CDWRITER Users Guide

Terminology And Features:

A CD ROM is a small disk which information can be stored on. 
This information can be audio, video or data.  When data is stored
in a CD it is called a CD ROM.  CD ROM stands for compact disk
read only memory.
Until the third quarter of 1993 there was no way for the average
computer user to archive and exchange large amounts of information
in a truly device independent and operating system independent
manner.  In order for two people to exchange information they
had to have similar machines and operating systems, or use proprietary
methods.  The CD ROM overcomes this problem by providing a standard
file system that is not unique to any vendor.  The name of this
file system is called the ISO9660 standard.  ISO stands for International
Standards Institute.  All new CD ROM drives and software can read
CD ROM's written using this standard.   Unfortunately, until recently,
there was no easy way to create a CD ROM.
The CD writer is a hardware device that enables writing to a CD.
 The CD must be a special blank CD that is often called a CD-WO
(write once).   Once a CD-WO is written to It can be accessed
by any machine that is able to read an ISO9660 format CD ROM.
 In order for a CD writer to cut a CD special software is required.
 This software is usually bundled with the machine, although most
vendors will allow users to purchase the machine from them, and
the software somewhere else.
Although a CD-WO can not be modified, it can be appended.   When
information is appended to a CD with existing information it becomes
a multi-session CD.  Most CD writers support this feature although
many CD writer programs, as of yet, do not.  There are many multi-session
standards but the most widely accepted is the Kodak multi-session
standard that is used in the Kodak Photo CD players.  Not all
CD ROM readers support multi-session CD ROM's, although that is
quickly changing.  A standard CD ROM reader is only able to read
the first session of a CD ROM, including multi-session CD ROM's.

When appending sessions to a CD ROM the directory structure is
recreated and stored with the new session but the files remain
in the same locations.  Files in older sessions are superseded
by files in later sessions with the same name.  They are not actually
replaced, since the information can not be changed.  The old file
is just ignored.  An example of this is when the user does a full
backup to a new CD.  Each night he does an incremental backup
to that CD as another session.  After several incremental backups
the directory of the CD is displayed.  Only the most recent of
all files are displayed.  The older versions are just ignored.
 They are on the CD but not accessible by standard operating system
commands.  They can only be accessed through special utilities
(example: CDWRITER)..
SCSI stands for "Small Computer System Interface."  To attach
a SCSI device to a PC the PC must be equipped with a SCSI adapter
card.  A SCSI adapter card can be used to control up to 7 devices.
 The CD writer is a SCSI device and will require a SCSI adapter
card.  Other devices like SCSI disk drives, and scanners can be
attached to the SCSI card.  The devices are "daisy chained" with
the cable coming out of the card, into a port on the device, and
back out another port on the device.  
Many CD writer programs require that a device driver called an
ASPI manager be loaded in memory.  ASPI stands for Advanced SCSI
Programming Interface.  This is a device driver that normally
comes with a SCSI adapter card.  It is used as a middleman to
communicate with SCSI devices.  When using an ASPI manager the
writer software does not have to be tailored to each specific
adapter.  In a PC the ASPI manager is loaded from the CONFIG.SYS
file in the root directory.  For example the syntax of the command

for an Adaptec 1540 SCSI adapter is "DEVICE=C:\SCSI\ASPI4DOS.SYS."
 This should be the first line in the file.
There are two ways which authoring programs (CD writer software)
cut CD's.  The first way is to create an intermediate image file.
 The image file contains the entire session to write to the CD.
 It is simply copied byte for byte to the CD after it is created.
 When creating an intermediate image file there must be enough
room on the system to store the entire image.  A compact  disk
can hold over 650MB.  This means an image file can become rather
large.  The other way to create a compact disk is to create the
image "on the fly" without creating an intermediate image file.
 The benefit of this is that it may be faster, and it will not
require the large amount of free of disk space required by an
image.  The disadvantage to this is that both the PC and the drives
the data is on must be very quick.  Once writer software begins
adding a session it must keep the buffer of the CD writer from
emptying.  Once the CD writer buffer empties the writer produces
a buffer under flow message and the CD is ruined.  A 2x (double
speed) writer requires a continuous data stream of 300kbs.  If
the image file is being created on the fly from many smaller files
the PC and hard drive may not be able to keep up with the writer.
 In this case a CD-WO is wasted.
Some CD writers come with a bar code reader built in.  This bar
code reader is able to read the bar code on a CD if it is present.
 For example the Kodak CD's with InfoGuard have a 12 digit number
present in human readable form and in bar code form.  Some CD
recording software can detect this bar code and place it into
the CD image when writing the first session (example: CDWRITER).
 


