Exploring bootable CD/DVDs shows "0 Objects"

[kumarkumar]

Whenever I try to open/explore a bootable CD/DVD in Windows explorer, it shows "0 Objects" (zero objects).

Is this how its supposed to be, or is there a way to view the contents of the CD in Windows (not using any 3rd party software like Magiciso, etc)?.

[jaclaz]

Whenever I try to open/explore a bootable CD/DVD in Windows explorer, it shows "0 Objects" (zero objects).

Is this how its supposed to be, or is there a way to view the contents of the CD in Windows (not using any 3rd party software like Magiciso, etc)?.

If the bootable CD is of the "floppy emulation" or of the "hard disk emulation" type, yes, it's normal, the actual files are inside the bootsectors and NOT in the "normal" filesystem.

You need one of the available CD/DVD tools or you can make an image of it and use 7-zip.

jaclaz

[kumarkumar]

Thanks jaclaz.

Is there a way to figure out which type of emulation a bootable CD has ("floppy" or "hard disk") or if it doesn't have any emulation at all?

I can see the contents of Windown XP bootable CD, if I explore/open it. Does that mean it doesn't have any kind of emulation?

[jaclaz]

I can see the contents of Windown XP bootable CD, if I explore/open it. Does that mean it doesn't have any kind of emulation?

Yes and no.

It is bootable through a setting which is called "no-emulation".

For reference:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21212&st=23

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=18306

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=17278

Run BBIE on the CD/DVD:

http://www.nu2.nu/bbie/

jaclaz

[kumarkumar]

the actual files are inside the bootsectors and NOT in the "normal" filesystem.

How big can the bootsector be?

I have a bootable cd which is like 200MB, yet it shows "0 Objects" in Windows explorer. So does that mean that all 200MB of files/folders are in the bootsector?

[jaclaz]

the actual files are inside the bootsectors and NOT in the "normal" filesystem.

How big can the bootsector be?

I have a bootable cd which is like 200MB, yet it shows "0 Objects" in Windows explorer. So does that mean that all 200MB of files/folders are in the bootsector?

If it's a floppy emulation either 1.44 Mb or 2.88 Mb.

If it's a "no-emulation" virtually any size (within the limits of the actual media) though normally the no-emulation bootsector is 2.048 bytes, it can be bigger, a typical example is grub4dos' grldr which can be used as bootsector and is around 220 Kb if I recall correctly

If it's a hard disk emulation any size (within the limits of the actual media).

But this is about "standards", one can make "special" "non-standard" CD's with lots of variants, including that of hiding any file to the "normal" OS, so there is really no way to know "generally", a specific CD may have been built in a specific way, and another one in a different specific one.

jaclaz