charmed quark

Ta. I hadn't considered that. cq

I put a small file on a DVD and want to add another. I get the "Disk Not Empty" prohibit when I enter Write Mode, and don't know what to do next. Is it possible I didn't choose the same format for the 2nd file; or something like that? cq

scuzzy; Tru dat. No offence taken. It seems like everyone has been burning CDs and DVDs for years, and is so accustomed to the drill, its all taken for granted. Its just not part of PC tech I've used. I don't even have a CD player... well; I have one. The batteries that came with it are still in it. So; I really appreciate your thoughtful reply. It helps a lot. I didn't realize Bittorent actually had a downloadable Etch DVD. All the advice I've been getting referred to this jigdo thing, but no one explained what the dickens it was. They just kept referring to it as the "installer"... intimating that item was the onliest way to get it; etch that is. Just so I don?t get tangled up again; I assume you are suggesting I d/l the ?i386? DVD from: http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/ ? burn/copy that to a DVD in the usual way, and ?install? it in the usual way. Unless I?m sadly mistaken, ?apt-get? still works; eh? And if I need to update the kernel at some point, it?s not like stating all over. If that is all there is to it, then the folks over on one of the forums I have been getting advice from have been making my life a lot more complicated than necessary. Not to complain; I learned a lot and I undoubtedly needed to learn it. I remain, yours, cq

I've been trying to get a DVD image/copy of the Etch installer from: <debian-testing-i386-DVD-3.jigdo> 30-Jan-2007 11:11 (235K) ... but something isn't working. I've used ImgBurn a couple of times to burn DVD document backups, and these turned out OK. Bearing in mind that I have only about 0.5 clues about creating CDs and DVDs, all I see on the disk when I try to open it in IE is a sequence of folders: ETCH_RCI_2617 [Open] "Document Folder" icon [Open] Document Folder "Owner" [Open] Document Folder "Desktop" [Open] IE file "Debian_T.JIG JIG File 236 KB" But nothing appears when I try to OPEN this last file. Could someone illuminate me as to why I don't see a list of items in the Debian Testing Installation file? I chose "ISO9660" as the "File System". Should I have used a different option, such as ISO9660+Joliet? Regards, cq RUNNING GEAR Windows XP-Home (OEM eMachines T2893) Logitech Setpoint 2.4a Optical Mouse Kerio Personal 2.1.4 Firefox (1.5.0.9)(Dec 21.06) (Default) Thunderbird (1.5.0.9)(Dec 21.06)(Default) *IE/OE 6 SP2, *Netscape 8.1 *Opera Ad-Aware SE Personal v 1.06 Spybot S&D 1.4 SpywareBlaster v3.4 AVG Free Edition 7.1.394 Ewido 4.0 WinPatrol BigFix 2.0.2.3 Adobe Reader 7.0 Nvu 1.0 Winamp5 (default) *Windows Media Player 10 *RealTime (disabled) ImgBurn 2.1.0.0

Hi Lightening; That's the ticket. It would have helped if I understood XP's file system better. Happy trails,

Hi polopony; A "Windows": seach for DEBIAN.ISO doesn't turn anything up.

When I try to write an iso to disk, I can't pull up the file just created in "Build" Mode. It does not appear in the ImgBurn folder in Owner/App Data/Program Files. How do I call this file to the Write portion of the regime. I get the page ImgBurn, Write Mode, and the first line asks "Please select a file", but clicking on the browse icon doesn't bring joy. I 05:48:04 ImgBurn Version 2.1.0.0 started! I 05:48:04 Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600 : Service Pack 2) I 05:48:04 Initialising SPTI... I 05:48:04 Searching for SCSI / ATAPI devices... I 05:48:06 Found 1 DVD-ROM/CD-RW and 1 DVD?RW/RAM! I 05:55:56 Operation Started! I 05:55:56 Building Image Tree... I 05:55:56 Calculating Totals... I 05:55:56 Preparing Image... I 05:55:56 Checking Path Length... I 05:55:56 Image Size: 1,245,184 bytes I 05:55:56 Image Sectors: 608 I 05:55:56 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:00:00 I 05:56:20 Operation Started! I 05:56:20 Building Image Tree... E 05:57:23 User did not specify a volume label. E 05:57:23 Operation Aborted! - Duration: 00:01:03 I 06:15:27 Operation Started! I 06:15:27 Building Image Tree... I 06:15:27 Calculating Totals... I 06:15:27 Preparing Image... I 06:15:27 Checking Path Length... I 06:15:27 Image Size: 1,245,184 bytes I 06:15:27 Image Sectors: 608 I 06:15:30 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:00:02 I 06:15:30 Operation Started! I 06:15:30 Image Contents: 1 File, 3 Folders I 06:15:30 Image Sectors: 608 I 06:15:30 Image Size: 1,245,184 bytes I 06:15:30 Image Single Layer Profile: DVD-R/RW (Media Capacity: 2,298,496) I 06:15:30 Image Volume Identifier: DEBIAN_ETCH_INSTALN I 06:15:30 Image Application Identifier: IMGBURN V2.1.0.0 - THE ULTIMATE IMAGE BURNER! I 06:15:30 Image File System(s): ISO9660 I 06:15:30 Destination File: C:\Program Files\ImgBurn\Debian Testing.iso I 06:15:30 Destination Free Space: 64,286,203,904 bytes (62,779,496 KB) (61,308 MB) (59 GB) I 06:15:30 Destination File System: NTFS I 06:15:30 File Splitting: Auto W 06:16:34 Destination File renamed to: Debian Testing(1).iso I 06:16:34 Writing Image... I 06:16:34 Image MD5: 97591b72441a7d54d2e3999022d40cb8 I 06:16:34 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:01:03 I 06:16:34 Average Write Rate: 19 KB/s (0.1x) - Maximum Write Rate: 19 KB/s (0.1x)

