media player 10 not burning discs well...

Windows Media Player would not be my choice of media burning software, for a number of reasons, including but by no means limited to those you've come across. I would recommend you look into the non-Microsoft, 3rd-Party media burning apps. On various of my machines I have, am familiar with, and use to generally satisfactory effect several different burning apps (note: without some fairly sophisticated fiddling around, it typically will be difficult to get 2 or more competing burning apps to function properly on the same machine; it can be done, but its not something the casual user will care to tackle). I won't recommend any one over another; all the offerings from the major vendors have their quirks, but all function reasonably well across the spectrum of demands most users likely will have.

timber, tiger has another topic and I'm not sure how to answer it. If you have a moment, could you please take a look.

Thank you.

ah thank you, thank you very much, both of you!
hi there, timber and jespah!

timber: thanks so very much for the honest answer.

and now i have to be a pushy broad: you said you wouldn't recommend one over another, but i am a complete dunder head -- i mean, i sooo wouldn't even know where to begin! so, if you are trying to say none is the best by far, how about you tell me which one(s) you could help me with if i ever have troubles again??? also wondering, can i still use the mp3 files i downloaded already? they're just in my documents/my music...

jespah: can't thank you enough for pointing timber in my direction re the hotmail!

both of you rock big time! thanks much!

The 3 with which I'm most comfortable are:

Roxio's EZ Media Creator

Sonic Solution's Record Now (Note: Sonic Solutions has been acquired by Roxio - this app is distinct from Roxio's EZ Media Creator)

Ahead Software's Nero 7

Of those 3, if I hadda pick a favorite, it'd prolly be Nero, but each have their good points and bad points, at least from my perspective; anybody else's mileage may be expected to vary. I am not recommending any of them, I'm just saying I'm fairly familiar with them, use them, and find the each in its own way to be more or less satifactory. They pretty much all reliably do what they're supposed to do.

Particularly for those not exactly of the Übergeek persuasion, sticking to major name-brand product generally is the way to go. Before deciding on any, whether one of those I listed or others, read as many reviews as you can find and review the vendor's product FAQs - even check out the vendors' product user forums; most vendors have them. Its a good idea to verify the software supports your burner - exceptions are rare, but they exist. You also should make certain you have the latest appropriate drivers/related software for your particular burner before going any further. Once you settle on an app, be sure to read, understand, and follow its documentation, and know how to contact the vendor for support.

Trial or evaluation versions, if available, even with limited feature sets/capabilities, can be useful in determing what's right for you.

When considering reviews, weight professional (editors) opinions heavier than user opinions, and bear in mind that a very great many negative user opinions stem from the user involved not having familiarizes him/herself with the product's documentation/instructions - ignorant or confused user is far, far more common than faulty major-vendor software.

and again, i say humbly, thank you!!!
EXACTLY what i needed!!!!
you sooooo totally ROCK!!!!
thanks a million.
me

You're welcome - glad to be of help.