[ The PC Guide | Systems and Components Reference Guide | CD-ROM Drives | Recordable CD (CD-R) ]

CD-R and CD-ROM Compatibility

The disks created by most CD-R drives are compatible with most CD-ROM and CD audio disks. The keyword, of course, is "most". In particular, some older drives can have problems with the output of some CD-R drives. In general though, it isn't a problem. Some players can actually have more problems with some types of media than with others, since they use different dye and/or reflective metal layers. Changing the type of CD-R blanks used can sometimes fix an incompatibility problem. The drive itself also has a big impact on the readability of CD-Rs it creates, and I personally have found that changing the drive can make all the difference in the world in this regard.

CD-R disks that are written in multi-session format (writing part of the disk at one time and another part later on) can only be read in a drive that is multi-session capable. See the CD format compatibility table for more.

Next: Rewriteable CD (CD-RW)

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