Sitting HD shelf life?

[regit]

I'm (and still) accumulating huge chunks of digital media and I'm looking for ways to preserve them. I have many DVDs (irregardless of brands) died on me before so I'm kinda ruling out media like DVD+-r/rw/ram. I would pretty much like to do tape, but the cost and time is not feasible...

Currently, I'm on a HD migration scheme, got a few WD "My Books", and dumped everything in them. My question is, how long will a sitting HD (i.e. no stress on the bearings) last before I migrate again? 10-15 years stored in dry cabinet? Will it even spin up after that long?

Any information on this or backup strategy is greatly welcome

 

[Vulpix0r]

I think you are using the wrong types of DVD. Get the best quality ones and you never have to worry. A good example are the Taiyo Yuden DVDs that are in the market right now.

As for how long a harddrive will last, 10 years sounds about right. It's not really a good idea to store in a dry cabinet because if the lube on the platter dries out, it's as good as gone.

 

[regit]

I think you are using the wrong types of DVD. Get the best quality ones and you never have to worry. A good example are the Taiyo Yuden DVDs that are in the market right now.

As for how long a harddrive will last, 10 years sounds about right. It's not really a good idea to store in a dry cabinet because if the lube on the platter dries out, it's as good as gone.

Thank you for point out about the lube!!! How would one store a sitting drive?

As for DVD, I guess I'm generally worry about the technology rather than quality; i.e. laser burning on dye. And as for quality, unless they are proven (which I have to wait and pray for 10 years), I don't want to rely on manufacturers' claims.

 

[Vulpix0r]

Thank you for point out about the lube!!! How would one store a sitting drive?

As for DVD, I guess I'm generally worry about the technology rather than quality; i.e. laser burning on dye. And as for quality, unless they are proven (which I have to wait and pray for 10 years), I don't want to rely on manufacturers' claims.

You can take a look at some accelerated DVD dye tests, Taiyo Yuden is a renowned manufacturer of DVD/CDRs and this Japanese company has proven that their DVDs can really last. I have a few CDRs from them that date back 2 years ago that still work like it should, compared to a bunch of generic brand ones which already failed on me.

The TY DVD+/-R are a bit more expensive, but they are worth it. I'm confident to say that everything I have burnt so far are on TY medias. I don't even work for this Japanese company, but I trust them with my stuff!:lovegrin:

It's a little easier to get it in Singapore now, here is the link: Verbatim 16x made in Japan

 

[regit]

You can take a look at some accelerated DVD dye tests, Taiyo Yuden is a renowned manufacturer of DVD/CDRs and this Japanese company has proven that their DVDs can really last. I have a few CDRs from them that date back 2 years ago that still work like it should, compared to a bunch of generic brand ones which already failed on me.

The TY DVD+/-R are a bit more expensive, but they are worth it. I'm confident to say that everything I have burnt so far are on TY medias. I don't even work for this Japanese company, but I trust them with my stuff!:lovegrin:

It's a little easier to get it in Singapore now, here is the link: Verbatim 16x made in Japan

Thank you for sharing these with me. As mentioned, I'm now working with HDDs, quite siong to change format again!!!