Copyright: © 2000-2003 by H+H Software GmbH
Citation: © 2000-2003 by H+H Software GmbH


Introduction to Virtual CD
 – Introduction

With Virtual CD, your CD applications are faster, more portable and easier to use. Your CDs and DVDs are stored as virtual CDs on your hard disk using highly efficient compression methods.

Why use virtual CDs?

With the Virtual CD program...

•	your CD/DVD-based applications are much faster, because the CDs run from your hard drive rather than from the CD-ROM drive

•	you don't have to bother with inserting and removing physical CDs—let alone having to look for them in the first place!

•	you can run your CDs on computers that don't even have physical CD drives

•	you can use multiple CDs simultaneously —no need for an expensive CD changer!

•	your valuable original CDs won't get lost or damaged

•	your notebook conserves precious battery power, because you don't have to run an energy-hogging CD drive

•	your workplace is quieter, because CD drive noise is eliminated

•	you can use the new Smart Virtual CD technology to make physical copies of every virtual CD.

The Virtual CD program is now easier than ever to use. There are just two basic steps:

First, you create a virtual CD from a physical CD. The Virtual CD program stores it in a container (also referred to as a 'container file' or 'image file'), on your hard disk.  Then you simply 'insert' the virtual CD into a virtual CD drive. Virtual drives are set up automatically when you install Virtual CD.  You can add new virtual CDs to your collection at any time.  You can also delete them as needed, to free up disk space.

Important Note:

If you use Virtual CD with CDs or DVDs that are under license, creating multiple virtual images from a given CD/DVD or running the Virtual CD program with a given virtual CD on more than one computer at a time may constitute a breach of the software licensing agreement you entered into with the manufacturer of the CD/DVD in question. Make sure to check your licensing agreements for detailed information.


Functions
  – Functions

Once you have installed Virtual CD v5, the following features are available on your computer. Functions that were not available in earlier versions are marked NEW!

•	Up to 22 virtual CD-ROM drives and any number of virtual CDs (limited only by your available storage space)

•	NEW! Burn physical CDs to back up all your virtual CDs, using Smart Virtual CD technology.

•	NEW! Improved emulation of source CDs thanks to new techniques for reading CD geometry data.

•	NEW! Quick Copy function speeds up the process of copying virtual CDs.

•	NEW! Control the "autorun" function on virtual CDs.

•	Easy Copy Mode for beginners

•	NEW! Direct integration of ISO-compatible files with no time-consuming conversion required.

•	Import ISO-format image files (for data exchange with CD-R software)

•	Optional password protection for individual virtual CDs

•	NEW! Source CD can be ejected immediately, to prevent unauthorized use.

•	NEW! Use scripts to insert multiple virtual CDs simultaneously, quickly and easily!

•	NEW! The main Virtual CD programs can be started directly using hotkeys

•	Automatic retrieval of audio CD data (artist name, album title, track titles) from the CDDB server

•	NEW! Improved integration of Gracenote CDDB access makes it even easier to manage audio-CDs

•	Supports up to 99 audio tracks per virtual CD

•	NEW! Improved support for CD-writing software

•	NEW! Select the location of your source (whether a CD in a drive or a file in a folder) in the Windows Explorer

•	NEW! Customized virtual CDs now support longer file names.


Program Structure
  – Program Structure

Working with Virtual CD gets easier all the time, thanks to continuous improvements and developments. One of the latest time-saving features, for example, is the Easy Copy Mode, for ultra fast creation of virtual CDs. The main VCD functions can be called from a number of different points, including the Windows Explorer, the Start Selection dialog, the VCD Management program, and the Quick Start Utility. This lets you tailor your use of Virtual CD to your own preferences.

You have direct access to the following Virtual CD  programs:

•	Management program: Central program for managing virtual CDs and virtual drives and for configuring basic settings

•	Editor: Lets you compose custom virtual CDs and edit existing virtual CDs

•	Image Writer: Helps you create 1-to-1 images of CDs or DVDs

•	Smart Virtual CD Burner: Program for burning virtual CDs onto physical CD-ROMs.

