Originally Posted By: tfabris
Quote:
Her ultimate plan is to store the files on a few 8GB flash drives ... burn the files onto DVD data disks.


Anyone here know which of those two data storage methods is the most likely to last for the greatest number of years into the future?

Both will lose your data eventually. I'd guess the flash based one would be a bit better.

Flash memory is conservatively rated for about 10 years of data retention before your electrons get out of the gate.

Writeable optical media has issues with the dyes degrading or the metal layer oxidising. Originally the gold CD-Rs were alledgely rated for over 50 years life but I'm not sure I trust those ratings. All of the estimated lifetime tests were done via accelerated ageing in a lab. Its only now that we're getting proper old optical media.

The solution to this is to keep many backups of your important data and copy it onto whatever is mainstream every few years. Your pristine MFM HD from years ago may still work but as FireFox31 found, its a tad annoying to get the data off those things now.