Is there a way that I can burn music onto a cd-r/rw or a dvd-r/rw as data?

Don't select make an audio CD, simply select make a data disc. CD-Rs or CD-RWs or DVD-Rs or DVD-RWs can store any kind of file as long as you select the make a data disc option when burning the disc.

Music audio like that used in stand-alone CD players is a spercial format called Red Book. It only works on Compact Discs and writables thereof. When they say music, they meant that DVDS are fine for putting MP3 files on- most set-top DVD players can play back the MP3 files off a DVD through an interactive menu. Basically: CD-R- only thing that will hold Red Book CD audio, the kind used on CDs we buy in stores. DVD-R- The only thing that holds official DVD movies. While both types of discs should hold either kind of content, doing so would violate standards and confuse pretty much any kind of player. Thus, WMP saved you from yourself over there. If you want to bring lots of songs on a riadtrip or something, see if your car CD player or portable disc player can read MP3s. It should probably say on the faceplate or front of your Discman.

Yes! You can select data cd from the program (usually its either data or audio cd), should be somewhere around type. You can also you the file writer of your operating system (windows, mac, linuz etc) and after you've inserted the disc, go to my computer, then go to the blank cd, add files and select "write these files to the cd" in the right hand column. Or just select that option from the autoplay. Best of luck, hope it helps :)