•	Start Selection: A special start dialog for direct access to all of the main VCD functions

•	Drive Editor: For defining the number of virtual CD drives and their drive letters

•	Quick Start Utility: Installs an icon in the system tray of your Windows taskbar, giving you quick access to Virtual CD functions

•	Settings: For central configuration of VCD settings

•	Script Generator Generate scripts quickly and easily for inserting multiple virtual CDs simultaneously


System Requirements
  – System Requirements

The following system specifications are required for running Virtual CD v5:

•	Windows 98 (SE) with at least 64 MB RAM or

o	Windows ME with at least 64 MB RAM or

o	Windows NT4 Workstation with Service Pack 6a and at least 128 MB RAM or

o	Windows 2000 Professional with Service Pack 3 and at least 128 MB RAM or

o	Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 1 and at least 128 MB RAM

•	Pentium 200 MHz processor or faster

•	Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.5 or later

•	20 MB hard disk space for installation of the Virtual CD software

•	Optional:

o	sound card (for CDs with audio tracks)

o	Internet access (to retrieve audio CD data from the CDDB server)

o	CD burner to write your virtual CDs on physical CD-ROMs using Smart Virtual CD technology

	The amount of hard disk space required in addition to the 10 MB needed for installation of the Virtual CD program depends on the number of virtual CDs you wish to create and the amount of data on your source CDs/DVDs.


Updating an Earlier Version
  – Updating an Earlier Version

Please observe the following when updating an earlier version of Virtual CD:

•	Technically, the Virtual CD v5 edition can be installed parallel to an older version of the program. We strongly recommend deinstalling the older version, however, to avoid problems with conflicting drive letter assignments.

•	The data format of virtual CDs has not been changed. A few additions have been made to enable integration of CDs created with Virtual CD v4.

•	You can now switch from Easy Copy Mode to Expert Copy Mode directly from the Image Writer, on the "Results of Analysis" page.

•	The options for having the physical CD automatically  ejected, and having the Image Writer close automatically when the virtual CD has been successfully completed, are now configured directly in the Image Writer.

•	All menu items that are added to shortcut menus by Virtual CD's Explorer Extension are prefixed with "v5," to distinguish them from menu commands that run Virtual CD v4 programs (in case you have both versions installed).

•	There are no special prerequisites for working with Virtual CD.  To ensure optimal functioning of all Virtual CD v5 components, however, it is important that the System Requirements are met.


Easy Copy Mode
  – Easy Copy Mode

The Image Writer, the VCD module for composing new virtual CDs, can be operated in one of two modes:  the Easy Copy Mode or the Expert Copy Mode. The simplified mode is designed for users who want to create virtual CDs as quickly and easily as possible.

In the expert mode, on the other hand, default settings are shown but can be overwritten. The Easy Copy Mode performs the following automatically:

•	A 1-to-1 image is made of the entire source CD/DVD; with audio CDs, for example, you do not have the option of selecting or excluding individual tracks.

•	The container in which the virtual CD is stored on the hard drive is given a file name.

•	The structure of the source CD is analyzed and the settings required for the structure detected are configured.

The Easy Copy Mode is definitely the fastest and least complicated method for creating virtual CDs.

	Some virtual CDs might require certain manual configuration settings in order to function correctly. To gain access to all options available in creating virtual CDs (including password protection and hotkeys, for example), you need to deactivate the Easy Copy Mode,
	You can deactivate the Easy Copy Mode on the "Results of Analysis" page of the Image Writer program. This makes it easy to get the best of both modes. The mode that was active the last time you closed down Virtual CD is automatically active when you start the program again.


Creating a Virtual CD
  – Creating a Virtual CD

You can't really use the program until you have created at least one virtual CD!

There are two options for making a virtual CD:

•	Using the Image Writer is the fastest and easiest way to make a 1-to-1 image of a virtual CD. The Image Writer guides you through the procedure step by step and prompts you for input as needed.

•	To make a customized virtual CD, as opposed to a 1-to-1 image, use the Editor. For example, you can exclude unnecessary directories that are on the original CD, or compose a virtual audio CD that contains all your favorite songs.


Using Quick Copy Files
 – Using Quick Copy Files

When you want to make a virtual CD from a source CD that presents difficulties in configuration, using a Quick Copy file can speed up the process considerably. This is especially useful, for example, if the source CD is in a physical drive that does not support the detection of potential problems on the CD. All you need is a Quick Copy file that was created using a physical CD drive that supports the required detection methods. To use a Quick Copy file that was created by another user or on another machine, you need to copy it to the directory defined for this purpose on the "Folders" page of your Virtual CD Settings program. From that point on, Virtual CD will automatically use this Quick Copy file any time you make a virtual CD from the physical CD in question.

