DUPLICATING A DISK

HOW TO DUPLICATE A DISK

Syntax

·         click on Start Icon

·         Click on Programs

·         Click on windows explorer

·         Click on my computer icon

·         Right click floppy drive icon from my computer menu.

·         Select Disk Copy from the displayed menu

Format a disk

To save information to a blank floppy disk, you must first format the disk. You can also format a previously used disk, which erases all existing information on the disk.

It is very important to format a disk if it is to be used on your computer.

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Formatting disks and drives

Hard disks, the primary storage devices on your computer, need to be formatted before you can use them. When you format a disk, you configure it with a file system so that Windows can store information on the disk. Hard disks in new computers running Windows are already formatted. If you buy an additional hard disk to expand the storage of your computer, you might need to format it.

Storage devices such as USB flash drives and flash memory cards usually come preformatted by the manufacturer, so you probably won't need to format them. CDs and DVDs, on the other hand, use different formats from hard disks and removable storage devices.

CD or DVD format to use

Which disc format you should use is determined by the computer or device that you plan to use the disc in after it's burned. For more information about burning a CD or DVD in Windows, The following sections explain how to determine which format to choose when using Windows Explorer to burn a data disc (a type of disc that is useful for storing, archiving, and sharing files among different computers and devices). If you want to create other types of discs, such as a DVD-Video disc (to play in a regular DVD player) or an audio CD (to play in a regular CD player), you’ll need to use a different program or feature of Windows.

The appropriate disc and format for your needs

Find an example in the following table that best describes your situation. Then, insert the recommended disc, and choose the appropriate disc format when you prepare your disc for burning.

The type of recordable disc you should choose depends on a few different factors, such as:

·         The types of recordable discs that work with your disc burner.

·         The disc drive on the computer or device that you plan to use the disc in after it's burned and the types of recordable discs the computer or device can read.

·         The total size for all the files you plan to burn to a disc.

A typical recordable CD can hold about 650-700 megabytes (MB), whereas a typical recordable DVD can hold over six times more than that at about 4.7 gigabytes (GB). However, the total amount of disc space that you can use to burn files to the disc is less than the amount that's often listed on the disc itself. This is because the disc capacity is calculated differently when it's used in a computer. For example, a typical DVD-R that has a listed disc capacity of 4.7 GB can only store about 4.37 GB of data on the disc.

The following table describes different CD or DVD burning scenarios and provides advice about which format to use.

To	Use this
Burn any kind of file and use the disc in a Windows XP or later computer.	Disc: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, or DVD-RAM Format:‌ Live File System
Burn any kind of file and use the disc in any computer, including versions of Windows earlier than Windows XP.	Disc: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, or DVD-RAM Format: Mastered
Burn any kind of file and use the disc in a Windows Vista or later computer.	Disc: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, BD-R, or BD-RE Format:‌ Live File System or Mastered
Burn music or pictures and use the disc in regular CD, DVD, or Blu-ray Disc players that can play MP3 files and digital pictures.	Disc: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, or DVD+RW Format: Mastered
Burn music or pictures and use the disc in any computer, including versions of Windows earlier than Windows XP.	Disc: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, or DVD+RW Format: Mastered
Be able to add and erase one file or many files over and over (like you can with a USB flash drive) and use the disc in a Windows XP or later computer.	Disc: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, or DVD-RAM Format: Live File System
Be able to add and erase one file or many files over and over (like you can with a USB flash drive) and use the disc in a Windows 7 computer.	Disc: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, BD-R, or BD-RE Format: Live File System
Leave a disc in your computer’s burner and copy files to it at your convenience, such as for routine backup.	Disc: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, BD-R, or BD-RE Format: Live File System