Friday, June 2, 2017

backup - Flash based storage. Do i need to re-plug them back in to my PC from time to time? (Memory cards & SSD's)

I've bought some memory cards for the purpose of backing up & storing my pictures and videos in case my PC's hard drive fails or the data on it becomes unreadable. The hard drive may not fail for a few years and so i'm wondering if from time to time i need to insert the memory cards back into the PC for it to somehow re-energise them or check the files on the cards for problems? I'm aware they retain data when the power is switched off, but does it need refreshing from time to time? I got wondering because of reading that hard drives need to have their data refreshed from time to time to stop data degradation, but i'm unsure if this applies to flash based storage too.



I suspect not, but actually don't really know for sure and so apologies if it seems like a bit of a dumb question. I would hate to plug the cards back in-in a few years only to find that i didn't apply standard procedures. Is there a recommended time limit before the cards should be replaced with complete new copies too?



I'm now thinking of buying a solid state drive too but would only want to turn it on once per year when i do the yearly album and movie backup. Would the same question about memory cards ect also receive the same answer when applied to SSD's too, if the SSD was left on a shelf?



I suppose my question could just be: Is it ok to leave memory cards or SSD's on the shelf for a few years at a time without ever plugging them back in?



Many thanks for any help.

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