dvd/cd problems

Hey there I get to use this forum again .BUT, No getting out of hand againLOLrolleyes I'm really not sure if this soft or hard ware issue:confused
Anywho here's my situation
Emachine W2925, win xp;120 GB hard;Intel/Cleron D 330 processor;256 DDR SDRAM;DVD=/-RW Mutiformat Drive

been having issues w/ my dvd/cd drive. The dvd would not burn certain movies I downloaded from camera a while back. I passed it off as my forgetting how to and figured how to on cd. Now it won't play certain cd's/dvd's and then I have to boot it if it does run from the Run Box.I tried to update but no updates for it no rollovers,let see the only thing I haven't done is uninstall/reinstall. What are my other options if any?
Thanks in advance

 

Could just be a failing dvd drive.
I'd check to see that the connections are secure.

It also could be bad cd/dvd media. What brands of cds/dvds are giving you trouble? If you know how to find the media codes for the discs then you could look up the quality.

 

Totally off topic here, but I would seriously consider a memory upgrade; 256mb DDR is the absolute bare minimum for XP to run on its own, if you start opening some apps and surfing at the same time, things will get slow. Memory is fairly cheap now and you can add a 1gb DDR400 for about $40.... you'll be happy you did.

As to the CD issue: I would try uninstalling it from the Device Manager, restart the PC, and let WinXP reinstall it. This can fix many issues with optical drives. If the drive is failing, new DVD burners are VERY inexpensive these days; under $35 at Newegg and many have free shipping.