Can I burn files onto a DVD-R with my CD writer?

You can't do that. Its physically impossible. A dvd burner has a different kind of laser in the device that shoots out a different wavelength and intensity of light than the cd recorder you have. CD recorders go wobble wobble wobble with big waves, and dvd burners go pew pew pew with skinny waves. Trying to get the cd writer to go pew pew pew will not work since it only speeks in wobble speak. You need to buy a dvd writing drive. There's no software or firmware that will make it work with those discs.

last week i tried doing the same thing several times, no success. my cd writer only wrote audio cds. someone here on yahoo answers told me that i need to buy a dvd writer. good luck.

Sorry, but a CD-RW drive can only write CDs, not DVD. While they look the same to us humans, they are actually very different. A CD drive can not read or write a DVD. You have to have a DVD drive.

you will have to get a dvd writer...a cd writer only writes cds...and a dvd writer will only write dvds unless you get one that will write cds as well...be careful when looking...make sure you get one that will do both even though you already have a cd writer...