All Quick Copy files that can be used by your Virtual CD program are listed in the "CD Management" program.

	We recommend creating Quick Copy files only for those CDs that otherwise present problems. With "normal" CDs, this function does not present any advantages. In Easy Copy Mode, the Image Writer "decides" automatically whether or not a Quick Copy file should be created.
	A Quick Copy file does not contain any of the information that is on the physical CD! When you use a Quick Copy file, you still need the corresponding physical CD in order to create the virtual CD.


Inserting and Ejecting Virtual CDs
 – Inserting and Ejecting Virtual CDs

Just like any CD, a virtual CD has to be 'inserted' in a drive before it can be used.

There are a number of ways to activate the commands for inserting and ejecting virtual CDs:

•	through Virtual CD's CD Management program.

•	through the Virtual CD  Explorer Extension .

•	through the Virtual CD Quick Start Utility.

•	through a custom hotkey combination ("Insert" only).

•	through the Virtual CD  command line program.

Once you have inserted a virtual CD, you can begin working with the virtual drive.


Working with Virtual Drives
 – Working with Virtual Drives

The virtual drives created by Virtual CD look just like normal CD-ROM drives in your Windows Explorer. Once you insert a virtual CD, you can also access the virtual drive like any other drive. The main differences are: a) data access is much faster, and b) no physical CD is required.

You can change the drive letters and the number of virtual drives at any time using the Virtual CD Drive Editor. We recommend configuring 3 to 5 virtual drives, as each virtual CD drive takes up 100 KB of internal buffer memory.


Using the Hotkey Function
  – Using the Hotkey Function

You can define a special key combination, or "hotkey", for automatic insertion of a virtual CD in a virtual drive. This way, you can run virtual CDs without starting the Virtual CD Management program.

There are two ways to define a hotkey for a given CD:

•	on the last dialog page of the Image Writer program, when creating a virtual CD, or

•	in the Image File Properties of the virtual CD in question, opened in the Virtual CD Management program.

Make sure you do not assign the same hotkey to more than one virtual CD. Keep in mind that the hotkey you define here may overwrite the same key combination normally used for another purpose in another application.


Defining a Start Program
 – Defining a Start Program

You can define a program to be started automatically when a virtual CD is inserted in a virtual drive. This is especially useful for CDs that do not have an "autorun" or "autostart" function. You can also define a working directory for the start program.

For example, perhaps you'd like to have a graphics program start automatically when a particular ClipArt CD is inserted. In this case, you can run the graphics software from a path on the local hard disk, and a path on the CD as the working directory, so that the ClipArt images are found right away.

To enable the definition of a start program with a working directory that is independent of the drive letter used at any given point for the virtual CD in question, Virtual CD supports the environment variable %vcddrive%. The value stored here is the drive letter of the virtual drive in which the virtual CD in question is inserted.

If "explorer.exe %vcddrive%:" is entered for the start program and working directory, the Windows Explorer starts when the CD is inserted and opens the drive that the virtual CD is in. If the Explorer is not located in the system path, you need to enter the full path name for 'explorer.exe' to call the program.

	When you use the %vcddrive% variable, keep in mind that the value stored here is a drive letter without a colon (":"). The drive has to be specified as %vcddrive%: ; in other words, the variable plus the colon.

There are two ways to define a start program:

•	on the last dialog page of the Image Writer program, when creating a virtual CD, or

•	in the Image File Properties of the virtual CD in question, opened in the Virtual CD Management program.

	If you define a start program for a CD that has an "autostart" feature, then two programs are started when the virtual CD is inserted.


Quick Start Utility
 – Quick Start Utility

The default settings when you install Virtual CD include the use of the Quick Start Utility. This utility installs a quick-launch icon in the Windows taskbar, providing direct access to the main Virtual CD functions.

Use this icon as follows:

•	Double-click on the icon to start the Virtual CD Management program.

•	Right-click on it to open a shortcut menu with the central program functions.

