Dvd won't play Dvds,CDWRs but will play CDs?

[wizz_kid]

Hiya, I have a Toshiba Satellite 1800-700 laptop which has a Integrated 8-speed DVD-ROM drive and diskette drive (see: http://www.toshiba-europe.com/computers/products/notebooks/satellite1800_700/ for details) Running Xp home edition (service pack 2)
Anyway it plays normal music Cds fine but whenever i try to play Dvds (all software is installed fine...I have powerdvd) or CDWRs that have pictures and files on that a friend burnt for me (note: these CDWRs play fine on my friends laptop and also on my dvd combi tv set so its not a disk problem) then the dvd rom doesnt seem to detect anything and always comes up with something like 'E:/there is no disk in drive E'. I have no idea what could be the porblem? maybe a laser problem? Thanks in advanced x

[glc]

Most likely a laser problem.

[wizz_kid]

so the lasers that read dvds and cdrws are broken? but not the lasers that read cds? I know different lasers read diff disk types but is there any way to make sure that this is defo a laser problem?

[jayb1234]

Have you tried playing any DVDs other that the ones your friend made? If the problem is only with the ones your friend made, then your drive is fine and the problem is just with how he made them.