August 30, 2003

It's been a long time since I've written anything in my blog. I've been busy writing for class, and that had me burned out on sitting down and writing even more. But, that term is over, and a new one is starting. I'll have enough for my A.A. in December if I take Calculus next term, and I should be on track for my B.S. by next December. As some of you already know, I'm attending virtual studies at Limestone College.
On to today's subject. I wanted to give kudos to a software product called IsoBuster. A friend of a relative was using drag and drop CD-RW software. While the concept of such software is very nice, it uses an unreliable mechanism for writing out directory information. Unlike a multi-session CD, where you burn a new directory each time, this utilizes UDF to build a chained directory that is read from the disk. However, if UDF fails in a burn, it can turn the CD into a coaster. I had the CD sent to me and I went on a pilgrimage for CD repair products.

I tried CDRoller, CDCheck, CD Data Rescue and ISOBuster. CDRoller looked like it could do the job, but was taking more than an hour to scan the UDF data from the CD. CDCheck, while free, apparently doesn't do repairs on UDF disks. CD Data Rescue seemed to be taking less time to scan the CD, but it was still taking a while, and had a heftier price tag than CDRoller, so I kept looking. I loaded up ISOBuster, and it scanned the CD and showed me the data it found in less than 5 minutes. I clicked on Recover, and it told me I needed to buy it (by the way I only had to buy it because it was a UDF disk. Multi-session recovery and other options are free with ISOBuster). I clicked on the Buy Now! link, bought my registration key from Kagi (which was very quick and I've bought regkeys from them before), and within 10 minutes I had registered the software and was writing 500MB of precious digital photographs to my hard drive! So, KUDOS to ISOBuster. If you need CD Data Recovery, you may want to check out this easy to use, and inexpensive tool (only $20 for the extended functionality). I intend to hang on to it for other coasters, as I run into them every now and again.
I'm still taking piano lessons at Jordan Kitt's Music and advancing in my knowledge, if not in my skill at the keyboard. I'm also playing both Chess and Bridge again. I love the Internet. I purchased an out-of-print book through Amazon's search and find feature, and I'm still amazed at the way that the Internet can so easily link buyers and sellers. The book is an indexed guide to winning moves based on approximately 60,000 tournament games (The Blue Book to Winning Chess Moves, or something like that) and I think was last printed in 1977. I remember scouring used book stores to find titles that were so obscure. The 'net definitely changes the world of information.
Well, schoolwork to do, although I'll likely be found on Pogo playing their new Poker game. While I'd just LOVE to go out and waterseal my deck or mow my lawn (yeah, RIGHT!), it is thundering in the near distance, and the wind tells me the rain is to follow quite soon.