CDFS cds unreadable on Vista

I'm using Windows Vista Home Premium (with SP1) with an HL-DT-ST DVDRAM
GSA-H42L dvd
player/writer. I have a bunch of CDs that were created in either Windows
98 or XP, using CDFS format. When I insert any of the disks into the player,
it takes forever for the files on the CD to appear in explorer and the files
are impossible to copy onto the hard drive, nor is it possible for the CD to
start if it has an autorun file. It starts copying and, after a few minutes,
it just hangs, with a message that says that Windows Explorer Not Responding.

I know that Vista is using UDF, but is it possible for my HL-DT-ST DVDRAM
GSA-H42L dvd player/writer to read CDs created/burned on CDFS format.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your
collaboration.

François