Will computer files eventually dissappear?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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The Sticks, Northeast PA.
Right off, I can use my computer; but it's at a third grade level. I read that computer discs eventually loose the information on them. And that newer forms of communication will leave our present technology in the dust. It'll be like us trying to read Egyptian Hieroglyphics. There is a reason why I ask this. I was the first one to get a 4 track cassette player. I bought an 8 track cassette player, when they introduced the reel to reel cassettes. I bought one of those as they introduced discs. Yup, I bought beta. And a VCR, when they went digital.
 

The life expectancy of data on CD & DVD R's is 25 years.
Data on harddrives are 25-30 years for standard (for now) platter haddrives.
Solidstate drives are theoretically good for 2-8 years.
Backup tape (for enterprize systems) is 25-30 years (if stored properly).

We're a long way off from technology eliminating files. Everything that is on the internet is on a server-computer (at least one) somewhere.
The file storage formats will change (like going from cardboard file boxes, to file cabinets to warehouse shelving w/ forklifts), but there will be files for as long as we can envision.
 

I'm still mad that I can no longer use my zip disks. And I had a wonderful German translation program that used floppy disks and that's gone now, too. I'm the last to use new technology. I kept buying audio cassettes even when CD's came out. I wasn't going to pay more money for that stuff. Now I have a record player for all the vinyl records I still have. I guess you could say I'm one to kick and scream into trying new things. Do I really need Blu-Ray?
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Right off, I can use my computer; but it's at a third grade level. I read that computer discs eventually loose the information on them. And that newer forms of communication will leave our present technology in the dust. It'll be like us trying to read Egyptian Hieroglyphics. There is a reason why I ask this. I was the first one to get a 4 track cassette player. I bought an 8 track cassette player, when they introduced the reel to reel cassettes. I bought one of those as they introduced discs. Yup, I bought beta. And a VCR, when they went digital.
Click to expand...

Data saved on ANY media is subject to deterioration, over time....even cd's and dvd's. About the Only way to preserve it forever might be to copy it to new media every few years.
 
Olivia said:
I'm still mad that I can no longer use my zip disks. And I had a wonderful German translation program that used floppy disks and that's gone now, too. I'm the last to use new technology. I kept buying audio cassettes even when CD's came out. I wasn't going to pay more money for that stuff. Now I have a record player for all the vinyl records I still have. I guess you could say I'm one to kick and scream into trying new things. Do I really need Blu-Ray?
Click to expand...

You can still play Zip and Floppy Discs,just buy an adapter,not very expensive.
zip.jpg
 
Thank you, Kburra. Too, late. I did at first try something like that (20 years ago now) but at the time--nothing. And I think I already threw all the zip disks away already. I did copy everything to my computer at the time and then to CDs. But through the years I had my computers go kaput and I'm not sure I saved everything when that happened. When I knew that things were failing I would rush to copy stuff to CDs. It was so much easier with earlier Microsoft OS's. It's seems to be more difficult now --making everything complicated and not very user friendly. But some still works--I have the original CDs sent to me from that time--a cousin that has since passed. Some work, some don't
 
It's really simple to copy cassette tapes to a CD. Just download a program called Audacity. Plug in the cassette player and record the tape. Export it and send it to th CD recorder on your computer.
 
I think that you will find that it is always
one important file that disappears just
when you need it, you spend ages looking
through the computer for it but never do
find it.

At least that is my experience.

Mike.
 
Camper6 said:
It's really simple to copy cassette tapes to a CD. Just download a program called Audacity. Plug in the cassette player and record the tape. Export it and send it to th CD recorder on your computer.
Click to expand...

Okay, I see what you're saying. What my problem is and why I still like audio cassettes, it because of books on "tape". It used to be that CD walkmans were good for books played on CD because the CD player would start again where you left off even when you stopped the player (and I don't mean pause--I mean totally off). If books would be like The Great Courses CD's where they're divided into 30 minute lectures, it wouldn't be so bad. Would MP3 players help that way? But then wouldn't I have to copy the CD's to the computer first and then to the MP3 player? It seems like so much work.
 
Olivia said:
Okay, I see what you're saying. What my problem is and why I still like audio cassettes, it because of books on "tape". It used to be that CD walkmans were good for books played on CD because the CD player would start again where you left off even when you stopped the player (and I don't mean pause--I mean totally off). If books would be like The Great Courses CD's where they're divided into 30 minute lectures, it wouldn't be so bad. Would MP3 players help that way? But then wouldn't I have to copy the CD's to the computer first and then to the MP3 player? It seems like so much work.
Click to expand...
I use Audacity to record music and comedy from Pandora and Ted Talks to listen to from a MP3 player when I ride motorcycle.
Some MP3 players will resume exactly where you stopped, but I don't think it's easy to tell which do that.
You could save it directly to the MP3 player if it's connected to the computer (that Audacity is on).
 
I have a stack of VCR tapes. In 100 years, even if the tapes last in pristine condition, you aren't going to find many machines to play them. If we use one technology to hold all our records, that may cost us dearly. While we are up grading our technology every 30-40 years, are we loosing 30-40 years blocks of our history due to unreadable and lost data systems?
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I have a stack of VCR tapes. In 100 years, even if the tapes last in pristine condition, you aren't going to find many machines to play them. If we use one technology to hold all our records, that may cost us dearly. While we are up grading our technology every 30-40 years, are we loosing 30-40 years blocks of our history due to unreadable and lost data systems?
Click to expand...

Back in the 1960's, I bought a nice Minolta camera, when I was in the USAF, and took gobs of slides....I now keep them wrapped up in the cool basement, and they have survived nicely...so far. Then, in the 1980's, I bought a Panasonic camcorder, and started video taping the kids, and grandkids, etc, and built up over 25 2 hr. tapes. A couple of years ago, I copied all the VCR tapes to DVD's, and hopefully the DVD's will survive for many years. Now, I use a Sony camcorder, and copy anything I video to a DVD. Someday, the kids and grandkids are going to have many hours/days of "scrapbook" to go through...if they desire. I have a VCR/DVD player hooked up to the TV, and once in awhile I get out an old VCR tape, and play it...they still work ok...some well over 30 yrs old. Last winter, I got out the old slide projector, and viewed some of the slides, and they, too, seem to be holding up well.
 
In no way am I an expert in this stuff. I thought info on discs would last hundreds of years. But I read that it depends on the quality of the disc and the state of technology used to create the disc. And, unless, all the ducks are in a row, a disc will be unreadable in 25-50 years. And as to buying technology that doesn't last. I was the proud owner of a Yugo automobile.
 
Because the files are stored on magnetic media, they will eventually disappear.

I have all kinds of 2 1/4 diskettes that can't be read anymore.

And as far as the 5 1/4 floppies go there's nothing that reads them anymore.

Even computers can't be revived because the CMOS batteries are dead and can't be replaced.

I have a nice Toshiba laptop that cost $10,000. Not even good for a door stop anymore.
 

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