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CD Recording FAQ
6. Creating custom DataCDs
6.1. Choosing the right format
There are many ways in which files can be transferred on cds. The best one is to prepare the cd structure in a directory in your hard disk, and copy this to cd when you are ready in DAO mode.
This may sound not too elegant, but is the most secure way, since no data or session information can be added afterwards. It also saves a lot of space, since no overhead is needed and you can use blanks at their full capacity.
The second option is to write in multisessions. This allows you to add more files at a later time and offers some advantages when archiving new versions of existing files, but you have to be careful till you finalize the cd not to lose session information and about 15MB of free space are lost each time another session is added.
The third option is packet writing. This allows to use a cd as a giant floppy, even as a target drive within Windows Explorer and "save as" dialog boxes, and also eliminates the fear of buffer underrun. However, the disadvantages of packet writing, including slow speed and low reliability, make this option better to avoid.
It can't be emphasized strongly enough that the first option is the optimal one, especially for long term data storage. Putting cdr media in and out of the drive before finishing writing means that dust is accumulated on its surface, which is a potential danger for data integrity. This is especially true for packet writing, where it is only a matter of time to end up with data you can't read.
Whatever your choise, you have to know that data is safe on the cd only
after being verified against the original data, and this can be 100% done
only with DAO. Many cd mastering programs provide a function to verify
the written data against the original and this is something you must never
forget to do.