Installing CDWRITER:

CDWRITER comes on a disk with two files.  The file CDWRITER.EXE
is the actual program.  It should be placed a directory \CDWRITER
on the hard drive.  The file BWCC.DLL should be copied to \WINDOWS\SYSTEM\BWCC.DLL,
unless a more recient one exists.
The Phillips 521 and Kodak 200 CD Writers require a continuous
data stream at 300kbs.  The PC being used to cut the CD must be
able to sustain over 300kbs from the disk drive, and at the same
time, to the CD writer.  CDWRITER has been tested successfully
using a 486DX-33 with an ISA bus, a Kodak 200 2x CD Writer, a
12ms 1Gig SCSI Hard drive, and an Adaptec 1540 SCSI adapter card.
 Both the hard drive and the CD Writer were on the same adapter
card.  The CD was created using an interrmediate image file. 
CDWRITER requires an ASPI manager be present in memory.  When
writing directly to a CD two SCSI adapter cards are recomended.
 One adapter card for the hard drive and one for the CD recorder.


Using the program:

CDWRITER is a full featured, reliable, Microsoft Windows based,
multi-session, CD-ROM authoring system.  It has a very straight
forward user interface, and is very easy to use. The user interface
consists of a main screen with three components.  The first component
is the "Copy Items" window.  This window displays the paths selected
to copy onto the CD, and the location on the CD to place them.
 The second component is the "Report Window."  This window details
all the activity of the program including any errors encountered.
 The third component is the "Options" component.  This component
is a group of buttons used to control the programs actions.  These
buttons are described below.  Note that the word button is used
to described a shape on the screen that looks like a button. 
To use a button just move the mouse pointer over the button and
press the left mouse button once.


Add Path: 
This will add a source and destination path to the "Copy Items"
window.  The path can be that of a file, or a directory.  If a
directory is specified all files from that directory down will
be selected.  The destination path is the file or directory to
copy the information to on the CD.  Since it is possible to specify
the same destination directory for more that one source, it is
possible that two files would end up with the same name on the
CD.  When the program is ready to cut the compact disk this problem
will be detected, and the user notified.  If a destination file
exists on an earlier session, the new file will be written to
CD and the old file will be lost.   It will be possible to retrieve
the file using the tools provided with the program, but not through
normal operating system commands.  When a file is replaced in
a later session the earlier file is not erased, it is just no
longer referenced by the directory structure.  The file is therefore
effectively replaced.  The space used by the older file is lost.

Modify Path: 
This will allow the user to modify the currently highlighted path
in the "Copy Items" window.  Both the source and destination paths
can be modified.

Delete Path: 
This will delete the highlighted path in the copy items' window.

Setup Session: 
This allows options to be set that control the behavior of the
program.  The available options are described below.

Work Directory:
This is the drive and directory that will hold the intermediate
image file if a new image is created.  If an existing image is
being used the directory specifies the location of an existing
image.  The drive that will contain the image file must have enough
free space to hold the image file and several work files.  If
there is not enough space available on the drive the user will
be informed before the program begins creating the image file.

Write Direct To CD
This cuts a compact disk without using an intermediate image file.
 While it does not require as much disk space as using an intermediate
image file, it does require a much faster machine.

Create New Image:
Creates a new image file that can optionally be copied to a compact
disk one or more times. When creating a new image the work directory
must not already exist.  An image can be used over and over to
cut compact disks.  Inside the image are addresses on the compact
disk.  These addresses are relative to the start of the compact
disk.  If the disk in the machine contains 1000 blocks when an
image is created, then the image will be created to start at block
1001.  All CD's that this image is placed on must already have
1000 blocks.  Each time a session is appended to a CD the directory
structure for the entire CD is placed into the new session, not
just the directory structure for the current session.  This means
that when an image is created, it is created for a certain disk.
 Every disk that this image is placed onto must be identical to
the CD that the image was created for, both in size and content.

Use Existing Image:
Writes an existing image to CD or allows the verification of the
contents of a CD.  If "Verify CD Contents" is not selected then
this will write the existing session to CD.  If verify is selected
then only a verification will be performed.  If writing and the

CD is not blank then the session will be appended and the CD in
the writer must be identical to teh CD the image was created for.
 This is not verified by the program.  

Verify CD Contents:
Uses the operating system to read each file that should have been
placed onto the CD from the image specified.  The image file will
not be examined.  The files in the image will be read from disk
(original location, not from image file) and compared to the files
on the CD.  Any differences will be noted.  This option can be
used when it is critical that all the data was copied correctly,
and that however unlikely, no error occured.  Many CD ROM device
drivers will crash and lock up the machine when they are used
to access a CD writer drive after a new session has been added.
 If the driver being used has this problem it may be necessary
to create the image file and add it to the CD during one execution
of the program.  Then during a second execution of the program
verify the contents of the CD, maybe even in another CD drive.
 If the CD is to be cut and verified in two separate steps the
"Delete Image When Done" option should not be selected.
NOTE: To use this option "Use Existing Image" must be selected.
 Currenty cutting the CD and verifying its contents must be done
in two seperate steps.

