How do you format a CD-RW?

Answer You can do so by using software like Nero. In case of Nero the steps involved are as follows: 1. Open Nero Express 2. At the bottom of the display page there is a "more" option. 3. Click more option. 4. Select the type of format. 5. select any format type either Quick Format or Full Format Note: By default the software takes maximum speed, you can change the speed. Selection of slow speed is advisable. The good thing of WinXp is that is enables the user to carry out the same task. The steps involved are as listed below: 1. Insert the RW CD in RW Rom. 2. Open the RW CD in windows. 3. On the left side of the screen there is Tool Bar which from the top contains two option namely write to the disk and erase the disk. Click on erase to perform the task. 4. The erase in this case is carried out at max speed of the RW CD. Bye Answer Unlike floppy discs, CD-RWs and CD-Rs don't need to be formatted prior to initial burning. For a CD-RW, just copy off any data you want to keep and then erase the CD-RW. Formatting is going to erase the CD-RW anyway. Answer (linux) In linux, the most common utility to use for cd/dvd recording is "cdrecord". To erase a CD-RW use the command "cdrecord -blank=disk". If you have multiple burners, and want to specify which to blank, use "cdrecord -scanbus" to determine it's scsi address, then specify on the commandline "cdrecord dev=1,0,0 -blank=disk". For more options on what to blank, review "cdrecord -blank=help". Solution If you put a blank CD into the drive and attempt to read it, there's nothing for it to read so your computer will ask that question. First of all you need a CD burner to write anything to a CD. Secondly I don't think you need to format a CD to write on it. If there's already data on it your burning software should ask you if you want to overwrite it. And if there's no data on it, it should just start writing without any problems. One thing to note: some CD players and older CDROM drives have problems reading CD-RW discs. Try putting in a CDR instead and see if that works better for you. Solution If you put the blank CD in on a Windows XP, it should come up with a message box asking you what you want to do with it. You need a CD burner (RecordNow works great) and select "burn CD" action. you then should be able to copy a file over and it may say somthing like " this CD is blank. Would you like to format?" just follow the instructions and it should format. Solution If you are using Windows XP right click on the dirve with the CD-RW. In the menu that appears you should see a entry called "Erase this CD-RW". That will clear the data of the CD-RW and you can use the CD like a blank one. Solution Normally, your PC will come installed with what is called burning software. This is a program that writes stuff to the CDRW in the first place. In 80% of cases, there is an option to format the CDRW via this program, but if you can't find that, there are lots of free trials of other burning software available from the Internet. A quick search of www.download.com brought up this which may be of use to you. Hope that helps, Dan When you insert a CDRW, you should go to the computer, then click on the drive that your CDRW is in. A notice should come up saying do you want to format, if it does not then, right click and choose format. Once formatted it is possible to record with your burning software. Answer You must format a CDRW if you want to drag and drop files to it and be able to delete them. This is using "packet writing" software like Nero InCD. If you just want to use a CDRW disk to "burn" data to like a CDR disk then no, you don't need to format it, in fact doing so will make your burning software refuse to operate because the disk will not be empty. The formatting process will make the disk unburnable until you erase it. Answer These comments are about "Is it necessary to format a CD-RW disk?" With my XP Pro OS running IOmega's HotBurn Pro, I've found that answer to be YES!!! When I erase a disk filled with data, the formatting also gets erased. Without formatting, none of my Burning Software can "see" the CD-RW disk in any of my drives. While searching for a good CD-RW formatting routine, I was brought here. So I thought I'd pass along the experiences I've had when I erase a CD-RW. The Blue Bandit