Using SCSI CD-ROM Recorders with Windows NT

• Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When a writable CD-ROM drive is attached to a system running Windows NT, the device may not be recognized. This holds true not only for the ability to write to the device, but reading from it may also not be possible.

SUMMARY

A writable CD-ROM device can present itself to the SCSI adapter in one of 2 ways:

The device may present itself as a WORM (Write Once Read Many) device. Many writable CD-ROM devices uses this means of identification to the SCSI host adapter. Unfortunately, since Windows NT does not support WORM devices, this means of identification prevents Windows NT from being able to access the device.

More recently, writable CD-ROM devices have become available that present themselves to the SCSI host adapter as a standard CD-ROM device. Such units are likely to be compatible with Windows NT. Although compatibility of every such device cannot be guaranteed, this manner of identification to the SCSI adapter is one prerequisite that a writable CD-ROM device must meet. Assuming that the device then behaves as does a standard CD-ROM drive, Windows NT should be able to read from the CD-ROM drive as it would from any ordinary CD-ROM drive.

In order to write to the CD-ROM drive in the Windows NT environment, a CD-ROM mastering package compatible with Windows NT should be obtained.