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General discussion

Safe Way To Store Text For A Long Time

Sep 20, 2014 8:17PM PDT

I have some important text files.They are currently saved on windows 7 notepad files.I decided to backup and store them for long term.The size of my data is small (a couple of MBs).I will use CDs to store them.

My questions are:

1-Which file format is the safest one for storage?I mean safe from data corruption.

2-Which software should i use to burn my text files to CDs?

3-Any other tips do to increase my text files safety?

Thanks in advance

Discussion is locked

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Re: backup
Sep 20, 2014 8:35PM PDT

1. If it's already a .txt file, that's fine. Any bit that happens to change onoly effects one character. Other file types have a more complex structure, so damage can be greater.
2. Any burning software (even the one that comes with Windows XP and higher) is fine to burn data.
3a. Remember that burned CD's have a lifetime of five years or so, depending on the storage conditions. I would make more than one copy.
3b. Why not store a copy in the cloud. Dropbox, Google Docs, OneDrive, gmail.com, live.com. All are free and the companies that offer them.take care of backup. Burning to cd is a thing of the past, more or less.

Kees

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Thanks for the tip
Sep 21, 2014 11:26PM PDT

"3b. Why not store a copy in the cloud. Dropbox, Google Docs, OneDrive, gmail.com, live.com. All are free and the companies that offer them.take care of backup. Burning to cd is a thing of the past, more or less."

Thanks for the tip but I don't want my files to be accessable by internet.I want them to be offline.

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Re: files
Sep 23, 2014 6:58PM PDT

So I would keep them on my hard disk, include in my regular full system backup and burn them to 2 disks as an extra backup. Replace the disks after 5 years.

Kees

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And why not print them?
Sep 20, 2014 8:38PM PDT

A laser print on a good quality paper has an estimated lifetime of more than 100 years. That's long enough?

Kees

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Thanks for the tip
Sep 21, 2014 11:28PM PDT

Thanks for the tip.I will print them but i also need them in digital to edit , sort them later.

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My thought too
Sep 23, 2014 6:36PM PDT

Technology turns over too quickly and that includes storage methods. Even the media used to store data had a life expectancy of 100 years, that doesn't guarantee that there will be hardware available to read it. Do you have anything kept on rolls of ascii punch tape laying around?

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How about a flash drive.
Sep 29, 2014 4:40AM PDT

Our checking printing file at work has key signatures that get put on the paychecks for 5000 and that signature is stored on a flash drive and kept in a safe.