It figures a loss of magnetic strength/signal at anywhere from 1 percent per year, to 1 percent per decade.įor non-operational drives, it’s industry practice to refresh, i.e., rewrite the data every two or three years. That decade or two longevity figure is based on published figures for coercivity and residual magnetism for current GMR (Giant MagnetoResistance) and SMR (Shingled MagnetoResistance) recording techniques, as well as the latest platter coatings. For the long term, hard drives on the shelf are workable, but require periodic maintenance-so they are not ideal. In constant use, mechanical stresses shorten a drive’s lifespan to three to five years. Fast compared to tape and optical, hard drives are generally reliable for the short term, and if removed from operation and safely stored, may last a decade or two before magnetic properties diminish to the point of producing unrecoverable errors. Portable hard drives are easy to use, faster than optical, but may need their data refreshed every few years.īy far the most common backup media employed by consumers is the external hard drive.
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