I've had CDs fail. So far, all of the ones that have died on me have done so because of physical defects to the CD, such as the silvery stuff actually lifting up off the plastic disk, and all of the ones that have failed were burned in 1998 or 1999, and those were made by someone other than me (I didn't get my own CD writer until 2001). I've also had CDs fail because I didn't verify the burn when I did it, so now I always verify my burns right when I do it. It takes an extra ten or fifteen minutes, but I think it's worth it. I tend to make a lot of redundant backups. I started doing it because I couldn't remember what I had or hadn't backed up, and now I do it because it's saved my butt a couple of times when a particular CD has failed. ;) So, well, I don't know what to say other than sharing my experience. Oh, and make sure you keep your CDs away from moisture. I keep my CDs in a CD case, but I lost one once ages ago because of condense moisture that made the CD stick to the plastic and it damaged the surface enough that the CD was unreadable. Oh, and definitely keep your CDs away from pre-schoolers and toddlers. Actually, keep EVERYTHING away from pre-schoolers and toddlers... ;-) bonni (mother of a pre-schooler and a toddler)

"When a man gives his opinion, he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch." - Bette Davis