Function

• A UDF reader, short for Universal Disc Format reader, is a computer software program that allows DVDs and compact discs that have been burned with the UDF format to be opened and read by computer operating systems. Without a UDF reader, certain types of UDF discs cannot be read by most operating systems.
  
  

Significance

• Unlike the traditional ISO 9660 format that most burnable CDs and DVDs are burned with, the Universal Disc Format allows files to be dragged to and from the discs. This allows CDs and DVDs to be used over and over again. However, without a UDF reader, these discs can only be used on the computer on which they were burned.
  
  

Warning

• If you try to access a disc that was burned using the UDF format and your computer does not support that version of the format, your computer will tell you that the disc is blank or that the data has been corrupted. In many cases, the disc is not faulty, but requires you to install a UDF reader to access it.