Storing (not using) hard drives, they do not last long.

[xrqp]

When I put young mechanical hard drives that are just slightly and moderately used, when I put them in storage, after some years in storage, I reconnect them and it seems many fail.  Storage is in a drawer in my bedroom.  No shock, moderate temperatures and humidity.  I was hoping they could last 20 years if stored, but now I am not hopeful.

 

Most of my HDD backups are left in storage.  Does anyone else notice this, or notice the opposite? 

 

Please do not change this subject to be about why backups are good.  Thanks.

Edited April 1, 2023 by xrqp

[Lolight]

10 hours ago, xrqp said:

Storage is in a drawer in my bedroom.  No shock, moderate temperatures and humidity.

Just a few of other factors to consider...

 

1. Are your HDD's secured in place or loosely sliding in the drawer?

2. Do you always keep them sealed in anti-static bags while in storage?

3. Do you ground (earth) yourself every time you handle bare drives? It's especially important if you have carpeted floors.

4. Do you periodically (at least once a year, preferably every six months) take your HDDs out of storage and spin them up for at least a few minutes at the time?

Might be necessary for fluid bearings to renew their lubrication layers and prevent them from becoming completely frozen.

5. Any exposure to strong magnetic fields?

 

Edited April 2, 2023 by Lolight

[xrqp]

1. Are your HDD's secured in place or loosely sliding in the drawer?  They are secure.  There is no physical trauma.

2. Do you always keep them sealed in anti-static bags while in storage?  No.

3. Do you ground (earth) yourself every time you handle bare drives? It's especially important if you have carpeted floors.  No grounding.  I never get static shocks.

4. Do you periodically (at least once a year, preferably every six months) take your HDDs out of storage and spin them up for at least a few minutes at the time?  No.  This is one I think I could start doing.  Might be necessary for fluid bearings to renew their lubrication layers and prevent them from becoming completely frozen.

5. Any exposure to strong magnetic fields?  No.

 

Thanks for the suggestions to think about.

Edited April 9, 2023 by xrqp

[Lolight]

On 4/10/2023 at 8:10 PM, xrqp said:

2. Do you always keep them sealed in anti-static bags while in storage?  No.

I'd also suggest to implement this point in practice.

[xrqp]

I should have saved all those anti static bags.  This info seems good:

https://www.seagate.com/support/kb/what-is-electro-static-discharge-218791en/

 

I see that I can buy bags quite cheaply.  I wonder if there are any bags that show well the IDs i put on the drives edges?

 

I could get this.  https://getprostorage.com/product-category/lff-hard-drives/

They say "Our anti-static foam keeps your equipment organized and safe. You can slide your hard drives into the foam without worrying about adding a dangerous charge to your device. " But I am skeptical.

Wikipedia photo:

Edited April 15, 2023 by xrqp