Re: USB backup program

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"smlunatick" <yveslec@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
BTW: Flash drives are not really very reliable for backups since the
flash chips have a limited life span (1000 writes,) can easily be re-
formatted by defective USB ports and can be erased by static
electricity.


"M.I.5¾" <no.one@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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Whilst what you say is theoretically true, if the backup verifies OK
then it is unlikely that the FLASH memory will fail before it is read.
In practice, the life of the memory far exceeds what you state because
the 1000 write life applies on a per cell basis. Wear levelling logic
of a practical FLASH memory means that the actual total number of writes
than can take place will exceed 1000 writes easily.

Also on a practical note, the memory will most likely be scrapped and
replaced by a larger/faster model long before the life limits are
reached.

As far as the memory being erased by a defective hardware, this applies
to any backup medium. A backup is not a backup unless it's backed up.

Practiacal FLASH memory units should be protected against static (though
the actual chips themselves may not be).


"Anna" <myname@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
Our experience over the past few years involving hundreds of users and
scores of different makes & models of USB flash drives (a/k/a thumb
drives, pen drives, etc.) had led us to recommend that where
"mission-critical" data involved, the user is strongly encouraged not to
*solely* rely on backups/storage purposes involving these devices. We
make the same recommendation re archived material, e.g., photos, videos,
irreplaceable data of any kind. Where critical data of any type is
involved we strongly recommend copying such to other media as well, e.g.,
CDs, DVDs, HDDs, etc.

Simply stated we have found these USB flash-type devices seem to have an
unusually high rate of failure notwithstanding the published
specifications of these devices that would seem to suggest differently.
Anna


"M.I.5¾" <no.one@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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You point about having a backup of anything critical is crucial regardless
of the medium chosen. The archival life of all the media you mentioned is
unbelievably short. Even writing it on paper gives you an archival life
of less than 20 years.


Yes, I will freely admit in the PC world *all* recipient media is vulnerable
in one way or another.

But I wanted to make the point that the user should be *especially* cautious
in using the ubiquitous flash-type devices as the sole device for the
repository of critical and/or irreplaceable data of one kind or another.
There just seems to be, in our experience, an unusually high rate of failure
with these devices, the kind of failure we just haven't seen with CDs, DVDs,
or even HDDs.

So again, we strongly urge users that where critical data of any type is
intended to be backed up to a flash-type device, we strongly recommend
copying such to other media as well, e.g., CDs, DVDs, HDDs, etc.
Anna


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Relevant Pages

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