The shortcut menu contains the following options:

CD Management	Starts the Virtual CD Management program
Create Virtual CD	Starts the Virtual CD Image Writer
Editor	Starts the Virtual CD Editor
Smart Virtual CD Burner	Starts the Smart Virtual CD Burner
Settings	Starts the Virtual CD Settings program
Add/remove virtual drives	Starts the Virtual CD Drive Editor
Network mode	Activates/deactivates the function enabling centralized insertion and ejection of virtual CDs.
Virtual CD Online	Starts the default browser and opens a page with links to other Virtual CD pages.
Scripts	Runs a script that was written by the Virtual CD Script Generator
Explorer	Opens an Explorer view of the selected virtual drive
Eject	Ejects the virtual CD from the selected virtual drive
Insert	Inserts a virtual CD in a virtual drive
About...	Shows information on the Quick Start Utility
Exit	Closes the Quick Start Utility.
	If you do not want to use the Quick Start Utility, you can deactivate the function that installs it in your Windows taskbar by selecting the corresponding option on the Global page of the Settings program.


Integration in the Explorer
 – Integration in the Explorer

A number of Virtual CD features are directly integrated in the Windows Explorer. This Virtual CD Explorer Extension lets you activate the following functions in your Windows Explorer:

•	Insert a virtual CD: When you right-click on a virtual drive, the shortcut menu includes the new menu item v5 - Insert a virtual CD.

•	Create a virtual CD: When you right-click on a  CD-ROM drive in the Explorer, the shortcut menu contains the new menu item v5 - Create a virtual CD, for creating a 1:1 image of the CD in that drive.

•	Create a virtual CD: When you right-click on any folder or CD-ROM drive in the Explorer, the shortcut menu contains the new menu item v5 - Create a virtual CD from this folder, for creating a virtual CD that contains the data in that folder or drive.

	The Create a virtual CD menu item is shown only if there is a CD in the physical drive.
	When you right-click on a virtual drive, the Create a virtual CD menu item is shown only if you have activated the option to Use virtual drives as source drives on the Creating virtual CDs page of the Settings program.

When you right-click on a container file with the file name extension .VC4, a shortcut menu opens with the following options:

•	v5 - Manage your virtual CDs starts the CD Management program.

•	v5 - Edit the virtual CD starts the Virtual CD Editor and passes the name of the selected container file to the Editor. The Editor is opened with this file ready for editing.

•	Insert the virtual CD into opens another menu from which you can select the desired virtual drive for this container.

•	The Properties dialog for the container has an additional page, with Virtual CD v5 on the tab. This page shows the Virtual CD properties of the container file.

	With the Explorer extension, the type of CD (data CD, audio CD, etc.) is indicated by the symbol next to the container file name. Thus you can tell at a glance what types of CDs are listed.


Command Line Program
 – Command Line Program

Once you have installed Virtual CD, the command line program, VCDCMD.EXE, can be found in the Virtual CD v5 directory. You can use this program to insert or eject  virtual CDs directly from the command line. If you start the program without command line arguments, a window opens showing the command line options:

	If a start program has been defined for the virtual CD in question, that program starts automatically when you insert the CD using the command line program. If you define a start program by entering a program call as a command line argument, this overwrites any previously defined start program, and only the program entered in the command line is opened.
	When you activate Create a shortcut on the General page of the Image File Properties dialog in the Virtual CD Management program, Virtual CD automatically installs a shortcut to the virtual CD on your Desktop. This shortcut uses the Virtual CD command line program to insert the virtual CD.


Local and Network Views
 – Local and Network Views

Virtual CD lets you configure two separate views of your virtual CDs:

•	Local view: Shows all of the virtual CDs that are available only on the computer you are working with.

•	Network view: Shows all of the virtual CDs that are available to all machines that use the same global configuration path. This path is configured on the Network page of the Virtual CD Settings program.

	These 'views' define only where the virtual CDs are available for use, not where they are stored. For example, if a virtual CD stored on the network in a UNC path is assigned to a local view and not the network view, that virtual CD is available only on the computer specified. Thus you can store a virtual CD on a UNC path in the network and assign it to a local view for testing before adding it to the Network view.
	The Local view is always available, unless you disable the use of locally stored virtual CDs, on the Network page of the Virtual CD Settings.  The Network view is available only if you define a global configuration path on the Network page of the Virtual CD Settings.  If both Views are available, you can choose whether the CDs they contain are displayed together in a single view, or are shown additionally in separate 'local' and 'network' views in the Virtual CD programs.


Remote Insertion and Ejection of Virtual CDs
 – Remote Insertion and Ejection of Virtual CDs

Switch your Virtual CD program to the 'central' (network) mode if you want to enable remote control of the virtual CDs used on client stations. You can activate the network mode using the Quick Start Utility or from the toolbar in the CD Management program.

