CD Writer reads but won't write

[RTSDaddy2]

Wasn't sure where this one would go, but thought I'd ask before I tried replacements. 

I have an HP pavilion a220n running Windows XP SP 2.  I just also upgraded to Microsoft Net 3.5 as well.   

My problem - the built in CD read / write drive will read these days, but won't write.  Is that a burned out drive, or just a glitch in a program, such as DLA?  How would I tell?  I know new read/write drives are relatively cheap, but I thought I'd ask if I should roll something back or upgrade before  having to "open her up" and remove something.

Thanks!

[Ginsu Victim]

Have you had it a while? Have you burned a lot on it?
I've had three or four I've went through. They all died eventually. They would still read, but wouldn't write. Except for my first DVD burner, which still read and burned DVDs, but stopped reading/burning CDs.

It's cheap to replace them these days. A decent DVD/CD burner is like, what, $30? Just get a new one.

[northerngames]

the laser eye,cannon and mirror are possibly dirty take it out and clean it and it should write again mine quit 3 times already and I just clean it out and it works like new again each time after I clean it.

also I know this may sound silly but are you using burning software?

[Space Fractal]

hmm, XP have a burning software inbuild, so it not require a third party burning software.

This it might have been dust or something, but they are also very cheap now to day. I wanished two of mine. Dust can been one of them for that same reason I have (or simular).

[RTSDaddy2]

I'll try cleaning it and see - I know that sounds like a "duh" moment, but I was kind of curious if the XP burning progam could've caught a bug.  We have used them a lot, if they're fried, like I said in original post I'll just pick up a new one when I can afford to throw money at it.