# Closing CD-Rs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 29, 2002, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446 "2002-11-29T04:07:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![skaterboarder87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@skaterboarder87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skaterboarder87)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/1 "2002-11-29T04:07:01Z")
How do you close a CD-R in using Windows XP (or one of its included programs)? ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/2 "2002-11-29T04:35:45Z")
Close? What do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![skaterboarder87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@skaterboarder87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skaterboarder87)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/3 "2002-11-29T04:43:32Z")
So nothing else can be burned to them. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/4 "2002-11-29T04:47:59Z")
- - - If it’s not a packet-writing format, the burning software should have an option to close it. I have not the WinXP, so I dunno what’s exactly you’re talking about…? Does WinXP burn CD’s directly? Or are you using some other software? ~ ---
**Author:** ![skaterboarder87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@skaterboarder87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skaterboarder87)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/5 "2002-11-29T04:53:53Z")
It uses Window’s Media Player 8 to burn them. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/6 "2002-11-29T15:22:07Z")
Use the software that came with the drive to write them & the program should have an option for this., ---
**Author:** ![bensonGemini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@bensonGemini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bensonGemini)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/7 "2002-11-29T15:54:09Z")
Nero is god. Download it. You’ll love it. ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/8 "2002-11-29T16:43:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bensonGemini \* > \*\*Nero is god. Download it. You’ll love it. \*\* my XP pc came with nero its good havent sort of got used to some of the gubbins but certainly after you burn a non rw cd it doesnt let you overwrite is that what is being asked here. i am going to get rw for backup for all my financial files and teaching notes which are forever being update any suggestions as to what i should be looking out for as regards technique using ahead nero of course. ---
**Author:** ![bensonGemini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@bensonGemini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bensonGemini)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/9 "2002-11-29T16:49:07Z")
in nero, if you dont close your cd, you’re leaving it open for multisession. multisession recording very useful if you will gradually be adding files (not rewriting/replacing files) to the same cdr. when burning audio cds, as far as i know, you must close it in order for a non-computer cd player to recognize it. other types of cds that need closing are those that are required to be bootable. so in regards to the original question, i believe the built in XP burning program doesnt support multisession recording, so all cds burnt by XP are in fact closed. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/10 "2002-11-30T16:09:45Z")
Xp uses Roxio (aka ezcd creator). Thus, those who install their Roxio on Xp can find a few things happening as it overwrites the XP files. tsk. Be sure to use only the latest Roxio with XP. ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/11 "2002-11-30T16:59:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*Xp uses Roxio (aka ezcd creator). Thus, those who install their Roxio on Xp can find a few things happening as it overwrites the XP files. tsk. Be sure to use only the latest Roxio with XP. \*\* Uh, no. You can install any XP-compatible authoring software. This includes Nero, which, IMHO, is the best authoring software available. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/12 "2002-11-30T17:18:03Z")
Uh, how about a cite? You seem mighty sure of yourself, and with absolutely no explanation whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/13 "2002-11-30T17:44:11Z")
Sorry. Ahead lists here ([http://www.ahead.de/en/content/c1002822593674.html](http://www.ahead.de/en/content/c1002822593674.html)) that their software is XP compatible. If EZ CD Creator was the only software compatible, it would be false advertising. Plus, a default install of XP doesn’t include EZ CD Creator, assuming you didn’t get it in a bundle with other software. ---
**Author:** ![rampisad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/858c86/32.png) [@rampisad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rampisad)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closing-cd-rs/139446/14 "2002-12-01T17:17:23Z")
Nero lets you leave a CD open (as bensonGemini says) if there’s enough space left to add more than x megabytes (I think it’s about 10) representing the amount of space the closusre itself would occupy. IF the disk is nearly full, it closes it automatically. Audio disks have a completely different structure, so you can’t ever leave it “open”. I love Nero, and Windows sucks!