I can see that my na?vet? is causing confusion and that the length of this thread is causing some to lose sight of the basic issue. My bad. By burning My (Windows) Documents, I also save my email (i.e. Thunderbird Profile Backup is kept there) which is the primary objective. I've done that using ImgBurn thanks to the help from this Forum. My initial rendering of ubiquitous advice that everybody should keep an updated backup of their Windows Documents and Settings had it that this procedure was/should be simple, straightforward and routine. This turned out to be a misperception of no small consequence. First of all, the Windows Backup Utility is unreliable. It usually fails to complete, and when it does, the product turns out to be hopelessly flawed. BTDT. I got around the problem backing up my docs by using "cdburnerXP-Pro" and this worked well for some time. The secondary problem ? propos "Settings" is more complex. The PC I have, emachines T2893, comes with a "Restore" DVD. However; this product cannot be used to boot the computer in the event of a major crash or boot sector anomalies. In such instances, a "Recovery" DVD must be got from the manufacturer for $20 US; which solution would occasion some nifty logistics for people like me who only have one PC. As absurd as it sounds, it is nonetheless a proven fact that the PC still can't be booted from this "Recovery" DVD. A secondary booting medium is still required even though no such thing is readily available. The PC has to be benched and/or returned to the manufacturer. Please spare me the 'caveat emptors' but that's a real pisser; eh? To further complicate things, there is no access to the Directory from inside this Windows OEM installation, nor is there the conventional "Control Panel" that everyone (else) using XP-Home takes for granted. It just isn't part of the installation. The install is further protected by something called a "DoD" overwrite thing-a-ma-whatsit. In a nutshell; the only way to recover from a major crash with this unit is to purchase Windows XP-Home Edition on the open market, install it, and pray the backups to external media are in order so's they can be copied back in. Suffice it to say this is not a satisfactory arrangement as far as I am concerned and one I would not have agreed to if I had been made aware of it at time of purchase. There are other snags too. For instance: a boot floppy can be got from the MS Download site; but this unit does not have a floppy drive. No boot CD or DVD is available, not even for money. Such recovery media is available for XP-Pro, however. Throughout this pilgrimage to technical enlightenment, and as a stranger in a strange land, I was often advised with words to the effect; "Don't worry about it. Just make sure to backup your Documents and Settings and if you hard drive fails, just restore them." That sounded fine and satisfactory to me; until I tried to do it. Which is were we are now, and again. So you say: Am I to understand from this that I can sidestep (ignore) this apparent prohibit somehow and proceed to "Build" and "Burn" this elusive "Documents and Settings" Folder? If so, please tell me how to go about it. The way the interdiction was announced while running the program sounded rather final and unappealable to me. I posted a mirror query on the MS newsgroup and got a suggestion that I could do a restart and log on as Administrator instead of my usual old self, and this would obviate the problem of the "open" ntuser.dat file. How's that strike y'all as a possibility? Regards, cq

Shucks; I thought I was! The way you describe the problem, there is no way for ImgBurn to perform routine "Docs and Sets" Backups. Being new to this side of PC Life, I guess I misinterpreted some things.

I be back. Happy New Year, everyone. I took another shot at burning a copy of my Windows XP-Home Documents and Settings folder but got stopped by an alert saying: "...cannot open file C:\ Documents and Settings\Local Service\ntuser.dat ... being used by another process." I took another look around the forum and didn't see this issue appear. But I could have missed it. If so, my apologies. I don't have any other programs running, so what do I do to address this snag? cq

Lightening; Ta ever so much. I'll have to postpone running thru the drill for a wee bit. The "Season", you know. Plus, us po' folk in this 'neck-of-the' are still recovering from the storms. Sheesh; what a mess!

Just a temporary one to get me moving. I didn't intend to imply I wanted to ditch the program .... Even so; I was getting homie replies... they just weren't speaking to the issue.

While we're on the subject of "picky", I posed a Q back on the 12th but no one has replied to offer a solution to help me past the snag.

I've observed similar phenomena at board meetings. e.g. As soon as one member starts picking his nose.....

