[G4] G4 not recognizing CDs

[Tracker at aol.com]

What OS are you having this problem with?

If you have OS-9, check that you have not disabled the Apple CD/DVD 
extension. Also, check for any extraneous driver that may have been installed by other 
software like CD ROM ToolKit or Toast.

Sometimes, new drivers get installed by software that over-ride the original 
Apple extensions. You have to verify that you have only the Apple extension 
active and trying to drive your CD reader/burner.

When you did the re-install of the OS, did you do a "Clean install" or just a 
simple "easy" install. A "Clean install" would have created a completely new 
System folder with all the original Apple extensions. An "easy" install over 
the old system folder would only look for missing system software and install 
that. It would NOT remove any extraneous extensions during the installation or 
re-configure the OS preferences.