CD formated for Windows NT

[hodges]

Is there any difference in a CD formatted for Windows NT verse Windows XP?  I am submitting a proposal that explicitly states information " shall be read-only CDs formatted for Microsoft NT"

[Dias de verano]

As far as I am aware, there is no such thing as a "CD formatted for Windows NT". CD-ROMS have their own filesystem(s) which are readable by a variety of computer operating systems.

Have a read of these articles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9660

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Disk_Format

[JJ 3000]

I guess it would be technically possibe to use The FAT or NTFS formats to format CDs, but I've never heard of it actually being done. CDs are formatted by the manufacturer.
It depends on the software you are using to read the CDs particular format - not the operating system.
By the way, XP uses the NT format.

[Dias de verano]

I guess it would be technically possibe to use The FAT or NTFS formats to format CDs

I don't think so. Even if an emulation of one of these filesystems were possible on a CD ROM, (how would you make it?) no computer could read it.

but I've never heard of it actually being done.

Neither have I. Optical disks (CD, CDR, CDRW, DVD etc.) may appear to work the same was as HD-based volumes, but the underlying file systems are *totally* different, right down to the sector size. So they aren't NTFS or FATxx. As the above Wikipedia pages make clear. Optical drives use a totally different technology from magnetic hard drives and the filesystems reflect that.

hodges, are you writing this proposal hoping that "read-only CDs formatted for Microsoft NT" are somehow possible? If this idea originated with somebody else, you should get back to them and get them to clarify just what they mean.

[JJ 3000]

Why do you have to call me out like that?

There is no law of physics that prevents the CD-ROM manufacturers from adopting any file system that they choose! CD manufacturers don't want their file systems tied to Micro$oft's or (cr)Apple's, or any one elses file system. In addition, the CD manufacturers wanted non-PC devices (like CD players) to be able to read their format (ISO-9660). However it is still theoretically possible for CDs to use FAT or NTFS.

[Dias de verano]

Why do you have to call me out like that?

I was not aware that I was doing so. I was continuing the discussion. If that involved disagreeing with you, then so be it. No attack implied or intended.

There is no law of physics that prevents the CD-ROM manufacturers from adopting any file system that they choose!

There are "laws of physics" which mean that some methods of storing data on optical disks work well, with acceptable error rates and economically manufacturable hardware and media, and some don't, which resulted in ISO9660. NTFS and FAT32 are filesystems which are used on magnetic disks. A CD-ROM is a optical disk which cannot rely on error concealment or interpolation, and therefore requires a higher reliability of the retrieved data. Therefore NTFS or FAT32 would be unsuitable for a practical data storage scheme using optical media.

Anyhow, this isn't helping the OP, which is what we are here for.

Maybe the OP merely means a CD-ROM which is readable by a computer running Windows NT, (itself a quite old operating system), or "Windows NT family", which means Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003 & 2008, Vista , Windows 7 etc.

In which case ISO 9660 would do the job.

[JJ 3000]

NTFS or FAT32 would be unsuitable for optical media.

I agree. It would be unsuitable but not impossible.

However, we are not helping the OP in the slightest by carrying on this technical discussion of file systems.

Hodges, what is the exact wording of the form?

[hodges]

The exact quote was "CDs shall be read-only CDs formatted for Microsoft Windows NT"  I knew of no difference in CD format for any windows version, thus the question. 

Windows NT 4, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista is ISO 9660 Level 1, 2, 3, Joliet, and ISO 9660:1999.

Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME is the same expect no ISO 9660:1999 extension.