[SteveFord]

A long time ago Wayner posted about how people were experiencing data going missing from CD-Rs.
I just put in a CD-R that I burned in 2012 to give the Kinks a listen.
Unknown Disc, two different players.

Another good reason to buy vinyl!

[ArthurDent]

Not only CD-R, but DVD-R as well. Not sure it's as much missing/loss of data as readability of various CD/DVD players/burners. I pulled an old working burner out of a retired desktop & replaced a newer one in my 'new'  desktop specifically because it would read things the newer unit wouldn't. Seems a lot of my VHS>DVD conversions, even though finalized at time of burning, are not readable even in my Oppo 203. Lots of "unknown disc" messages there.

No such issue with vinyl, or my old self recorded cassettes (which still sound very good). Newer isn't always better, or more reliable. 

[SteveFord]

This one is gone for good, I'm afraid.
Three different players and NO DISC.
I can always press the warp out of an album given enough time.

[SET Man]

Hey!

   My speculation is that CD-Rs and DVD-Rs discs are based on thin layer of coated ink layer that burn away with laser. And maybe the coating faded over time? And now you ended up with just a shinny disc without usable dots of data

   So much for digital "Perfect Sound Forever" right? Meanwhile I can still play 78rpm Shellac disc from 1914 on my 1902 Victor Type E Talking Machine and hear Caruso belts out "La Donna e Mobile" just fine... OK maybe more surface noise now after 107 years

Buddy

[ketchup]

99.99% of my data and audio CD-Rs burned in 1999-2000 are still perfect.  I have burned thousands of discs.  What brand was the disc?  I always used Mitsui and Verbatim.  Try to extract the audio with EAC and reburn it.  That sometimes works.

[SteveFord]

Memorex.
Only a few out of hundreds and I still have the albums so just burn another copy and move on.