Disc doesn't appear on desktop

I have a CD that won't show up on the desktop.
The disc is a data disc containing RAR files and was burned on my old G3 B&W. This CD was recognized by the G3 but apparently not by my G4.
Disk Utility shows no mounted CD.
I know the disc is OK, having transfered files from it to my HD with the G3. Is there any reason why the G4 wouldn't recognize it? Is there any way I can retrieve the data on this CD without buying another G3 (and not knowing if even that would work)?
Any help, suggestions would be appreciated.

Sometimes, the specific brand of media used can cause a compatibility problem between one drive and another. I've burned CD/DVD disks with data verification afterward, and occasionally come across disks that mount normally in the original computer but can't be read in a different computer. In some cases, a problematic optical drive can be helped with a firmware update, to address media compatibility issues. Checking the manufacturer's web site for the drive's model number should indicate the latest firmware version available for it. You could try using a different brand disk and re-burn the data, to see if the G4 can read it. You could also use a USB flash drive to transfer the data from the B&W to the G4. Your G4 533 DA has USB 1.1 ports (like the B&W G3), so data transfer will be slower than if done via the optical drive, but not intolerably slower. I don't know how many data CDs you need to copy, but a 1 GB flash drive typically sells for less than $10 now, so it's an economical solution. If your G4's optical drive is quirky about reading a number of disks from various sources, then I'd suggest replacing it with a DVD±RW drive, like this Pioneer drive.

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