	The command that activates the Network mode is available only if the respective program is installed and you have entered a Global configuration path on the Network page of the Virtual CD Settings program.

Current mode indicates which mode Virtual CD  is currently in:

Normal: Users can insert their own virtual CDs.

Central: Virtual CDs are inserted and ejected remotely from this workstation.

	Only one of the workstations, of all the stations that use a given global configuration path, can be used for remote control of virtual CDs.

In addition to showing the current mode, this dialog has three buttons with the following functions:

•	Toggle between 'normal' and 'central' (network) mode. A password must be entered to activate the central mode.

•	Define a new password. The old password must be entered first, and then the new password is entered twice.

•	Exit the Network Mode dialog.

	The first time you start the program, or after a new configuration file path is defined, the password field is empty.

The function for central insertion and ejection of virtual CDs is configured in the vcdadm.dat file, which is stored in the global configuration file path. Make sure that you, as administrator, are the only one with 'read' and 'write' privileges  in this file. Users who are not permitted to control virtual CDs centrally require only 'read' privileges in this file.

	To use the remote-control function for inserting and ejecting virtual CDs, all stations affected must use same drive letters for virtual drives. The easiest way to do this is to create a single Client Setup program for installing Virtual CD on your network stations.


Settings for Audio Tracks
  – Settings for Audio Tracks

With Virtual CD, you can create audio tracks as either

•	individual audio tracks (sound files), or

•	data tracks.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these methods, and each has its limitations.

If you choose to store your audio tracks as sound files, audio data is converted to sound files and compressed accordingly.

If you choose to store them as data files, the audio data is transferred 1-to-1 to your hard disk. In this case, the data retains its original format, but the tracks can be played only using a program that can read digital data (such as Media Player 9, for example).

	In any case, you do need to choose either one method or the other, as virtual CDs containing a mix of both types of tracks can be difficult to work with (see Troubleshooting: Virtual Audio CDs).

As mentioned above, both methods have advantages and disadvantages, so we can't really recommend one method over the other. The table below lists the pros and cons to help you decide which is best for you in each case:

Write audio tracks as...	Advantage	Disadvantage
...individual sound files	• Conserves hard disk space; for example, when using MP3 compression • Files can be opened by music programs individually for editing • Can be created using any physical CD-ROM drive	• Audio compression might take more CPU time when running the virtual CD • Takes longer to make the virtual CD • Virtual CD cannot be used as source for virtual CD, CD-R or audio-CD 'ripping' software
...data files	• Full support for music player functions (such as visualization in Media Player) • Virtual CD can be used as source for virtual CD, CD-R and audio-CD 'ripping' software  • More flexible, as it can be used later to create a virtual CD with individual sound files	• Takes up more hard disk space • Only works with certain system configurations


Using Data Compression
 – Using Data Compression

Virtual CD comes with extensive support for data compression so you can store your virtual CDs as efficiently as possible. You can configure settings for compression on the Compression Defaults page of the Settings program.

The table below lists the advantages and disadvantages of the different compression options to help you decide which is best for you:

Compression	Advantage	Disadvantage
None	• Quickest method for creating a virtual CD • No added load on the CPU	• Takes up the most space on the hard disk.  The size of the container corresponds to the data volume on the CD
Level 1	• Good compromise between CPU load and storage space taken	• Low added CPU load
Level 2	• Especially suited for use with sectors copied using the RAW mode	• Greater CPU load
Level 3	• Somewhat better compression than Level 2, with shorter creation time than level 4	• Greater CPU load
Level 4	• Lowest disk space requirement	• For use only with processors of at least 700 MHz  • Longest creation time

The extent to which data can actually be compressed in each case depends on the content of the CD or DVD in question. With text files, for example, a high degree of compression can be obtained, while the size of MPEG1 or MPEG2 video files cannot be reduced by much.


What is Gracenote CDDB?
  – What is Gracenote CDDB?

Virtual CD gives you the option of using the Gracenote CDDB Disc Recognition ServiceSM (DRS) from Gracenote, Inc., to retrieve information about audio CDs from the Internet (artist name; album and track titles). This service is free of charge and runs automatically.

The first time you use the CDDB  service, you need to log on to the CDDB server.


Using CDDB
 – Using Gracenote CDDB2

The first time you use a VCD program function that accesses Gracenote CDDB (for example, when you create an audio CD), the login routine for the Gracenote CDDB service starts automatically. After the login prompt, select "New Registration" and enter a name and password.

