[X4U] can't read a cd rom written on a windows machine

[Jon Marett]

On Nov 4, 2005, at 6:29 AM, stephen e. schwartz wrote:

> [re-transmit; for some reason earlier post did not appear on the list]
>
> a colleague on a windows machine burns a cd containing a bunch of  
> documents
> (powerpoint, word, pdf) and gives it to me.
>
> I insert it in my powerbook G4 OSX 10.3.9. I hear a bit of chugging  
> and
> whirring for a while and then nothing. nada. zip.
>
> I can eject it using the eject button on the powerbook.
>
> Insert it into OS9 machine and at least it tells me that the disk is
> unreadable and asks if I want to initialize it.
>
> This has happened more than once, two colleagues. What are they doing
> wrong? Or better what can I do to read the disk.
>
> Its like the old days before PC Exchange and unreadable disks.
>
> help please. any clues or suggestions. of course I can go back to the
> originators, but that just gets them sore at me because I use a mac.
>
> disks I can read on a command-I show iso 9660. I can of course ask  
> them to
> write in that format, but ...
>
> thanks
>
> -steve

I have seen problems with CDs that weren't 'finalized' not mounting  
on some older macs (specifically a beige G3). Once the CDs were  
finalized on the pc (i.e. no more sessions  could be burned to them)  
these older macs were able to mount and read the cd.

jon