Solid-state drives lose data if left without power

Storage. It's not a sexy topic. But everyone uses it in some way or another. You have iPhones, you have computers. Everyone knows how important a person's data is. But it doesn't just "disappear."

Or does it?

New research suggests that newer solid-state hard drives, which are faster and offer better performance, are vulnerable to an inherent flaw -- they lose data loss when they're left dormant in storage for periods of time where the temperature isn't properly regulated.

The worrying factor is that the period of time can be weeks, months, but even in some circumstances -- just a few days.

Solid-state drives are better than regular mechanical hard drives, which are slow and sluggish. But unless they're battered around, smashed, or poured in acid, they pretty much last forever.

Read more: Solid-state drives lose data if left without power for just a few days | ZDNet
 
Great article Brink!

From what I know, and that may be questionable, CD/DVD media is still the winner if one wants to save data for 10-20 years (in a dark, dry place). Never thought SSD drives could save data indefinitely especially if powered off for long periods and exposed to certain environmental factors.

I still remember my VHS tapes left in a damp basement. The tape was a stuck together wrinkled blob. All media is subject to degradation under the right environmental factors, even hard drives.
 

My Computer

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"they lose data loss when"
Doesn't anyone proofread this stuff?
Wondering what kind of chips they use in these things. Are they that temp sensitive?
"That means if a solid-state drive is stored in a warm room, say 25°F (25°C), its data can last for about two years. But, if that goes up by a mere few degrees to 86°F (30°C), that data's retention period will be cut in half."
From 25 to 85 is a "few mere degrees"? I think he didn't convert right. 25C is 77F, not 25F. Makes more sense.
 

My Computer

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My Computer

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    Win 10 Pro x64
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    Intel I5-2500K @3.3GHz
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    Asrock P67 Extreme4
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    16GB G.Skill Ripjaws X (4x4GB)
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    1TB WD Blue
    1TB Hitachi
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    RAM: Crucial 8Gb (2x4Gb) /
    SSD: Crucial M4-CT128M4SSD2 ATA Device/ FW 000F /
    GFX: AMD Radeon HD 6520G /
    OS: Windows 10 Pro x64
I was just reading the general premise but yea, the temp conversion is off. Also wonder about quoting a major HD manufacturer about the flaws with SSD. No bias there?
 

My Computer

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    i5-3230m
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    Acer VA70_HC (U3E1)
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    8GB DDR3 PC3-12800 (800 MHz)
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    Asus RT-AC56R dual-band WRT router (Merlin firmware). Intel 7260.HMWWB.R dual-band ac wireless adapter.
I also read a few years ago that even storage HDD's should have their data updated or moved around once in a while because of Bit Rot or Silent Corruption. Here's an article I just found on the fly(not the one I read a few years ago):
Simply put, silent corruption refers to data blocks recorded to magnetic media—disk or tape—that are eventually rendered unreadable by a combination of background radiation and media aging or defects. When this happens, you can lose access to a file even after it’s been saved.

On a larger scale, this problem could wipe out an entire RAID system full of data. Bit rot is also quite nefarious in its destructive capabilities. It can develop over time on media containing successfully recorded bits: Everything may look fine on the surface, but something rotten is lurking in the state of magnetic media
Source IRON MOUNTAIN

So the moral of the story: All long term storage should be updated/moved around on a regular basis.
 

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    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
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    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
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    Intel Core i9-9900K
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    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
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    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
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    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
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    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
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    hanteks Enthoo Pro TG
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    Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB TT Premium-Edition 360mm and 3 Corsair blue LED fans
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    Trust GTX THURA
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    Trust GTX 148
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    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
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    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
There is also what we call CD/DVD Rot
 

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    win7 and win8.1
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    intel core2 duo
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    asus
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    4 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    intel
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    ie11
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    avast home
Entropy: Entropy, a measure of the disorder in a system containing energy or information. The less ordered a system is, the greater is its entropy.
 

My Computer

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    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
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    System Manufacturer/Model
    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
    Memory
    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
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    ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG Strix O24G, 24576 MB GDDR6X
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    (1) HD Webcam C270 (2) NVIDIA High Definition Audio (3) Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
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    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
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    Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB TT Premium-Edition 360mm and 3 Corsair blue LED fans
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    Trust GTX THURA
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    Trust GTX 148
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    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
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    Router: FRITZ!Box 7590 AX V2
    Sound system: SHARP HT-SBW460 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
"they lose data loss when"
Doesn't anyone proofread this stuff?
Wondering what kind of chips they use in these things. Are they that temp sensitive?
"That means if a solid-state drive is stored in a warm room, say 25°F (25°C), its data can last for about two years. But, if that goes up by a mere few degrees to 86°F (30°C), that data's retention period will be cut in half."
From 25 to 85 is a "few mere degrees"? I think he didn't convert right. 25C is 77F, not 25F. Makes more sense.

Proofread? Ya gotta be kidding!
I can make a little Boo Boo once in a while, but for some of the writers, I doubt that English is even their first language.
They have little or NO concept of proper sentence structure, grammar or punctuation. Eh?
Our local newspaper (fish wrap) is the Star Banner, but most of us refer to it as the "Star Bungler".
Typos, poor grammar and lack of proper punctuation, rule the roost. :(

Now for the SSD drive.....
As I've been saying for about 35 years now, (that I've been building PC's) what we see as a home computer, is built by the lowest bidder, out of the cheapest parts available, known in the electronics industry as "Hobby Grade Components". They are especially noted for their temperature sensitivity and short life spans. But then, if the home computer were made with top quality components (NASA grade), a little desktop PC would cost us about $30,000 or more. So we trade off quality for price.