I have other projects on the go and "tempis wuz a 'fugitin'" as the saying goes. I PM'd an MS MVP after posting to Kanadjian the above and was recommended to try CD Burner XP-Pro; which I did. I got the whole job done in less than 30 minutes from query, to download & install; with 10:36 of that to do the actual burn @ 1X. Slick. Anyway, I learned a lot from your site and I am very grateful for all the help. I just ran out of time to fuss. Merry Christmas, Y'all.

Blu; We are probably in PM territory (?-I'm easy)); but, if the bush fires up Kalumunda way don't interfere, then the thermometer might do the trick. Lawsey: 40 C is not fit for humans or any sport.... except water polo.

I think I got to where I was supposed to be; but when I hit the Big File Folder Icon I got stopped in my tracks. I 15:37:01 Found 1 DVD-ROM/CD-RW and 1 DVD?RW/RAM! I 16:22:58 Operation Started! I 16:22:58 Building Image Tree... I 16:23:05 Checking Directory Depth... E 16:23:05 Directory depth exceeds ISO9660 limit of 8 levels! E 16:23:05 Name: '\Documents and Settings\Owner\Application Data\Adobe\Acrobat\6.0\Messages\ENU\' E 16:23:05 Number of directory levels in path: 9 E 16:23:05 Most directory levels in any path: 13 E 16:26:08 Operation Failed! - Duration: 00:03:10 What do I do about this?

Kenadgian; Aww shucks. Curious; your screen name rings like an ex-pat Canuck, but your RAR Insignia would suggest otherwise. Is there something in Oz that inspired the handle?

Les; Looks like it might be ?the feline?s posterior?. Once I get this exercise done with, I?ll look into it for future use. Thanks. p.s. Keep the Poms full of Watleys for the next couple of days and the Ash Cup is in the bag: eh 'mite'?

Martin; Somehow I skipped past your post when I retrieved my emailed message alerts for the couple that followed yours. My bad. What you offered is exactly what I was looking for ? propos working out some rational methodology for the future. At this moment, I have XP-Home on an OEM, 80 GB HD that is not partitioned for anything but (C:). I installed a second 160 GB HDD recently that is still a virgin. The goal is to install a couple of Linux distros on it, initially Debian Gnu/Linux 3.1 (a.k.a. "Sarge") which I have in hand and ready to go. I wanted to do this backup prior to messing with things like BIOS, bootings, & etcs. that I have never looked at before. I've done enough of a literature review on the emachines? forum and related sites to know I can't depend on the DVD-ROMs they provided to recover from some situations... the which seem to crop up with disturbing regularity if the number of postings about it is any indication. Just so; this unit was a retirement gift (I'd never laid hands on a PC outside the office until a year or so ago) so I'm not going to complain; I just want to take sensible precautions. All I really wanted was maybe a new set of router bits or a new fly reel... but there you go. Hints are a waste of time when it comes to in-laws, although they do seem to possess some inexplicable instinct about never dropping in for a visit when I?m cleaning my shotgun. Go ?figger?! WRT the task at hand: I take this to suggest I can navigate within ImagBurn to (C:), ?Documents and Settings?, ?<Owner>?, ?Application Data? (244 MB; include entire folder as ISO target), and ?My Documents? (1.310 GB; include entire folder as ISO target) the 2 of which would add up to 1.554 GB. This compares to the 5.360 GB ?Documents and Settings? folder that I cited earlier and that was too large for a 4.7 GB DVD+R disc. Also enable ImagBurn to write hidden and system files in IE as opposed to F-Fox, my default browser?? So, ?enry ?iggins, ?ave I got it? Here's my attempt at providing a screenshot of what I am seeing. I hope I didn't mess it up.

Dirio; The Sourceforge link is broken or the page has been skrunged.

As soon as I posted that, I occured to me that one regime might be to select the 2-3 folders in question that have about 970 MBs on them, create an ISO and then burn them to DVD. Then go back to My Docs, delete the contents of these folders while leaving the folders themselves in place, and then resuming the regime for Backing up my Docs & Sets. Does that make sense?

Lightening; I was afraid of that. I have a couple of hundred folders & files in "My Documents". If it isn't too much of a DAQ, isn't there a way to temporarily 'move' the contents (MBs) of 2 or 3 folders to a location I don't have to copy, then move them back after the Backup is done?

Shamus; Is that 5c in CAN or US? If its US, I?ll have to get an extension on my line of credit. Methodology: I followed Mr. C?s regime to the place where I can add/remove files to my ISO. In doing the math, I have 5.66 GBs in my Docs & Sets Folder. The DVD disks hold 4.7 GBs, so I assume some paring is necessary. No problem. I have some files/folders in Documents that I can easily do without that add up to 970 MB. When I select the D & S folder, the whole thing shows up in the window. How do I edit out the redundant 0.970 GBs of docs?

Thanks Martin; It was the date that was throwing me. I'm not at all familiar with file systems; just browsers and email and documents. I'll post back tomorrow to let y'all know how I did.