Solid-state drives lose data if left without power for just a few days

[Brink]

Storage. It's not a sexy topic. But everyone uses it in some way or another. You have iPhones, you have computers. Everyone knows how important a person's data is. But it doesn't just "disappear."

Or does it?

New research suggests that newer solid-state hard drives, which are faster and offer better performance, are vulnerable to an inherent flaw -- they lose data loss when they're left dormant in storage for periods of time where the temperature isn't properly regulated.

The worrying factor is that the period of time can be weeks, months, but even in some circumstances -- just a few days.

Solid-state drives are better than regular mechanical hard drives, which are slow and sluggish. But unless they're battered around, smashed, or poured in acid, they pretty much last forever.

Read more: Solid-state drives lose data if left without power for just a few days | ZDNet

 

[jamis]

Noticed the article didn't really specify the type or construction of the SSDs in question. Regardless, the age old practice of backing up one's data on a regular basis is still a necessary one, no matter what the data storage media is. Some things should never change.

 

[FerchogtX]

This is worriying... is there something confirmed about this? That would probably mean I will stick on HDD's until the end of humanity... or they fix this crap...

 

[Layback Bear]

I'm thinking most ssd's are not used for storage in the first place.

I do not believe that a 9F degree change will have that much effect on a ssd unless you are some one selling hard drives.

My ssd's have that big of temp change in one day with the power off and I haven't had any problems. I have ssd's I use for backup sit on a shelf for weeks with 50 deg F swings in temp and still no problems.

It's hard for me to believe that companies like Corsair, Intel, Kingston and Samsung jut to name a few didn't look into this so called problem.

If one turns of the power to their computer and goes on vacation and they loose everything. B/S. Their would of been stories all over the net.

 

[TVeblen]

Yep. Just went on vaca. 9 days, all power off at power strips, 3 PCs with SSDs. All good upon return.
Samsung Pro SSDs: 1 user says GOOD!
End of story

 

[ThrashZone]

Yea I shut down every night and all programs and files are on c drive
I don't use my laptop very often and it has everything on the c drive nothing ever came up missing :/

Ultimately I use hdd's for secondary or third back ups just because I have a couple to spare.

I'm not one to move the entire user folder to another drive or ssd for that matter.
The only thing I care about is personal files everything else can be re-installed.

 

[Total]

I just checked a 80 gig ssd drive that was not connected to anything for 1 year . all good ..

 

[dragonx]

ZDnet isnt a reliable site there downloads section doesnt even work and with this article i laugh, if it was tru im pretty sure it would have hit CNN or BBC news sites cos its like the millenium bug for SSD's

 

[Computer0304]

Well I went away for vacation for 3 days but my laptop's either M.2 or MSATA is fine. I think the title of the article is pretty misleading as the article says this mostly applies to enterprise grade SSDs and the article itself doesn't say anything about lasting only a few days.

 

[ThrashZone]

Yea I always feel dirty after visiting ZDNet.

 

[Brds7t7]

I went away for 2 weeks. Came back, fired up PC with Samsung EVO SSD and nothing missing.

I don't own any Enterprise drives, but it just sounds like another exaggerated article from ZDNet.

 

[4wd]

Doesn't look like ZDnet made anything up, IMO they are just providing information, ref. the link to the korelogic article.

The Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) defines standards for the microelectronics industry, including standards for SSDs \\ For client application SSDs, the powered-off retention period standard is one year while enterprise application SSDs have a powered-off retention period of three months.

I do not expect my ssd's content to evaporise overnight, but seems the old HD concept has a very bright future as highcapacity \ longterm \ lowprice storage.

 

[GokAy]

Hey all, hopefully my 850 pro wont lose data as well.

Though, is it considered enterprise or consumer grade SSD? Anyone know?

 

[TVeblen]

In the early days of SSDs there was a lot of concern about the longevity of the drives. People were talking about them only lasting a relatively short time before failing. There was lots of chatter about how to limit writes to extend life.

Now that SSDs have a track record it has become evident that those early predictions of failure were somewhat overrated. SSDs last at least as long as spinning disks in most cases. Many people no longer bother with minimal write strategies.

That is the grain of salt to be taken when reading any technical articles like this.
Do SSDs fail - yep.
Do HDDs fail - yep.
Do we run down the street screaming like our hair is on fire? ---- user's choice.

 

[Brds7t7]

In the early days of SSDs there was a lot of concern about the longevity of the drives. People were talking about them only lasting a relatively short time before failing. There was lots of chatter about how to limit writes to extend life.

Now that SSDs have a track record it has become evident that those early predictions of failure were somewhat overrated. SSDs last at least as long as spinning disks in most cases. Many people no longer bother with minimal write strategies.

That is the grain of salt to be taken when reading any technical articles like this.
Do SSDs fail - yep.
Do HDDs fail - yep.
Do we run down the street screaming like our hair is on fire? ---- user's choice.

Exactly! With any storage media comes risk of data loss. These articles aren't telling us anything we don't already know.

 

[Brds7t7]

Hey all, hopefully my 850 pro wont lose data as well.

Though, is it considered enterprise or consumer grade SSD? Anyone know?

The EVO and PRO SSDs are both consumer. They're certainly not aimed at the Enterprise market.

 

[whs]

This is not at all my experience since 2008. Each of my 10 SSDs have an unused time of 6 month each year when I am on the other side of the Atlantic and I never lost a bit. Several of those SSDs are external disks and contain 'data' if you want so (VMware Player folders and backup data). A couple of my older Gen1 external SSDs get used so infrequently that I have to go on a search hunt each time I want to use them.

 

[andrew129260]

This is not at all my experience since 2008. Each of my 10 SSDs have an unused time of 6 month each year when I am on the other side of the Atlantic and I never lost a bit. Several of those SSDs are external disks and contain 'data' if you want so (VMware Player folders and backup data). A couple of my older Gen1 external SSDs get used so infrequently that I have to go on a search hunt each time I want to use them.

I wish I had that problem

 

[A Guy]

Debunked: Your SSD won't lose data if left unplugged after all

If you’re in a panic because the Internet told you that your shiny new SSD may lose data in “just a few days” when stored in a hot room, take a chill pill—it’s apparently all a huge misunderstanding, according to the man who wrote the original presentation all the fear is based on.

In a conversation with Kent Smith of Seagate and Alvin Cox, the Seagate engineer who wrote the presentation that set the Internet abuzz, PCWorld was told we’re all just reading it wrong.

“People have misunderstood the data that they’re looking at,” Smith said.

Source

A Guy

 

[Layback Bear]

From my post #4

I do not believe that a 9F degree change will have that much effect on a ssd unless you are some one selling hard drives.