The first problem was that, after turning the notebook on, occasionally it didn't boot the DVD RAM drive, and I had to uninstall and reinstall. After 3 or 4 such problems, it seemed to settle down.
Next problem is that I am trying to burn CDs and/or DVDs to back up my photos etc. I keep getting the error message "illegal disk".
So far, I have ruined 5 disks, tried the Miscosoft Fix It site, plus about 10 or so other sites that offer "free" upgrades for dvd drivers (all of these end up wanting money before anything gets "fixed" and I am not going to hand over cash in case it doesn't work).
I am using Nero 8 to burn the disks with.
Hoping this is just a resolvable software or driver glitch