Audio Systems: problem with cd-cdr player, software glitch, laser diode

Question
hi, can you help. problem with cdr/dvd player.
emachine 370. winxp sp2. avg,spybot, ad-aware.db poweramp music converter, power dvd se.now then the problem:i download music from the web and approx 1 week ago i found that when i burnt a full cd it would only burn the first 5,6,or 7 songs to disc.i thougt it was the disc so i bought tdk discs. still the same!then i bought a good head cleaner, no change. i am using win media 11 only on my pc. now it will not burn at all, keep getting message" please insert a better type of disc" when "ready to burn"appears in my win 11 player. gone into device driver and it states that my cd player is working normally.it started when i had wm10 so i upgraded to wm11 and also i bought 2 different packets of tdk discs,so i cannot see it beind the discs as ive used 3 different lots. any advice would help. by the way, it plays music and loads up games from disc, but it wont recognise any disc to burn.

Answer
Burning takes a higher power into the laser diode.  If the diode is getting weak it could be strong enough to read discs, but too weak to write.  That would be my guess; either that or a software glitch in the writer.  

You can purchase new cdr/dvd drives for $25 and up; it may be worth just getting a new one.  Especially, if the one you have has been used many hours it is more likely the optical pickup may be the problem.

Hope this will help.
Cleggsan