My cd-writer will not play audio cd's or burn cd's of any type, although it will sporadically access cd-roms. I used PC-Doctor to run a test, and the results simply stated that the test for cd-rom passed and everything else failed. The second time I opened PC-Doctor and tried to do the test the only options it gave me to test were Music and Data (no option for CD-RW.) I have an HP Pavillion 734n with CyberDrvCW078D CD-R/RW.

have you tried a laser Lens Cleaner

"Dust and dirt accumulate on your laser lens surface, although it's hidden inside the player or drive. The laser lens should be cleaned to help prevent skipping, mistracking and distortion."