDs.
Helpful Tips
• You must use the Easy CD Creator Basic project programs to copy and
record all music and data CDs. You can use Windows Explorer to drag
and drop files to a CD-R or CD-RW disc only after you first use
DirectCD to format the disc.
• You must use CD-R discs to burn music CDs that you want to play in
regular stereos. CD-RW discs do not play in most home or car stereos.
• If you want to copy files from the Internet or files from a floppy or Zip
drive, copy those files to your hard drive first, and then burn your CD.
Your CD-RW drive requires a stead y stream of data to p roperly record.
Direct Internet downloads, floppy drives, and Zip drives may not be
able to provide a steady data stream to your CD-RW drive.
• Music MP3 files can be played only on MP3 players or on computers
that have MP3 software installed.
• Ensure that you set the sampling rate to at least 128 Kbps when you
burn MP3 files to a CD. Otherwise, recording errors may occur.
• Do not burn a blank CD-R or CD-RW disc to its maximum capacity;
for example, do not copy a 650-MB file to a 650-MB blank CD. The
CD-RW drive needs 1 or 2 MB of the blank CD to finalize the
recording.
• Use a blank CD-RW disc to practice CD recording until you are
familiar w ith CD record ing techni ques. If you make a mistake, you can
erase the CD-RW disc and try again. You can also use blank CD-RW
discs to test music file projects before you record the project
permanently to a blank CD-R disc.
• See the Roxio support website at support.roxio.com for additional
helpful tips.