How Long Your Hard Disks, CDs and DVDs Live?

First all I'm sorry for not updating my blog for almost a week. Damn, sure I missed loads of latest news. Actually I was kinda busy and was down with flu. Hope it won't happen again. So lets get it on.

How long you planned to save your data in digital storage when that the storage media live for only few years, after which is data loss is inevitable?

Average Lifespan 5 to 10 Years

1. Floppies
2. CD/DVD
3. Hard disk
4. USB Stick
5. Flash Memory

Normal Lifespan: 10 to 15 Years

1. VHS Tape
2. MiniDV Tape

Normal Lifespan: 20 to 30 Years

1. Magnetic Tape
2. DVD-RAM

According to an independent study carried out by NIST (National Institute of Standards & Technology, Gaithersburg/USA), a DVD-R can lead a life up to 30 years only if stored under ideal conditions and that is – 25 degree Celsius temperature, no fluctuations, no exposure to light and consistent 50 percent of humidity. However, even the burnt CDs or DVDs will be no longer readable after a few years if handled in normal condition.

Damage to the CDs or DVDs can be caused in the most varying ways. The most common cause of damage is when CD’s or DVD’s get so badly scratched when placed rashly on a table that the saved data can simply no longer be identified by the read head in the disk drive.

Damage on upper layer even worse, fine scratches have ability to destroy the reflection layer on which the laser is reflected. Such damage can cause by:

• Labeling a black CD or DVD inappropriate writing tool such as ball pen or pencil – use special CD markers.
• Stickers are even more dangerous as the cheap products, the solvents in the adhesive reacts with the polycarbonate surface of the blank CD or DVD – leads to corrosion of reflection layer.

Image by iStockphoto