I'm not one bit surprised, that the SSD's are temperature sensitive. It's just the quality of the components that they are made from, in order to be marketable to consumers.
An occasional Backup & Restore is a great hedge against data loss. I do the Backup & Restore routine on my main HD at least once a month. That refreshes all the data on the drive and does a great Defrag at the same time.
And, the whole operation takes less than an hour.

I've been telling my customers, for 35 years, "if you have some important data, a hard drive is the worse place you can store it, because when (not IF) it crashes, you've lost everything".

I heartily suggest that all data be backed up regularly, and for permanent storage, burned to a CD or DVD.
(and then kept in a cool, dark place.)

Cheers mates!
TechnoMage :cool:
 

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    Win-8.1/Pro/64
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    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer X-1200
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    AMD 2 Core
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    Acer
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    Crucial, 4GB
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    NVIDEA GeForce 9200
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    Using Classic Shell on Win-8.1 /pro/64
And, the whole operation takes less than an hour.

I've been telling my customers, for 35 years, "if you have some important data, a hard drive is the worse place you can store it, because when (not IF) it crashes, you've lost everything".


TechnoMage :cool:
My most important stuff is still stored analogue(paper):D
 

My Computer

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  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
    Memory
    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
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    ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG Strix O24G, 24576 MB GDDR6X
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    (1) HD Webcam C270 (2) NVIDIA High Definition Audio (3) Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
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    hanteks Enthoo Pro TG
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    Trust GTX THURA
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    Trust GTX 148
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    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
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    Edge; Chrome; IE11
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    Router: FRITZ!Box 7590 AX V2
    Sound system: SHARP HT-SBW460 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
And, the whole operation takes less than an hour.

I've been telling my customers, for 35 years, "if you have some important data, a hard drive is the worse place you can store it, because when (not IF) it crashes, you've lost everything".


TechnoMage :cool:
My most important stuff is still stored analogue(paper):D

Ink fades, paper turns yellow and brittle. Not much that I know of is forever, not even diamonds. Hey, what about crystal memory?

5D 'Superman memory crystal' heralds unlimited lifetime data storage - physicsworld.com
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer V3 771G-6443
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    i5-3230m
    Motherboard
    Acer VA70_HC (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB DDR3 PC3-12800 (800 MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD4000 + GeForce GT 730M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" Generic PnP Display on Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250 GB
    ADATA SSD SP900 128GB
    PSU
    90 watt brick
    Mouse
    Bluetooth
    Antivirus
    Comodo
    Other Info
    Asus RT-AC56R dual-band WRT router (Merlin firmware). Intel 7260.HMWWB.R dual-band ac wireless adapter.
And, the whole operation takes less than an hour.

I've been telling my customers, for 35 years, "if you have some important data, a hard drive is the worse place you can store it, because when (not IF) it crashes, you've lost everything".


TechnoMage :cool:
My most important stuff is still stored analogue(paper):D

Ink fades, paper turns yellow and brittle. Not much that I know of is forever, not even diamonds. Hey, what about crystal memory?

Over here in Germany a few years back they were experimenting using rolls of Tesa film(German version of Scotch Tape) and lasers, in that the data would be burned in the rolls layered layers at different angels and layers .From 2001CNN:


EML researcher Steffen Noehte discovered some three years ago that the polymer structure of "tesa Multi-Film" brand adhesive tape is well suited as a holographic data medium, the laboratory said. The technique, similar to that used to burn a CD, modifies the optical properties of the tape using a laser. It can store data on any individual layer of the tape without unwinding the roll or disturbing other layers, meaning as much as 10G bytes of data can be written on a single roll.

The laboratory said the new technology is superior to current CD drives, for example, because it is the laser beam that rotates, rather than the storage medium, helping avoid potential balance problems. This technique enables high-speed rotation and thus the high data-transfer rates which are required to record and play back video films, for example.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
    Memory
    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG Strix O24G, 24576 MB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    (1) HD Webcam C270 (2) NVIDIA High Definition Audio (3) Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
    Case
    hanteks Enthoo Pro TG
    Cooling
    Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB TT Premium-Edition 360mm and 3 Corsair blue LED fans
    Keyboard
    Trust GTX THURA
    Mouse
    Trust GTX 148
    Internet Speed
    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
    Browser
    Edge; Chrome; IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender of course & Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit as a
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZ!Box 7590 AX V2
    Sound system: SHARP HT-SBW460 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
I was just thinking after posted that, and what happens when you teenager hangs up his favorite football team poster with your music library then?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
    Memory
    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG Strix O24G, 24576 MB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    (1) HD Webcam C270 (2) NVIDIA High Definition Audio (3) Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
    Case
    hanteks Enthoo Pro TG
    Cooling
    Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB TT Premium-Edition 360mm and 3 Corsair blue LED fans
    Keyboard
    Trust GTX THURA
    Mouse
    Trust GTX 148
    Internet Speed
    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
    Browser
    Edge; Chrome; IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender of course & Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit as a
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZ!Box 7590 AX V2
    Sound system: SHARP HT-SBW460 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
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