Disc drive does not recognize CDs

Hi,
I have a 17" iMac G4 1.25ghz, 512mb memory, Mac OS 10.5.1, and it does not recognize CDs anymore. I can burn and read DVDs, but I can't read CDs. I don't know if I can burn a CD because it can never recognize the blank media. My system profiler reads:
Sony DVD-RW DW-U10A:
Firmware Revision: A43h
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache: 8192 KV
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD Write: -R, -RW, +R, +RW
Write STrategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Media: Insert Media and refresh to show available burn speeds
It is not only blank CDs it doesn't recognize, it is any CD. It can't read a media CD, it can't read the Microsoft Office CD, or any other CD. When I put in a CD, I hear some grinding noise, then a little whirring, but never a normal sound, like when I put a DVD in. I'm not sure, but I think Leopard messed it up.
Is anyone else having this problem? Please help me. I really want this computer to work - it is my secondary computer, and I don't want to have to install software to it by using my new iMac, or iBook, and put this computer into target disc mode.

The PRAM basically memory on your motherboard, powered by a battery that retain your settings while your computer is turned off or unplugged from the wall. You can find how to reset it here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238
You should not need to reset the smc, it was an extra step I took because I have done it with my intel iMac (I'm not sure if it does anything for the iMac G4). However, to reset it (if it does anything) you simply unplug your computer from the wall and wait about a minute, then plug it back in.
Hope this helps

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Disc drive does not recognize CDs

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