SSDs Curiosity (at least for me)

[WillBlake]

Sorry if this question is annoying to all you tech people coz it must be very simple for you. I understand that SSD works on static electricity, but my questions is would it be safe if I leave the SSD in a laptop turned off for a very long period of time say weeks or months or even years? Would there be any data loss? Just asking out of curiosity. Thx! 

[W E S T V I R G I N I A]

Shouldn't be any, although I am not an expert. I would have to find an article to back me up.

[Sakkura]

After years, yes, there could be data loss.

 

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9248/the-truth-about-ssd-data-retention

[swordsman247]

12 minutes ago, WillBlake said:

Sorry if this question is annoying to all you tech people coz it must be very simple for you. I understand that SSD works on static electricity, but my questions is would it be safe if I leave the SSD in a laptop turned off for a very long period of time say weeks or months or even years? Would there be any data loss? Just asking out of curiosity. Thx! 

If you leave something in one place long enough it will magnetize from the earths gravitational pull...which would in theory completely screw up a drive.

[soup]

Yes there will be data loss but like the "my SSD will die if written to too much" aspect, it is not worth worrying about.

SSDs will lose data, if kept powered down at 25 C, after 105 weeks that's just over two years.   Any data that you don't need for two years is going to be no great loss if it is corrupted[1].

  This assumes backup has taken place of all irreplacable ,but not often accessed, data.

 

[1] In a domestic situation.  When I worked for a hotel chain they had to keep WRITTEN records for seven years .  This was a while ago so no idea what is required now but no doubt there are rules about companies 'have to keep archived records for X years'.

[Sakkura]

14 minutes ago, soup said:

Yes there will be data loss but like the "my SSD will die if written to too much" aspect, it is not worth worrying about.

SSDs will lose data, if kept powered down at 25 C, after 105 weeks that's just over two years.   Any data that you don't need for two years is going to be no great loss if it is corrupted[1]

That's when the SSD is at the end of its write endurance. When it's new or less used, it will hold the data for longer.

[soup]

14 hours ago, Sakkura said:

That's when the SSD is at the end of its write endurance. When it's new or less used, it will hold the data for longer.

We could add caveats/exceptions/reasons etc for days but that wouldn't change the underlying idea.

 

The main takeaway is that it is not an aspect to be overly worried about.

 

Edited to add aside:-

  Priest says to racing driver "my son how can you get in that thing knowing it may well kill you"?

 Racing driver says to priest "tell me father do you expect to die in your bed?

 Priest says "of course "

 Racing driver says "then were do you get the courage to climb into it every night "

 

You shouldn't worry about everything

 

[WillBlake]

Thanks! Learnt a new thing today