CD drive won't write to CD-RW disks

I have a Compaq PC with Windows XP Pro. Most of the time I use CD-R disks when I use the CD drive.

A few days ago I thought I'd try CD-RW disks. When I try to save anything to a CD-RW disk, the CD Writing Wizard brings up a box that states, "Cannot complete the CD writing wizard. There was an error in the writing process. The disc you have attempted to write may no longer be usable."

Another time a message said there was no disk in the drive and told me to put in a cd. There was a brand new, never used CD-RW disk in there.

I tried 3 different CD-RW disks and the same thing happens. When I first insert a CD-RW disk, it doesn't spin. When I insert a CD-R disk, it spins for a few seconds.

Are the CD-RW disks defective? They are Memorex High Speed/Ultra disks.
12X|700MB/Mo|80 min. Does "High Speed" mean anything that would keep them from working in my PC? Is any special set-up needed to use CD-RW disks?

The CD-R disks are also Memorex, but are 52X|700MB/MO|80min disks. They work fine.

I have no problem using only CD-R disks, but I'm curious why CD-RW disks don't work.

 

Sorry, but I don't understand much of your reply.

"Defective pile. Unlikely. 1 disc, sure. Stupid question?"

I have no idea what any of that means.

The computer model is Compaq EVO D500. I ran Belarc Advisor and it shows the cd drive to be "LG CD-RW CED-8080 B (optical drive)".

You said CD-RWs were intoduced in 1997 and XP in 2001 so RWs may not be supported. If CR-RWs came out 4 years before XP, why wouldn't XP support CD-RWs?

 

Good to see you Major.

I have a curiousity question. How old is the drive?

You ain't mentioned the make and model of the PC (please do). Older drives are not compatible with some color discs. Lasers are manufactured by nanometer wavelength, work by reflection, and some colors can't be "picked up" by them. Sort of a "Mr. Wizard" explanation (e.g. there are only a handful of disc drives in existence that can read NGC min-discs). Or, maybe old firmware?

I'd really be curious as to the "born on date" printed on the drive's label as it is an XP machine.

That's a really old LG model number...