CD-Roms must conform to specific standards that make it possible for a computer to read them. These standards include the CD-Rom "volume label" and the "file system" standard.

Volume Label. Is for the identification of the disc. This is the equivalent of a book title and is electronically stored on the CD. The label can anything you wish to identify the CD . The volume label is limited to eleven characters, using A-Z (upper case letters only), the numbers 0-9, and the _ (under score).

File System Standards. This is how your files are structured, and should be considered before planning to make a CD. Use a ISO 9660 standard for CD's that play on all platforms. For Dos, Windows, or Windows 95 with long file name see below.


Creating an ISO 9660 (level 1) CD-Rom

If you are planning to use your CD on both Dos and Mac platforms, your data must meet ISO 9660 (level 1) requirements:
File names are restricted to the characters A-Z, 0-9, and the _ (underscore). If you use any other character or space, it would be converted into an underscore. File names, (including extensions) may contain 11 characters, the eight dot three, convention. In the hierarchy of folders or directories, they can not go more than eight levels deep.


Creating an ISO 9660 (level 3) CD-ROM

This extension of the ISO 9660 Level 1 standard allows up to 32 characters in a filename and does not require a dot-three extension.


Creating an ISO 9660 (Joliet Standard)

This extension of the ISO 9660 Level 1 standard allows up to 64 characters in a filename and does not require a dot-three extension.


Creating a DOS platform CD-Rom

If you are archiving your files or backing up your PC, you need not change any file structure.