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Is ssd drives a good medium for long term backup storage? say i filled an ssd and stored it in some dark drye place, how long would it last? if not, which medium has the best shelf life for long term storage? flash drives, ssd, harddrives, optical tape etc...?

Daniel
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    I take the stand SSD has not proven they can keep the data stored if unused for 1-5-10 years at this point. We cannot provide an accurate prediction on how long it will last because SSD have not been mainstream long enough to actually go back and check those 10 year old devices. This seems like you want to have a discussion on the topic, information on how long it should last, is well documented. – Ramhound Oct 02 '13 at 12:51
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    related: [Best media for long-term backup without access : USB key vs DVD vs SD card vs HDD vs SSD vs …?](http://superuser.com/questions/625720/best-media-for-long-term-backup-without-access-usb-key-vs-dvd-vs-sd-card-vs-hd/625762#625762) – nixda Oct 02 '13 at 13:52
  • This question is very broad, you should not ask several different questions at once. – Jonas Stein Jan 12 '20 at 00:22

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None of the above.

Probably paper tape or punched cards, if you keep the mice out of them.

It's a deep subject. The answers are uncomfortable. Claims often exceed reality.

Here's what the National Archives has to say about CDs/DVDs, for instance

Ecnerwal
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    I purchased an Iomega Zip Drive (parallel model). It was blazing fast. I uncovered it 15 years later and found a copy of Wolfenstein 3D. Still readable. Copied it over and was able to play it. Though it was tough to find a computer with a parallel port on it (only had laptops at the time). – kobaltz Oct 02 '13 at 14:27
  • Not sure the paper tapes would still be resilient enough after decades to pass through a reading machines, but this might be worth a try. But Blu-Rays HTL are probably a better bet, see [another study by the french National Archives](http://www.archivesdefrance.culture.gouv.fr/static/6187). – gaborous Dec 28 '16 at 13:22
  • Archival paper lasts a long time (I've had a 400 year old book in hand, it was still flexible) and if the tape is at all intact it can be read by scanning, even if it was somewhat brittle - but if the paper is of the correct type, it should not be brittle. – Ecnerwal Dec 28 '16 at 16:50