Be wary of tucked-away disk

By BILL HUSTED

Cox News Service

March 23, 2008

Q:  In your March 2 tips you were asked, "For how many years might a hard drive retain data if stored in a climate-controlled environment?" The problem was that you never answered this question, but did answer several others. Hard drive storage is my backup plan and I would love to know your thoughts.

—  Howard Deutsch

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A:  In some ways the question doesn't have a direct answer. That's because hard disks really weren't designed to be stored unused. The average time between failure for hard disks, last time I looked, was seven years. However, that's for a hard disk that is in use — not stored.

You'd think hard disks in storage would last much longer than ones in use. But consider how a hard disk works. They are mechanical beasts that rely on a motor and a turning spindle to rotate the disks. Imagine storing a car away, unused in a climate-controlled area, and trying to start it after even two years.

I'll stick with what I said before. Keep precious information on your hard disk, keep a backup copy on an external disk and also burn DVDs or CDs (that makes three copies). Even then, it would be a good idea — after a year or so — to make a new copy on a new disk.

So while I can't give you a specific answer, I recommend against depending on good luck and a hard disk tucked away in some safety deposit box for data you can't afford to lose.

Q:  The battery on my UPS (uninterruptible power supply) is dying. I know because I followed your tip on testing it in a recent column. I've discovered that a replacement battery costs $50. Would I be smarter just to buy another UPS?

— Adrian McIntyre

A:  It's really a consumer budget problem, not a technical one. Here's how I deal with things like that in general. If getting a device running costs more than 25 percent of an item's replacement cost, I think long and hard about spending that money. Especially with high-tech devices, improvements are being made constantly and prices tend to fall.

Please send your questions to Bill Husted at tecbud@ajc.com. While he reads every e-mail, not all are answered. E-mails are selected for publication based on the likelihood that the answers will be of general interest.