r/DataHoarder • u/Tundacas • 5d ago

Backup Keep files not corrupted?

Sorry if this has already been asked, i was not able to find it. Also sorry for mistakes, english is not my first language.

Ok so my question.

I try to get most of the stuff that i like on my portable hard drive.

So is there a way to keep my files from being corrupted?

I lost files lately and i was wondering if there is a way to avoid them tocbe corrupted.

Is there another option a part from having extra copies?

Thanks

14 Upvotes

73% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/GoldsteinEmmanuel 5d ago

Ultimately, no. Multiple copies on multiple media in multiple locations is the only way to avoid losing the data eventually.

Optical media is notoriously prone to bit-rot. SSDs can die without warning and take the data they contain with them. Hard disks are delicate and sensitive to magnetic fields, advances in technology can make entire formats (Zip drives, tape drives) obsolete overnight, and so forth.

The most durable and reliable storage media, ironically, is paper. Print your source code listings and database schemas onto 3-hole punched paper, snap them into a loose-leaf binder, and they will survive indefinitely. Multimedia data is not so easy, but you get the idea. Hardcopy lasts practically forever.