	This login procedure runs only once.  Every time you use the CDDB2 service after this, you are automatically logged on with the name and password entered the first time.

To change the name or password used for CDDB login, open the CDDB menu in the Virtual CD Management program.

	If you do not have Internet access, you should disable the CDDB function. To do this, open the Global page of the Settings dialog and deselect the CDDB option.


CDDB Proprietary Information
 – CDDB Proprietary Information

Gracenote is CDDB, Inc. d/b/a "Gracenote."  CD and music-related data from Gracenote CDDB® Music Recognition ServiceSM © 2000, 2001, 2002 Gracenote.  Gracenote CDDB Client Software © 2000, 2001, 2002 Gracenote.  U.S. Patents Numbers #5,987,525;  #6,061,680;  #6,154,773, and other patents issued or pending.

CDDB is a registered trademark of Gracenote.  The Gracenote logo and logotype, the Gracenote CDDB logo and logotype, and the "Powered by Gracenote CDDB" logo are trademarks of Gracenote.  Music Recognition Service and MRS are service marks of Gracenote


Structure of a CD-ROM
 – Structure of a CD-ROM

Unlike hard disks and floppy diskettes, the data you access on a CD is read-only. Nevertheless, CD-ROMs are gradually replacing diskettes as the medium of choice for external data transport. This is mainly due to the following developments:

•	The manufacture of CD-ROMs has become relatively inexpensive

•	CD-ROMs can hold far more data than diskettes (up to 700 MB)

•	Devices for writing data on CD-ROMs, called CD writers or CD burners, are becoming fairly widespread, even in the private sector

Data is stored in CD-ROMs in sectors and the sectors are divided into tracks.  The number of tracks on a CD-ROM depends on the CD format.  Data CDs usually use a "single data track" format, while the number of tracks on a music CD depends on the number of titles on the album in question.

Every CD-ROM contains at least one track where information is stored. Some CDs use an additional unit of organization, called a session. Multi-session CDs are created in a series of steps, and each session is again divided into tracks. This type of CD format is used for example to create CDs with both data and audio tracks. An example of this CD type is the "CD-Extra" format. Here, the first session contains data and the second contains audio tracks. When the CD is placed in a computer, the program contained in the data track is run—most often this is some type of animation. When the same CD is placed in a CD player, the data sector is ignored and the CD is treated as a normal music CD.

In addition to these common types of CD formats, a number of other format types have been developed for special functions, such as recording video or photo images on CD..


CD Formats
 – CD Formats

In addition to standard types of CD format, there are a number of other formats for both data and music CDs; some are more widely used than others. The table below gives an overview of the most commonly used CD formats and indicates their compatibility with the Virtual CD program.

Format	Description	v5
DVD-ROM	Contains data. The main difference between this and a CD-ROM is that the DVD can hold considerably more data than a CD.
DVD Video	Usually contains a movie in MPEG2 format.
Audio CD (CDDA)	CD digital audio; music CD
CD-Extra	Multi-session CD.  One session contains data for the computer, the other contains music tracks.
(S)Video CD	Predecessor to the DVD. MPEG1 is used to store a movie on a Video CD. Data is more highly compressed to fit a movie onto a CD (as opposed to a DVD), which has a negative affect on playback quality.
CDI	CD format for interactive content.
CD-Text	Similar to the format of audio CDs, with additional information on album title, artist name and track titles. The additional information is available only if the required support is provided by the CD drive and the CD player.
Mixed-mode CD (data/audio)	This type of CD contains data in the first track and music in all other tracks. This format is mainly used for games.
Photo CD	Format for storing digital pictures. The pictures from one "roll" of film are stored on the CD in a session, which makes it possible to use the CD for more than one roll.
CD-ROM	Data CD.
	Some DVDs use more than one format; for example, a video-DVD might also have a DVD-ROM section.


