If there are no error messages and no exclamation points in the device manager, just the computer telling me to insert a disk when there is a disk (for one drive) and simply not recognizing that there is anything in the drive (for the other drive), do you think the same fix is appropriate?

Windows XP, Service Pack 3, problem came shortly after the SP3 upgrade, on BOTH of my computers. Drives are recognized in Safe Mode, but won't allow me to transfer files onto CD-RW (even in Safe Mode, tells me to insert CD in that situation). In Safe Mode, will show me data on an already-created disk, play music, etc. Dell insists I must re-install the OS. Don't want to do that if I can help it.