Compact Disc File System

The Windows XP Professional Compact Disc File System (CDFS) can read compact discs (CDs) formatted according to the ISO 9660 file system standard. The ISO 9660 specification defines three methods, or interchange levels, for recording and naming files on a CD. Windows XP Professional supports up to interchange level 3.

Windows XP Professional also supports Joliet, an extension to ISO 9660, which supports CDs that are recorded using file names containing Unicode characters. Joliet supports file and folder names on CDs as follows:

• File and folder names can contain up to 64 Unicode characters.

• Folder names can contain file name extensions.

• Folder hierarchy can be recorded deeper than 8 levels.

  Note 

  CDFS does not support the Rock Ridge Interchange Protocol extensions to ISO 9660 and reads only the ISO 9660 structures on such discs.

If the computer uses a compatible CD-ROM drive, Windows XP Professional can also read CDs recorded by using the following standards:

• Red Book (CD-Audio), including Enhanced CD

• Yellow Book (CD-ROM)

• CD-XA

• White Book (Video CD)

• Photo CD

• Orange Book Part II (CD-recordable, including multisession) and Part III (CD-Rewritable)

• Blue Book (CD Extra)

  Note 

  You might need a special program or player to interpret the information on CD-XA, White Book, and Photo CDs. Also, Windows XP Professional cannot read CD-R or CD-RW discs that have not been closed by the writing software.

Windows XP Professional provides integrated support for writing data to CD-R and CD-RW. When writing data to CD, Windows XP Professional automatically uses the Joliet and ISO 9660 formats. When writing audio files to CD, Windows XP Professional uses the Red Book format. For more information about burning CDs, see Windows XP Professional Help.