[Pc_Support] CD-DVD Drive Question

[BBBB]

This week (I am not a computer professional) I tried to help a 
friend install Windows XP on his HP ZE4600 laptop. We could 
never get Windows to install. His hard disk had failed and a new 
one was installed. We tried several Linux distributions to test the 
new drive and he went home with Suse 10.1 on his machine but  
He needs XP for his business. 
All the windows install discs were CDs. We couldn't get any Linux 
to install from CDs but DVDs worked. We had Ubuntu Dapper on 
both types of discs and only the DVD would install. 
  Is it possible that a CD-DVD drive could work in one mode and 
only partially in the other? Should he buy a new DVD drive, or 
does it sound like we are barking up the wrong tree? 
  I should mention that the CD would start to install and would go 
through the format process and get to the install screen but would 
soon start giving errors that some files couldn't be installed. We 
tried 98SE, 2000, and XP, (HP system restore discs). 

Thanks 
Bradley