Last Session On CD:
This option is only valid when writing an image to CD.  This will
cause the new session to be the last session on the CD.  After
a session is cut with this option selected,  additional sessions
can not be appended.  The writer will then identify the CD as
a CD ROM, not a CD-WO.

Pause Before Writing:
This causes the program to pause and display a message after the
image file is created, and before it is cut to CD. The user may
wish to know when the CD is about to be cut.  This way he/she
can stop using the PC, and allow all the computer resources to
be used by the CD cutting process.

Pause Before Verifying:
This causes the program to stop and display a message before the
verification process begins.  This allows the user the option
of cutting the CD on a writer, and then verifying the contents
using an inexpensive reader.  This will save both wear and tear
on the CD Writer, and sometimes alleviate the problem of the device
driver locking up the machine.

Clean Up When Done:
Deletes the image file when the program is finished processing
the current Add or Verify request.  If this option is selected
the image will be deleted even if the Add or Verify fails.  Do
not check this option if other disks are going to be cut from
this image, or if a verify will be performed at a later time.

Ignore Previous Sessions:
When appending a session to a CD with existing sessions, this
option causes the previous sessions to be ignored.  The directory
structure in the new session will no reference files in the previous
sessions.  The files will still be there, but can only be accessed
with special utilities (like CDWRITER).  The files will not be
accessible through normal operating system commands.   All files
on the CD will be effectively erased, but the space will not be
reclaimed.

CD Drive:
The drive to use to verify the contents of the CD, if the verification
option is selected.  The drive is selected from a list of all

available drives on the system.  The drive on the system with
the highest drive letter is the default.

Destination SCSI Device:
Allows the user to specify the device to use as the CD writer.
 This device is selected from a list of all SCSI devices on the
system.  The first write once device on the system is the default.
 Although all SCSI devices on the system are listed, only write
once devices can be selected.

Pri Vol:
Allows the user to specify what information is to be placed into
the primary volume descriptor.  This information identifies the
system that created the CD, the person that prepared the data,
etc.  This information can only be specified for the first session,
and when the "Ignore Previous Sessions" option is selected

Add Session: 
Adds a session to the CD in the selected writer.  The image is
created from the paths specified in the "Copy Items" window, or
from an existing image specified in the work directory of the
program setup.  While the PC can be used for other tasks during
this process, the computer must be able to supply data to the
CD at 300kbs.  If a 300kbs data rate is not maintained to the
CD writer (for a 2x CD Writer) the CD will be ruined.  It is strongly
recommended that the PC not be used while cutting the compact
disk.  It is all right to use the machine during the image creation,
or verification processes.  If there is not enough space left
on the CD to write the image the user will be notified before
the image is created.  This option is only present when the "Write
Image To CD" option has been selected in the program setup.

Verify CD: 
The files in the image specified in the program setup will be
verified.  This involves comparing the files in the last session
on the CD to their current condition on disk.  This option is
only available if the verify option was selected in the program
setup, but not the write image option.  If both the add session
and verify options are selected only the "Add Session" button
will be present

Information: 
This displays a list of options used to get information about
the CD currently in the writer.  The list of available options
is described below.

Sessions:
Information is displayed about each session on the CD along with
the total space left on the CD.  This number is meaningless for
CD ROM's.  Each session can be selected and its directory structure
reviewed, as it was, when the session was the last session on
the CD.  This will even list files that have since been replaced.
 Any file effective in the session being viewed can be copied
to a disk file.  This includes files that have been superseded
in later sessions.  If a directory is selected for copying then
that directory, and all files below it, will be copied.  This
is very much as the normal copy command that comes with the operating
system.  The difference is that it will copy files that have been
superseded by files with the same name in a later session.  

Pri Vol:
This displays information from the CDs' primary volume descriptor.


Lock/Unlock Tray: 
Before many of the program options can be selected, like adding

a session, the drive tray must be locked into the CD writer. 
This is done automatically when the program starts if there is
a CD in the CD writer.  If a CD is placed in the writer after
the program is started the lock button on the screen must be pressed
to lock the CD into the drive.  Once the disk is locked into the
drive it can only be removed by first unlocking the drive tray.
 The lock command will automatically close the drive tray if 
it is open.

Eject Tray: 
This will unlock the disk tray, if it is locked, and eject the
CD.  

Print Report: 
This will send the contents of the "Report Window"  to the default
system printer.

Clear Report: 
This will clear the contents of the report in the "Report Window."
 Once a report is cleared, it is lost.  If a copy is desired make
sure it is printed before clear is selected.

Terminate: 
The program will unlock the drive tray and exit.