CD disk "Write Protected"

[roduke 41]

Unsure of correct Forum, but the difficulty is so strange I can but start here.
Be assured I have carefully reviewed numerous Q-A/FAQs. Found much useful education as to ATTRIBUTES, etc., but nothing as to cause/cure.

Being of limited experience I simply do not understand how a CD disk can be write protected, much less how to unprotect it. Obviously unrelated to doing this on floppies!

Will appreciate info as to just how to rectify this situation. Thanks. 

[Spoiler]

All CDs are write protected in that you write to a surface and the file can't be changed. You can get some CDs that are rewriteable but that means you have to erase and than write to the CD. This is not the same as floppies.

What are you trying to do? Edit some files on a CD?

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cd-burner3.htm

For a little more reading....

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

Not sure here but could he mean 'write protected' as in on Music CD's, Movies and Program CD's?

[roduke 41]

Thanks to both of you for prompt replies.

All I'm trying to do is to copy file from hard drive to the CD.
Cannot do so, or do anything else on the disk, because of the Write Protected message.

Until I heard from you I didn't realize that status can appear without my having caused it.
And I still have no idea how to get rid of it.

Cordially, 

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

What is on the disc, what Operating System are you using and what type of disc is it?

[roduke 41]

1. Unsure if anything on it. There was an Excel file but sometime ago I did a reformat, which was only partially successful, hence my uncertainty.
2. I'm on Vista Ultimate with IE7.
3. CD-R . NEXXTECH  52x/700MB MO. Icons: Images/Backup/Data/Music

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

There was an Excel file but sometime ago

On the CD?

What's on it now?

[roduke 41]

As said, cannot do anything with it following notice "write protected".

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

In short, If the Disc has already been written on, you cannot do anything about it because it is a CD-R.

You can only rewrite files on a CD -RW.

[roduke 41]

Thank you, that is one of the few things I am aware of. But is it not so that when the disk is not full, new files can be added?

Secondly, as its status of write protected has effectively stopped access or any other function, can this be overcome?

Thirdly, just how do some CD-R disks come up with that status and others do not?

Lastly, how does one get rid of it so it is not write protected?

Cordially,  RO

[Spoiler]

When you burn files to a CD you have the option of what is called closing the session. When this is done no matter how much data is on the CD it becomes closed to adding more data.

You may have some CDs that the session was closed so you can't write/add data to it. You have to look into the software you are using to burn CDs to disable the close session setting.

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

Lol, Spoiler, you posted before me again.         

This is what I was going to post:

But is it not so that when the disk is not full, new files can be added?

Nope. As long as you add data do the CD-R, it is write protected and cannot be written on anymore.
If you write something to a CD-RW, you have to format the CD and then you can write your files again.

Secondly, as its status of write protected has effectively stopped access or any other function, can this be overcome?

If you mean add more data to an already-burnt CD-R, I don't think this is possible.

Thirdly, just how do some CD-R disks come up with that status and others do not?

Not sure. Are you sure you aren't getting CD-R's and RW's mixed up?
More info on this would help us answer the question.

Lastly, how does one get rid of it so it is not write protected?

Like I said, it will need to be a CD-RW, unless you mean something else..

Hope that helped.

[Spoiler]

Sorry about that! 

I am backed up with some other stuff so I will be taking off for a while...it won't happen again....hum for today that is! LOL

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

No worries, I don't mind at all.

Also, It's getting very late here. I won't be on much longer. 

[roduke 41]

Again thanks to you both. And no rush; tomorrow or next week or whenever.
Where are you that it's "late"?   I'm in France; now 7:45 pm.

RE: As its status of write protected has effectively stopped access or any other function, can this be overcome?
"If you mean add more data to an already-burnt CD-R, I don't think this is possible".

NO; cannot access any function at all upon appearance of write protected which shows as soon as inserted. No files, if any, or anything else. Useless disk. Interest is in avoiding repetition.

Per chance a reference herein, or elsewhere, to CLOSE SESSION SETTING?

Bye for now.

Cordially,