Would someone kindly explain this

[lovejoy]

I have 59 files which I want to put onto one CD

Total MG is 667, which to this non techie suggests that there should be 33MG to spare.

But it won't fit onto the disc so I took two files off leaving 646MG and it fit O.K.

using 655MG in total, meaning that only 9 MG was used over and above the 646MG, but I cant put on another 21MG because there is "only" 33MG spare.

This doesn't make sense to me, can someone please explain this before this bloody machine is chucked in the bin

[ChuckFickens]

so you have either got 650mb cd's (so 74min ones, not the 80min/700mb ones) or you have your burning software set to limit the burn to 650mb

[VHG]

A CD also contains a "catalog" of all the files on it, which takes up space (not sure how much). Obviosuly the more files on the CD the larger the catalog will be.

Also, individual files dont always fill the space they are allotted on a hard disk or CD. All devices like hard disks or CDs crate invisible "grids" to hold files in (a bit like graph paper), and if each grid is not filled up it can leave lots of empty "spaces" all over the hard disk or CD.

Maybe all these "empty" spaces is where all your missing space has gone.