dvd writer problem

[karenr]

My friend wants to archive files onto dvd, but when he inserts a dvd into the drive, the drive changes from dvd-rw to cd-rw and he can't burn onto dvd. The drive does work, and he can read/write cd's and read dvd's, but can only write dvd's thru Media Centre, and then only videos. He wants to archive using Windows Explorer (he has xp) but it won't happen.
This is obviously not a hardware problem or a software problem, so is it either a driver problem or a setting problem?
I had the same prob years ago and solved it but of course can't remember how to make the dvd drive stick instead of reverting to cd driver.

[Sylvander]

Might this be the problem I wonder?

Windows XP does not recognize a DVD-RW disc (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];818733).

Found it among this lot. (http://club.cdfreaks.com/f61/troubleshooting-microsoft-knowledge-base-mskb-articles-related-optical-drives-52565/)

[karenr]

I'll check with him...he may not have SP2. Thanks.
I'll get back to you if necessary :)

[karenr]

he has SP3 so is up to date. I can't find a place on the website for his hardware to update firmware but I'll keep trying. Do you think that could be the problem? BTW, this problem has been right from the get-go when he bought the computer new 2 years ago, so it's not that it suddenly went out of date.

[Sylvander]

First thing to do is to find the udfs.sys file [in the Windows\system32\drivers folder?], and check the version number to see if it's equal to or greater than 5.1.2600.1222.