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I have two HDD's unplugged for two years. It's from my old pc. I have some important files in there but I'm wondering about this problem.

Will the HDD's turn on and I'll be able to access all my files or there a possibility of these HDD's goes bad because I let them off for a long time?

Fernando Eiras
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  • Its from 2011. Now, we have more questions. – Fernando Eiras Sep 11 '18 at 21:50
  • Hard drive technology, for traditional spinning disks and not SSD or flash memory, has not changed significantly enough to change the answer, it is still valid. If you don't believe this, there are dozens of related articles available on the internet that can be easily found with Google to confirm this. Here is one example: https://lifehacker.com/5808858/how-long-can-a-hard-drive-hold-data-without-power – acejavelin Sep 11 '18 at 21:59
  • Also, if you have "more questions" that would be relevant, please articulate them specifically in your question. – acejavelin Sep 11 '18 at 22:01

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A hard drive stored in a safe place will keep its info for several years; I don't have hard data on hand. Things that can endanger an unplugged hard drive : Water, Humidity, Freezing Temps, Metallic Dust, Electric Discharges (sparks), Knocks, Falls, Magnetic Discharges (large motors or lightning), and more. If you have the hard drive stored in a nonstatic bag, in a snug, safe, nonconductive container, then it's reasonably safe. It's a good practice to put hard drives you care about inside hard drive enclosures.

Christopher Hostage
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  • How does a hard drive enclosure keep the data on the drive lasting longer in storage? (In use I've seen some USB external drive enclosures go bad & give read/write errors, while the drives themselves still worked fine when directly connected.) – Xen2050 Sep 11 '18 at 23:49
  • I don't have data about supposed lifespan of the magnetic domains on the glass, nor the lifespan of the supporting circuitry. On the other hand, I have had drives fail from each of the causes I mentioned. I can only list the problems that prevent you from accessing your data, which enclosures help against : water, temperature changes, mild shocks and falls, static from rubbing, mild punctures from nails and other objects. If the enclosure is metal, then magnetic erasure is slightly protected. For the purpose of my answer, an enclosure is just macro physical protection. – Christopher Hostage Sep 12 '18 at 01:09
  • What kind of enclosure use to protect? Tell me examples, please. – Fernando Eiras Sep 12 '18 at 03:47
  • Any hard drive enclosure is better than leaving bare hard drives on the shelf. – Christopher Hostage Sep 12 '18 at 15:22