How do I make a disk image of a CD?

[Mala]

I've found various instructions on how to do this, but they refer to "Disk Copy" in Utilities; I've only got "Disk Utility".

And when I put a blank in, Finer asks me to format it.

What should I be doing, please?

[SilentPanda]

Why do you want to make a disc image of a blank CD? That just seems weird.

[wrldwzrd89]

I suspect you are running Mac OS X 10.3 Panther; if that is the case, then you do in fact want "Disk Utility" as it includes the functionality of the defunct "Disk Copy". If you need help making an image, look in Disk Utility's help for making disk images. I haven't tried this in Panther yet, so I don't know what the exact procedure is (I am currently Macless, as you can see in my signature).

<edit>
SilentPanda:
I think Mala meant creating a disk image of an existing data CD, not a blank CD. However, I don't quite understand what Mala is referring to about putting a blank in and Finder asking to format it.
</edit>

[SilentPanda]

Well to make a Disc Image in Panther you can insert a non-blank CD (the one you want to make an image of), then open Disk Utility. Select the CD in the left hand side of the window that opens up. Under one of the menus in the menu bar it'll say something like "Create Disc Image From..." then choose the volume in the submenu. Switch the type from read-only to CD/DVD master and you're on your way.

[Mala]

Panda, thanks, that's what I was looking for.

[Mala]

Or not. I went to Disk Utility, and saw the CD listed there (under its manufacturer's name). But when I clicked Images/New, there were two items available: Image from Folder and Blank Image. A third, Image from Volume, was greyed out.

The Burn icon was also greyed out. So I'm now kind of baffled.

[Nermal]

I think there are 3 CD icons on the left for each physical CD. You want the middle one.

[Mala]

Sorry, three icons on the left of what?

[Mala]

Maybe I should be clearer about what I'm doing and what's happening:

In Disk Utility, to make an image you go to Images/New, and then there are three choices: Blank Image, Image From Folder and Image From (Select A Device).

I don't know why I'd want a blank image. Tried it, and it seems to be just that - a blank image. Image From Folder opens a list of all the folders on the computer, so that's not what I want. and Image From (Select A Device) is greyed out, even when I've selected the CD.

In Toast 5.2.3, when I go to Utilities/Mount Disk Image/Audio CD, it opens a list of the tracks on the CD and asks me to choose one. I don't want to make an image of one track! With the full list, the Choose button is greyed out; it won't let me select all.

[Mala]

Problem solved, sort of: I'd been using the CD Volunteers by Jefferson Airplane to practise on - didn't realise you couldn't make an image of an audio CD (why?).

I tried again with an ancient software CD and it worked fine.

[Counterfit]

Well, this seems rather roundabout, but it should work just fine. Right/control click on the disk you want to make an image of and click "Copy *diskname*". Then right/control click on the desktop and click "Paste Item". That will make a folder which is an exact copy of the disk. Then use Disk Utility to make an image from that folder. It should work, but I have no idea why it takes so much longer now :confused:

[Mala]

Crazed with power and moved by passion, I actually tried to burn a DVD today.

It worked fine, apparently, until the very end, when the disk failed to be.... damn, what's the word? initialised? registered? Whatever the last thing it does is.

I took it out, popped it in again and opened it, and it appeared to have everything on it, but I'm wondering.

Someone told me the problem might be with the size of the image, and I should look for the option of compressing it. But how?

[Mala]

Tried the right-cliz biz. Mais non. It just tried to copy the 11 tracks on Volunteers onto the Desktop. Devil a bit of good to me.

[sandman42]

This brings up something I've been wondering about for some time: is there a way to copy an audio CD using your hard drive and one CD drive (burner) without importing the audio into iTunes and then burning it?

Problem with the iTunes method is that it doesn't preserve track timing, like when a disk has some tracks that are discrete songs and some that have not break between them.

I know that there's software that should do this (like Toast, Dragon Burn, etc), but it seems that you should be able to direct your computer to read in an audio CD then write it back out to a blank one. Possible?

[Mala]

I'm currently having another problem distinct but related - I'm trying to save a tune to my Public folder in iDisk, and while it copies perfect, the copying message just won't close! It seems to get stuck.

[Bengt77]

Originally posted by Mala
I'm currently having another problem distinct but related - I'm trying to save a tune to my Public folder in iDisk, and while it copies perfect, the copying message just won't close! It seems to get stuck.

Yeah, big (well, even relatively big) files take a while to be copied over to your iDisk. I do it quite often and am used to it now, but the first time it had (apparently) copied all the bits over, the copy window stayed open with the progress bar still showing (whatever) action. Very weird, but the copy will finish correctly eventually. No problem; just have a little patience.

[Mala]

Thanks a lot for this - some things obviously need patience. I'm still waiting for those BitTorrents (research purposes).