Physically and/or chemically speaking, how did I ruin my CD by attempting to clean it with non-acetone nail polish remover?

What is in your solvent. Did it “frost” the surface?

What I would try is to get s new cotton bonnet the kind for buffing cars and some diamond cutting compound what you would use on cars and apply a little to the surface and hit it with the buffer you should get a finish like new on your CD and it should read. A very fine jewler’s rogue might work.

What is generally considered the ‘data side’ is actually not where the data is. The printed side is a thin layer that contains the data, and the laser reads it through the perspex disc. Your data is still there, but the laser cannot read it properly.

Your problem is probably due to refraction. If you breathe on a disc in the same way as you would to fog up a window, it will not read. Wipe it clean, and it will work again. Did you try to play the CD while it was still moist, or was it dry? Has the solution made the surface more/less shiny? If the laser is not reading from precisely the right pads, the data will be non-sensical and the disc will not read.

If I may suggest a plan B: pirates to the rescue.

I have a disc resurfacer, and hit it with that twice to no avail, I also have a cleaner/scratcher remover contraption. Maybe I will hit it with those a couple more times and see what happens.

@Fyrius

Your link leads right back to this very same Q. ? ?

What’s this? Let’s try that again.
Pirates to the rescue!