thanks Florin >> i just inserted a data CD. > CD-R/RW? CD-ROM? (I guess the former.) HFS? HFS+? ISO? Hybrid? XA? CD-R other than the 700 MM and 80 Minutes it says nothing. made on a PC running windows me. i'll just ask for it again saved elsewhere or sent in pieces as attachments or something. i was mainly curious about why i didn't get a box with some version of the message 'this disc is unreadable give it up" and that it never showed on the desktop and such. and William, i looked in the system prefs as you suggested but it is not set to ignore. but thanks, i completely forgot about that and had seen it before. best John