You may receive a "One or more of the selected files are already on the CD/DVD" error when you try to create a CD or a DVD in Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (908059)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005

SYMPTOMS

When you try to create a CD or a DVD in Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, you may receive the following error message:
One or more of the selected files are already on the CD/DVD and cannot be written again.

CAUSE

This problem may occur if two or more of the files that you have selected to copy to the CD or to the DVD use the same name.

The error message may be misleading or incorrect for the following reasons:
  • The error message incorrectly states that the files are already on the CD or on the DVD. However, files may not be on the CD or on the DVD yet. When you receive this message, Media Center may not have written any data to the disc yet, and the disc may be blank.
  • The error message does not display the names of any files that use the same names.
When you select multiple files from different locations to copy to a CD or to a DVD in Media Center, the files are copied to the root folder of the CD or of the DVD. Therefore, if you have two or more files from different locations that use the same name, a conflict occurs.

For example, the problem may occur in the following scenario:
  1. You save a picture that is named Kittens.jpg in the My Pictures folder. The file is stored in the following folder on the computer:

    C:\Documents and Settings\User_name\My Documents\My Pictures

  2. You save another picture that is also named Kittens.jpg in the Shared Pictures folder. The file is stored in the following folder on the computer:

    C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\Shared Pictures

  3. In Media Center, you follow these steps to create a CD or a DVD:
    1. Press the Windows Media Center Start button on the Media Center remote control.
    2. Select More Programs.
    3. Select Create CD/DVD.
    4. Select OK to verify the appropriate disc format.
    5. Specify a name for the CD or for the DVD, and then select OK.
    6. Select Pictures.
    7. Select Select all.

      Note When you select this option, Media Center includes all the pictures from both of the following folders.
      Folder name Folder location
      My Pictures C:\Documents and Settings\User_name\My Documents\My Pictures
      Shared Pictures C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\Shared Pictures
      Therefore, two files that use the same name (Kittens.jpg) are selected to copy to the disc.
    8. Select View CD or View DVD.
    9. Select Create CD or Create DVD.
    In this scenario, you receive the error message because Media Center tries to copy both the Kittens.jpg file from the My Pictures folder and the Kittens.jpg file from the Shared Pictures folder to the root folder of the disc.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods:
  • Do not select multiple folders in the Create CD/DVD Wizard if the folders may contain multiple files that use the same name.
  • When you select View CD or View DVD in the Create CD/DVD Wizard, scroll through the list of files to verify that you do not have duplicate names selected. De-select any duplicate files.

    Note If you have many files, you may want to use the following method to identify the duplicate files. In this method, you copy all the files that you want to the root of a single temporary folder. Because you do not use subfolders in this procedure, you receive an error message every time that Windows Explorer finds a duplicate file. Make a list of the duplicate file names by using this method, and then rename the appropriate files so that all the files use unique names.

    The following example procedure shows steps that you can follow to identify any duplicate picture or photo files that may exist in the My Pictures folder or in the Shared Pictures folder:
    1. Quit the Create CD/DVD Wizard, and then close Media Center.
    2. Click Start, and then click My Pictures.
    3. On the Windows Explorer toolbar, click Search.
    4. Click Pictures, music or video.
    5. Click to select the Pictures and photos check box, and then click Use advanced search options.
    6. In the Look in box, click My Pictures.
    7. Click the Search button at the bottom of Search Companion.
    8. After the search has completed, click Select all on the Edit menu, and then click Copy To Folder on the Edit menu.
    9. In the Copy Items box, click New folder, and then type Folder_name to rename the folder.

      Note A temporary folder that is named Folder_name is created on the desktop.
    10. In the Copy Items box, click Copy.

      As Windows Explorer copies the files to the temporary folder, you receive an error message that is similar to the following every time that a duplicate file is found:
      This folder already contains a file named file_name.

      Would you like to replace the existing file:
      file_information.

      with this one?
      file_information.
      Every time that you receive this message, make a note of the file name, and then click No.
    11. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
    12. Click Shared Documents, and then double-click the Shared Pictures folder.
    13. On the Windows Explorer toolbar, click Search.
    14. Click Pictures, music or video.
    15. Click to select the Pictures and photos check box, and then click Use advanced search options.
    16. In the Look in box, click Shared Pictures.
    17. Click the Search button at the bottom of Search Companion.
    18. After the search has completed, click Select all on the Edit menu, and then click Copy To Folder on the Edit menu.
    19. In the Copy Items box, select the new folder (Folder_name) that you created previously, and then click Copy.

      As Windows Explorer copies the files to the temporary folder, you receive an error message that is similar to the following every time that a duplicate file is found:
      This folder already contains a file named file_name.

      Would you like to replace the existing file:
      file_information.

      with this one?
      file_information.
      Every time that you receive this message, make a note of the file name, and then click No.
    20. After you have compiled the list of files that have duplicate names, rename the files, and then use the Create CD/DVD Wizard to create the CD or the DVD.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

MORE INFORMATION

Media Center Technical Support

Because Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition was included with your hardware device or system, the hardware manufacturer provides technical support and assistance for this software. Your manufacturer may have customized the installation with unique components such as specific device drivers and optional settings to maximize the performance of that manufacturer's hardware. If you require technical help with Windows XP Media Center Edition, contact your manufacturer directly because the manufacturer is best qualified to support the software that the manufacturer has installed on the hardware.

You can also visit the Windows XP Media Center Edition product information Web site at the following Microsoft Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/6/2005
Keywords:kbtshoot KB908059 kbAudEndUser
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.