I can't burn files to CD

I bought the STL files for a fireplace mantle. I opened the zip file, saved it and tried to burn it to a CD. Almost at the end of the burning process, it came back with an error message. When I check the CD properties, there was 0 bytes available, but the CD was blank. I've tried 3 different times and ruined 3 CD's. I burned another file that was smaller and there was no problem. Has anybody else had a problem with burning files on CD? I plan on burning each file to a separate CD because my computers crash and I don't want to lose everything.

I tried to upload the pic, but it won't load.

Maybe you should invest in computers that don't crash?
How big is the .stl file? Maybe the files are too big to fit on the CD?

LOL, I work a poor computer to death. The file is 343mb. At first I thought it might have been too big, but there should have been plenty of room left on the disc.
How do you keep your files? I've been waiting years now to get my shop/studio finished, and hopefully it won't be much longer now. I've just got to find a good carpenter that I can afford and hopefully one that can work fast. I wasn't sure I'd live long enough to get it done.

I keep my files by backing them up on several computers and thumb drives. All of important stuff is backed up on 3 separate, bootable drives on my desk computer, plus the external backup drive, then a copy goes on my mill computer, on to 2 drives in my router computer, and onto my laptop drive. Then at least 2 thumb drives, at least one of which is always in my pocket. I don't lose files too often. :D

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Originally Posted by Jim Dawson

I keep my files by backing them up on several computers and thumb drives. All of important stuff is backed up on 3 separate, bootable drives on my desk computer, plus the external backup drive, then a copy goes on my mill computer, on to 2 drives in my router computer, and onto my laptop drive. Then at least 2 thumb drives, at least one of which is always in my pocket. I don't lose files too often. :D

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I had all the files on my computer saved to a thumb drive and backed stuff up as I went, but then, after losing the stuff on my computer, the stuff on my flash drive disappeared.

I've got some old hard drives around here, so I need to do what you are doing if I can ever get organized - I'm either very organized or very unorganized to the extreme. But for the files that I will eventually use on a cnc machine, I was going to keep each file on a separate CD and 'catalog' it. But I still cannot figure out why that file won't burn and wipes out my cd.

My guess is that it's a problem with your burner, or maybe the software?

I'm not very good with backups myself, but I have 6 or 7 drives in my PC, and I make copies of important stuff on 3 different drives.
I also backup stuff to DVD's.

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Originally Posted by ger21

My guess is that it's a problem with your burner, or maybe the software?

I'm not very good with backups myself, but I have 6 or 7 drives in my PC, and I make copies of important stuff on 3 different drives.
I also backup stuff to DVD's.

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I burned another file that I bought at the same time from the same seller and didn't have a problem with it, so I went back and tried to burn that file again with the same result - it wiped out my disc.

How in the world do you have that many hard drives on a single computer? Do you have a designated computer for your CNC?

Burning CDs and DVDs for backup is hardly justified these days. They are slow, bulky, awkward, expensive and not particularly reliable. For a typical home/office backup it makes more sense to buy two or three external hard drives.

Find the nearest microcenter to you. Tell them you want thumb drives. They are huge and cheap, and only a few bucks. Great way to back things up. Sized from 1gb to 256gb!

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

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How in the world do you have that many hard drives on a single computer? Do you have a designated computer for your CNC?

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My CNC runs on an old PIII.
When I built my main PC, I used an SSD, and 3 hard drives. I then added the 3 drives from my old computer (It's a big case).

As mentioned above, not many people back up to CD these days. I have about 100 backup CD's and DVD's from years gone by, and have never looked at them. The only things I really burn to DVD's now are digital photos.
I'd just by a 2TB drive for $50, and keep a copy of all of your files on it.

I need to do something. I'm tired of losing things that I spend 100's of hours finding. I started looking to see how I could connect a CNC to a SD card or thumb drive and operate it on a small touchscreen tablet. But it's hard trying to find the time to search when I'm trying to do legal research too.