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How long does data last on a hard drive?

I

Ilmater

Diamond Member
I have a hard drive that died on me (motor stopped working) and some day I'd like to get the data back. It's just some remnants of years ago when the internet first came around, and I have a lot of keepsakes on there (including pictures of my trips to Scotland and England). How long will that data last? It could be 5 years before I ever get around to getting the data recovered. Is that too long to wait?
 
Theoretically, it should be nearly permanent once written. Generally the mechanical parts of the drive fail long before the magnetic fields on the platters. However, you might want to check with the hard disk's manufacturer or a data recovery firm, as it might vary.

If it's important enough to recover, I wouldn't risk leaving the drive lying around for five years (as it might get lost or damaged physically) -- but that's just me!
 
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