Structure of a Virtual CD Container
 – Structure of a Virtual CD Container

The structure of the virtual CD container depends on the format of the source CD. A Virtual CD container can consist of the following files:

File	Description	Included in the container...
<file>.VC4	This is the actual container file, or 'image file', containing the CD structure and any tracks.	...always
<file>.ICO	Symbol file for the container.	...if a symbol exists for the source CD.  Usually applies only to data CDs.
<file>.<no.>	Data tracks are numbered sequentially.	...if data tracks are included in the virtual CD.
<file>.WAV	Audio file, containing an audio track as a sound file. There is one audio file for each audio track.	...if music tracks are included in the virtual CD.
<file>.SZQ	File containing sub-channel data.	...if the container includes sub-channel data.
<File>.HTM	Contains information about the virtual CD.	...always
<File>.JPG	Image shown in the information (*.HTM) file.	...always
<File>.VBL	Log file containing any messages output during creation of the virtual CD	...always

When you delete a Virtual CD in the Virtual CD Management program, all files that form part of the container for that virtual CD are deleted from the hard disk.

	Sound files are stored in "wave" format (*.wav) and can be played with other programs as well, without using Virtual CD.


Overview
 – Overview

Smart Virtual CD is a new technology developed especially for Virtual CD v5. With this program, you can back up your virtual CDs on physical CDs. You can run the virtual CDs from the physical copies as well. A virtual CD on a physical CD is referred to here as a "Smart Virtual CD."

Unlike a 1:1 copy of a CD, a Smart Virtual CD is always written as a data CD. This data CD contains the Smart Virtual CD Reader and one or more virtual CDs. When you run a Smart Virtual CD on a computer that does not have the Virtual CD program installed, the Smart Virtual CD Reader provides a virtual CD drive and lets you operate the virtual CD(s) contained on the Smart Virtual CD.

The Smart Virtual CD has a number of advantages over a simple 1-to-1copy:

•	You can make sure that a CD copy is viable before burning it onto a physical CD. Any virtual CD that runs correctly in its virtual form will also run correctly when you put it on a physical CD.

•	You do not have to spend a lot of time (and CD blanks) trying out different settings with a difficult CD, because the best possible settings were already determined for the virtual CD.

•	You can produce copies regardless of the technical properties of the CD burner you use. To write a Smart Virtual CD, the CD burner simply has to be capable of burning a data CD. This means you can copy a virtual CD to a Smart Virtual CD even if the burner would not have been able to copy the actual CD 1-to-1.

•	Unlike conventional data CDs, the data on a Smart Virtual CD is protected even if you lose the CD. The compression used in making virtual CDs, as well as the optional assignment of passwords, let you distribute data on physical CDs in a form that cannot be accessed by unauthorized persons.

	When a virtual CD is read, it can expand to a greater data volume than that contained on the physical CD it was made from. For this reason, a blank CD with a capacity of 650 MB is often insufficient for creating a Smart Virtual CD. To get around this problem, we recommend using either CD blanks with more capacity or compressed virtual CDs.


Smart Virtual CD Reader
 – Smart Virtual CD Reader

Smart Virtual CD Reader is a small software packet that Smart Virtual CD Burner includes with the virtual CD(s) when you burn a Smart Virtual CD. When you insert a Smart Virtual CD on a computer that does not have Virtual CD installed, you are prompted to install the Smart Virtual CD Reader.

Once you click on "OK" to confirm, the installation of the Smart Virtual CD Reader begins.

Following successful completion of this installation, a virtual CD drive is added to the computer you are using; you can now run the virtual CD(s) on the Smart Virtual CD.

	You can remove Smart Virtual CD Reader at any time, under "Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs."


Using a Smart Virtual CD
 – Using a Smart Virtual CD

Following successful installation of the Smart Virtual CD Reader, you can use the virtual CD(s) on the Smart Virtual CD right away. There are two slightly different procedures, just depending on whether you have only one, or multiple virtual CDs on the Smart Virtual CD:

•	With one virtual CD on the Smart Virtual CD: The virtual CD is automatically inserted in the virtual drive provided by Smart Virtual CD Reader, and is ready to use.

•	With multiple virtual CDs on the Smart Virtual CD: A window opens in which you can select the virtual CD you wish to use.

	If you have multiple virtual CDs on the Smart Virtual CD, simply double-click on the physical CD drive in the Windows Explorer when you want to switch virtual CDs. This opens a list of the CDs to choose from on the Smart Virtual CD.
	If the Virtual CD program is not installed on the computer you use to run the Smart Virtual CD, the functions are restricted as follows: • The virtual CDs on the Smart Virtual CD can run only from the CD. The virtual CDs cannot be copied to the hard disk. • The Smart Virtual CD Reader provides a virtual CD drive. It is not possible to use multiple virtual CDs simultaneously.