Any risks of storing HDs? Could they fail even without being connected?

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theEmbark

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Mar 19, 2016
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I have some hard drives that contain archives of music I've composed over the years. I want to save this data can I just save the hard drives?

I still have DVDs full of files that work fine. Assuming I take care of the drives and possibly buy a storage container is this the best way to store this data long term?

Thanks,
Kevin
 
Solution
why_wolf
keep the hard drives away from anything with a strong magnetic field, large temperature shifts and of course moisture. So yeah but em in some anti-static bags and stack em in a plastic bin, stuff some newspaper in there so they don't jossel around. Store it in your pantry is probably just fine. Just don't bet your life on the drive still working all the time. It will fail eventually its just a matter of when not if.

The M disc or other archive grade disc are probably your best bet for 'stable', off line, long term storage.
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photonboy

photonboy

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Jun 20, 2006
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1) HDD's can fail. The best way to store is not to store, that is to use a RAID system or similar with redundancy which can warn you when you need to address the situation.

(SSD's will lose data without power for a long time too)

2) DVD's degrade over time as well. There are some like the M-Disc data discs (need compatible burner). They are DVD's but rated to last a long time provided they are physically protected.

3) The proper way to store is to have several methods. For important data have a minimum of two methods.

Summary:
In your specific case I'd recommend M-Disc's as one of the main options.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2933478/m-disc-optical-media-reviewed-your-data-good-for-a-thousand-years.html

I bought a compatible LG burner a few years ago. The DVD's burn and read like normal discs. I bought a pack of TEN for about $30 so that's about 40GB of storage.
 
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T

theEmbark

Commendable
Mar 19, 2016
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I'll definitely check out the m disks thanks for that link.

But what about the hard drives? What's the best way to store those? I'm assuming away from moisture, static and harms way. I've seen foam separators but some of those are a fortune. And DIY methods or low cost methods?

Thanks,
Kevin
 
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why_wolf

why_wolf

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Aug 28, 2015
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keep the hard drives away from anything with a strong magnetic field, large temperature shifts and of course moisture. So yeah but em in some anti-static bags and stack em in a plastic bin, stuff some newspaper in there so they don't jossel around. Store it in your pantry is probably just fine. Just don't bet your life on the drive still working all the time. It will fail eventually its just a matter of when not if.

The M disc or other archive grade disc are probably your best bet for 'stable', off line, long term storage.
 
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