A CD is hiding in my house!

January 3, 2012 6:22 PM

Please help me find a lost CD.

I have lost a CD with original music recorded by a friend. He gave it to me to make copies and now I can't find it. Any suggestions for where to look that I might not have thought of? I've checked all the computers, anything that will hold a CD. I've torn the house up. Where might a CD hide? I'm like the person last week who was looking for their cat - I know it has got to be here somewhere!

posted by orsonet to Grab Bag (19 answers total)

Where did he give it to you? Could it still be there? In your bag, in your car, fallen between the seats of your car? Do you remember bringing it inside, and if so, where do you normally go when you come in - do you drop your keys off somewhere and maybe absentmindedly put the CD nearby?

And check between/under furniture and under what looks like flat paper.
posted by vegartanipla at 6:26 PM on January 3, 2012

your car?
posted by LobsterMitten at 6:26 PM on January 3, 2012

In piles of papers and/or magazines, under books, under a keyboard, in a stack of other CDs, under the couch, in a bag or drawer. Have you recently "cleaned up" by grabbing a handful of things and putting it somewhere?
posted by jenny76 at 6:27 PM on January 3, 2012

Response by poster: I know I brought the CD home. I know I had it in the house.
posted by orsonet at 6:33 PM on January 3, 2012

You know how if you want to hide a tree, but it in the forest? If you want to hide a CD, put it in a diamond case with another CD because that's the most convenient, safest place for it you have handy. Then put that CD back with the other CDs. Then go crazy trying to find it.

Multi-disk systems are also sometimes are good at hiding disk's for you.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 6:36 PM on January 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

CDs are flat and slide easily. Is it under you keyboard or computer? Under the couch?
posted by Slinga at 6:41 PM on January 3, 2012

Did you use it as a bookmark?
posted by sciencegeek at 6:42 PM on January 3, 2012

Slid between your bed and the wall and it's stuck there.
posted by Kloryne at 7:03 PM on January 3, 2012

Sitting flat on a high place, at or just above your eye level? Eg top of the fridge, top shelf above the computer etc.

Someplace that is obvious/accessible when you're sitting at the computer but not when you're walking around?
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:14 PM on January 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

Have you listened to it since being home? If not, look at all the places you've ever found your keys, your bag or your jacket. (And try remember what you did, first thing, when arriving home).

If you did a quick "clean up" since bringing the CD home, you might went to check the recycling or the garbage.
posted by Milau at 7:16 PM on January 3, 2012

Is it in a plastic case or a paper sleeve? That will help narrow down the search. (You'll hear or feel a hard plastic case that's in between a bunch of papers.)
posted by vickyverky at 7:17 PM on January 3, 2012

All good advice here. I suggest checking the trash baskets in every room, especially those near tables, desks, etc.
posted by LonnieK at 7:36 PM on January 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

Boing Boing pointed me to "How to Find Lost Objects" by Professor Solomon.
posted by Marky at 7:41 PM on January 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

It's either hiding in your stack of mail or a child has mislaid it.
posted by FreezBoy at 7:57 PM on January 3, 2012

Have you listened to any other CDs recently that were in their own cases, and maybe you put this CD where that one had been? I've done that before.
posted by wondermouse at 8:55 PM on January 3, 2012

Response by poster: I don't know if it's in a plastic case or paper sleeve. I don't remember. It could be loose as well. Thanks for the suggestions. I'm still looking!
posted by orsonet at 4:56 AM on January 4, 2012

If it's not in obvious places, try to be systematic in your search and ask other people to help you.
posted by leigh1 at 9:33 AM on January 4, 2012

I was going to suggest what wondermouse suggested: I often put a sleeveless CD in the case of a CD I'm putting into a computer/music player to keep it “safe”, then put the original CD on top of it in the same case without really looking later. Try to remember the last 10 or so CDs you listened to and check those cases.
posted by Shepherd at 10:19 AM on January 4, 2012

Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions. I never did find the damn thing!
posted by orsonet at 4:42 PM on February 5, 2012