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Every time that I need to use a Flash USB drive, SD card or a HDD I must format it and create a partition before using it, such as NTFS, FAT, FAT32, etc. So this makes me raise some doubts:
Why don't I need to do the same with CDs and DVDs?
Operating systems usually do it before burning media without warning me?
What is the file system typically used on CDs and DVDs?
Could I create two or more partitions inside the same DVD?
Diogo
Posted 2012-01-18T16:53:56.743
Reputation: 28 202
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"Formatting" is done when you burn the disc. Because the disc is write only (or being rewritten, in the event of a rewrite), the formatting takes place during the LEAD-IN phase as the TOC or Table of Contents. This TOC is completely dependent upon the data you are burning and therefor cannot be done prior to the burn.
Most programs will display "Lead In" or "Burning TOC".
UDF
You can burn mixed mode CDs that include a data portion and an audio portion. However, I believe all of the information for the entire disc is still stored in one TOC.
James Watt
Posted 2012-01-18T16:53:56.743
Reputation: 1 759
2
Mavromatis Lozay
Posted 2012-01-18T16:53:56.743
Reputation: 424
0
They are indeed being formated using UDF.
inf
Posted 2012-01-18T16:53:56.743
Reputation: 2 735
Downvoters please explain? – inf – 2013-04-17T08:59:15.113
I'm one of the downvoters. It's a single line answer that doesn't explain much. It does contain a link, and alghouth it links to Wikipedia and in this particular case might not be subject to link rot, using a link as answer is not encouraged here. Finally, the answer is misleading, as UDF is not the only optical media specification out there. – That Brazilian Guy – 2013-04-23T17:33:31.510
-1
Moab
Posted 2012-01-18T16:53:56.743
Reputation: 54 203
6Nice, except ISO9660 is still quite common for CDs. – Dietrich Epp – 2012-01-19T02:46:56.750
Where does JOLIET come from? Codename for ISO9660? – HaydnWVN – 2012-01-25T14:08:04.363
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Joliet is an extension of ISO9660 to allow more fexiblility in file naming. See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joliet_%28file_system%29
@DietrichEpp Useless geek trivia: ISO9660 is also called CDFS. – kinokijuf – 2012-02-25T14:20:21.587
@kinokijuf: I'm not so sure it's called CDFS. A quick Google search turns up nothing but the Wikipedia page, which has no references to primary or secondary sources calling it CDFS. My theory is that some rogue editor added the "CDFS" reference to Wikipedia. – Dietrich Epp – 2012-02-25T14:49:54.643
@DietrichEpp It’s called CDFS by Windows. – kinokijuf – 2012-02-25T14:56:01.997
@kinokijuf: From a search of Microsoft's web site, it looks like CDFS is their name for their ISO 9660 + Joliet + CDDA implementation: a driver name rather than the name of the format, which is still called ISO 9660. References to "CDFS" appear to be to the driver, and downloadable CD images (for example) are described as "ISO-9660" exclusively. – Dietrich Epp – 2012-02-25T15:20:46.400
@DietrichEpp When you put an ISO9660 CD in the drive, the filesystem shows up as
CDFS. – kinokijuf – 2012-02-25T20:25:58.8032@kinokijuf: But it also says CDFS when you put a plain audio CD in the drive -- one with no ISO 9660 filesystem. Therefore CDFS can't be a name for ISO 9660, at least according to Windows. – Dietrich Epp – 2012-02-25T22:01:56.220
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CDFS is just a name used by various hardware and software vendors and has nothing to do with a specific standard or company whatsoever, Dietrich is right for that matter. The standard does not mention CDFS thus it is not its official name and this has nothing to do with Windows or Microsoft...
– Tamara Wijsman – 2012-02-26T13:17:27.673