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

[Eddie Hargreaves]

This CD was probably written using the UDF format, which allows it to be
written to and erased multiple times like a floppy disk or Zip disk. The
colleague will need to "finish" or "finalize" the disc and make it
unwritable.

This isn't necessarily a Mac shortcoming, as even Windows machines would not
be able to read this CD without having the 3rd-party software installed.


On 11/4/05 6:29 AM, stephen e. schwartz <ses at bnl.gov> 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 ...