DVD-RW I/O error

[Snip]

I have a backup of my files on a DVD-RW, but when I try to copy certain files back to my hard disk I get an error:

Can't copy <filename>. Can not read data from source file or source disk

This is a translation, so I don't know wether the English version of windows would display this exact message. But you get the point.
The strange thing is that it seems only files with a certain character in it can't be read. For example, I have a couple of folders:

Laura
Merel
Wouter
Paul & Monique

I have no problem copying the files from my own directory (Wouter), but it's impossible to copy my parent's directory (Paul & Monique) or any file in that directory.

I tried opening it in Linux, but I still get an error. This one might be of more use solving this problem. When opening the file from the File Browser, it says:

Cannot open foto vos.jpg
The filename "photo.jpg" indicates that this file is of type "JPEG image". The contents of the file indicate that the file is of type "plain text document". If you open this file, the file might present a security risk to your system.

Do not open the file unless you created the file yourself, or received the file from a trusted source. To open the file, rename the file to the correct extension for "plain text document", then open the file normally. Alternatively, use the Open With menu to choose a specific application for the file.

When trying to open it through "Open With -> Text Editor", I get:

Could not open the file "/media/cdrecorder/Paul & Monique/Monique/photo.jpg"
I/O error

Any ideas?

[Sylvander]

How about uploading a copy of the file to HERE (http://www.verzend.be/) So I can download it and see if I can experiment with it to find what's wrong?
That site will only host it for 1 week and then delete it.

Specify your own email address as the recipient, then when you get the email from the site [that sould only take a minute or two], either post me the link in a personal message, or post it here.

[Snip]

I'd rather not post it on the internet. The files contain a lot of personal information, as well as private information from my father's work.
All files are the size they should be, so I guess the data should be on the disk? I tried recovering the data with a recovery program, but all I got was a big list with "sector X unreadable".

[Sylvander]

What software was used to format the CD-RW [if that applies], and/or which software used to burn the backup?
Was it packet-writing software that treats the CD-RW like a giant floppy?

What form does the backup take?
Are they straight copies of the individual files?
Was a backup program used?

Are the only copies on the CD-RW?
Where are the directories you mentioned?
Where were the copies that you attempted to open?
On the CD-RW, or the HDD?

You need to give information in detail.

[Sylvander]

Have you tried a free trial of IsoBuster (http://www.soft32.com/download_8959.html)?

[Snip]

I used Nero (version 6 I believe) to burn the DVD-RW. It was a new DVD, so I didn't format it. I created a normal data-DVD, so I guess that means every file is simply copied to the disk. No backup program was used.

The topmost folders of the DVD are the ones listed in my first post. Only the "Paul & Monique" directory is giving problems. It's impossible to even copy a file in that directory to my harddisk. I downloaded IsoBuster and when trying to extract a file, I get this error about a 100 times (with X being a different number each time):

Sector X couldn't be read
Error: 05/21/00

When right-clicking a file and selecting "Sector view", I get: "Device reported Error code : 05/21/00"

However, when doing this on a subdirectory in the "Paul & Monique" dir, I get something. For example, this is what I get for "Paul & Monique\Merel":


LBA :1085

0000 : 22 00 3D 04 00 00 00 00 04 3D 00 08 00 00 00 00 ".=......=......
0010 : 08 00 6A 08 0F 17 11 1D 08 02 00 00 01 00 00 01 ..j.............
0020 : 01 00 22 00 35 04 00 00 00 00 04 35 00 08 00 00 ..".5......5....
0030 : 00 00 08 00 6A 08 16 10 26 0B 08 02 00 00 01 00 ....j...&.......
0040 : 00 01 01 01 46 00 AF 7B 0B 00 00 0B 7B AF 00 4C ....F..{....{..L
0050 : 00 00 00 00 4C 00 67 08 1E 0E 2E 00 08 00 00 00 ....L.g.........
0060 : 01 00 00 01 24 00 4C 00 65 00 6E 00 69 00 6E 00 ....$.L.e.n.i.n.
0070 : 67 00 20 00 4D 00 65 00 72 00 65 00 6C 00 2E 00 g. .M.e.r.e.l...
0080 : 64 00 6F 00 63 00 3B 00 31 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 d.o.c.;.1.......
0090 : 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00A0 : 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00B0 : 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00C0 : 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00D0 : 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................


The last part with all the zero's is repeated for about 100 lines, but my post isn't alowed to be that long.

[kiosk]

You seem to have recorded your DVD under a localized version of windows which allow certain accented characters to be used in file names (spanish, german and most east european languages have such "extended" characters which aren't normally found in english character set).

Now, the problem is that some perfectly "legal" characters in file names under one version of windows are "illegal" under a different version of windows. My "english" windows don't like when filenames contain chinese characters - they will list them but any copying attempt will yield an error, usually "file not found" error. Likewise, "chinese" windows freak out when they encounter french accented characters in file names and act just the same.

Solution - go back to the machine where you recorded the DVD and copy everything back to the hard drive - that particular machine will be able to read the media with no problems. Next time you burn the data to a DVD, make sure your filenames don't contain any ě's, ç's, ü's and alike, because using those characters in file names is nothing short of begging for trouble. :cool:


Edit: just reread the thread, now I think that your problem seems to be related to something mundane like donut crumbs on a blank dvd, not some fancy OS-inter-incompatibility like I originally thought. :o

[Snip]

Donut crumbs? As in actual donut crumbs, or is it some term I'm not familiar with? Because the disk is clean, no scratches or stains. I first thought that this whole problem might have to do with the ampersand in the directory name, but shouldn't that be easily solved? And I don't think it would create errors such as "sector unreadable"?

[Sylvander]

Is it possible that the CD didn't have enough space remaining when the last directory was burned?

[Snip]

No. The files are about 1.5 GB, the disk can hold 4.7 GB

[Sylvander]

...And were they burned on the very same drive that you are now trying to read them on?

[Snip]

Yes, it's the same machine. I made the backup because I was going to format my HD, I now have a clean install of Windows XP. I haven't tried to access the files after I burned them.

[Sylvander]

I'm pretty much out of ideas, except...

You might try checking whether "File Manager" [FM] on the 1st menu of the "Emergency Boot CD" [EBCD] will allow you to browse the files on the DVD [it includes its own CD-driver].
If you can do that, you might try using FM to copy the files from the DVD to a FAT[32] partition on your HDD [I believe FM (can read from NTFS, but) cannot write to NTFS partitions].

1. How to make a free “Smart Boot Manager” floppy
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41498
This makes it easier to boot a chosen drive [particularly the one holding the EBCD].

2. How to make a free EBCD bootable CD
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41485
This has a number of useful utilities included including "Image" [for DOS, by Terabyte] & "File Manager".

[Paul Komski]

Isobuster has reported unreadable sectors so the burn was bad, the media was bad or the media has become damaged.

[forkart]

Try to use magiciso to make iso image from this dvd-rw. It may read bad sector. then extract iso image to your harddisk with it.
http://www.magiciso.com/