The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #125697   Message #2785811
Posted By: Jack Campin
10-Dec-09 - 08:30 PM
Thread Name: Tech: when a CD is 'read'
Subject: RE: Tech: when a CD is 'read'
What I would do in this situation, assuming the sticky label is on the top side of the CD:

- find a computer with a single-speed audio CD drive attached to it. Whatever you do, DON'T put it in something that might spin it up to 24x or 48x.

- try the CD in that, and if it works, make a copy.

- only use the copy from there on.

- experiment with solvents to remove the label once you've got a usable copy - white spirit will usually soften sticky label glues, but it's anybody's guess what it'll do to the lacquer on top of a CD.

If the label is on the bottom, you have to remove it to get anywhere. Try white spirit, taking care not to get it on the top of the disk. This will not do *immediate* harm to the plastic of the disc. CDs are made of polycarbonate, which isn't very soluble in common solvents but does get degraded by them (and by UV light). One likely failure mode is for the disc to explode into a zillion splinters when you try playing it a year down the road, wrecking your drive. So make a copy and use that.