Won't Read But Will Playback After Burning; Burns VERY Slowly

Check that your drive is in Ultra DMA Mode 2 and not PIO mode here .......

Start | Control Panel | System in classic view | Hardware tab | Device Manager

Click on the (+) next to IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers.  Right-click the channel
the DVD drive is on and select Properties.  Click the Advanced Settings tab.

The Transfer Mode box should be DMA if available and the below that the
Current Transfer Mode box should be Ultra DMA Mode 2

It says Ultra Dma Mode 5, not 2... Won't let me change it.

Is that bad? 

I seem to have roughly the same problem, though I have an INSPIRON 6400.

It's also Ultra DMA Mode 5 and I cannot change it. And I am very sorry, but I don't understand what you mean by "the other channel". Where and how can I change the DMA Mode? (if that is really the problem.)

What you are looking at is the hard drive.  Leave it alone.
The optical drive will be PIO Mode or Ultra DMA Mode 2.  If
you are unable to find it, then run the Quick Solution is Step 1
of the following article to see if that will help ..............

http://winhlp.com/node/10

@luckydenim5

Did you try the url/ article skybird posted? My problem was solved by doing what it said there and it was very easy. Btw, thanks to skybird!

You are looking in the wrong place. In the Device Manager,
under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, there should be a listing
for Secondary IDE Channel.  Right-click that and select
Advanced Settings tab. 

Or, run the Quick Solution in Step 1 of this article ......

http://winhlp.com/node/10

That is the article Merei is referring to.

I went to the article and clicked on the "here" link, but nothing happened.  Only a window of script.

It says "Despite any warnings click on the [Open] or [Execute] buttons as required to execute the file resetdma.vbs" - but I can't find any Open or Execute buttons...

Nevermind that ~ The script just doesn't run in Firefox. 

It played a CD, so I believe it works!  Will try a DVD, etc. later.

Thanks so much!!!