Tried backing up files using Roxio Creator Classic- one problem

Half of the folders are empty! Just the empy folder got copied. Any ideas/suggestions? The project covered about 2 discs. I looked at the 2nd disc and more than half of the folders were empty. Tried the first disk and each time I tried opening a file it stopped responding and eventually Windows Explorer shut itself down.

I tried the fourth time and autoplay kicked in and when I tried to click on a file to see if it was actually on the disc it asked me if I wanted to retrieve it and send it back to it's previos location. Isn't there a way to just make a DVD+R that has all the files on it so I can just open the file I want like you used to do on a diskette or a CD-R???

I might just have to say screw it and go get an external hard drive because I'm about to throw my laptop out the window because of all my problems with the stupid DVD burner! UGH!!!