Question HDDs demagnetization question

[cloudff7ps1]

Is it possible to prevent the demagnetization of HDDs 2.5" and 3.5" or is the demagnetization of HDDs an inevitable phenomenon caused by storage conditions (humidity and temperature of my room storage)?

 

[USAFRet]

Is it possible to prevent the demagnetization of HDDs 2.5" and 3.5" or is the demagnetization of HDDs an inevitable phenomenon caused by storage conditions (humidity and temperature of my room storage)?

Change the laws of physics, and you can 'prevent' anything.

And how is this much different than all your other questions regarding long term data storage?

 

[cloudff7ps1]

demagnetization of HDDs 2.5" and 3.5" is physics?

 

[USAFRet]

demagnetization of HDDs 2.5" and 3.5" is physics?

In what context are you thinking about "demagnetization"?

Over time, the tiny tiny magnetic variance on a HDD platter may change.
Physics.

 

[cloudff7ps1]

I am referring to the loss or weakening of the magnetic platters and heads, which causes data loss or corruption.
Does the temperature and humidity of the environment where they are stored accelerate this type of degradation?

 

[USAFRet]

Does the temperature and humidity of the environment where they are stored accelerate this type of degradation?

Yes.

 

[cloudff7ps1]

here 34-36C humidity 58-67% accelerates demagnetization platters and heads?

 

[USAFRet]

here 34-36C humidity 58-67% accelerates demagnetization platters and heads?

You've asked that exact question multiple time before.

The answer has not changed.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

here 34-36C humidity 58-67% accelerates demagnetization platters and heads?

Already answered multiple times now. YES.

 

[LinuxDevice]

Some comments: One of the most common failures of mechanical hard drives is not actually demagnetization, but flaking off or small chips of the platter surface breaking loose. This is eventually inevitable if the platters spin. Or sometimes if they don't spin (the heads must ride an exact tiny amount above the surface of the platter, and this can involve both what happens as the platters spin and what happens when they don't spin, like a car sitting in a garage for 50 years).

Higher temperatures allow demagnetization to occur faster. Just heat up a natural magnet with a propane burner and check it again, it'll lower its magnetization. Going too low can destroy internals of a hard drive, e.g., seizing of bearings or metal expansion/contraction putting things out of spec.

There is nothing you can do about the earth's magnetic field, although it could be reduced in a Faraday cage. However, that field is so tiny it won't really change anything. Not putting a magnet next to the drive is of course a big win, especially when the platters are spinning. Magnetic fields are everywhere in the universe. Keeping a sane temperature and not putting a magnet next to a drive is about the best you can do.

 

[stuff and nonesense]

I am referring to the loss or weakening of the magnetic platters and heads, which causes data loss or corruption.
Does the temperature and humidity of the environment where they are stored accelerate this type of degradation?

Temperature more than humidity, the platters are in a sealed enclosure.

“Depending on the priority of the data you've stored, you may want to refresh the hard disk more often. If it is essential data, I would recommend no less then 2 years at maximum. If you can withstand some chance of minor data loss (e.g. a few corrupted sectors here and there), go with 5 years. It doesn't take long to copy the data off the drive, and copy it back.”

That recommendation is for cold storage, I.e. the drive is not powered.

From wiki
Magnetic media, such as hard disk drives, floppy disks and magnetic tapes, may experience data decay as bits lose their magnetic orientation. Higher temperature speeds up the rate of magnetic loss. As with solid-state media, re-writing is useful as long as the medium itself is not damaged (see below).

 

[cloudff7ps1]

My 2.5" HDDs laptop + enclosure usb 3.0 are stored. I have 350GB of data on 500GB or 1TB HDDs. I usually power them up once a year, but I still have questions about testing the drives to find out if any files were corrupted during storage on the HDD. Is it possible to test them without copying anything to the PC? Long surface tests lasting several hours heat up and put a lot of stress on the HDDs, with temperatures close to 60C? Is there any efficient and simple test that doesn't cause stress and heat on the HDD to find out if all the files remain intact after 1 year?

Unfortunately, I can't reduce the temperature to prevent the HDDs from demagnetizing. It requires a lot of money with expensive air conditioners.

 

[USAFRet]

My 2.5" HDDs laptop + enclosure usb 3.0 are stored. I have 350GB of data on 500GB or 1TB HDDs. I usually power them up once a year, but I still have questions about testing the drives to find out if any files were corrupted during storage on the HDD. Is it possible to test them without copying anything to the PC? Long surface tests lasting several hours heat up and put a lot of stress on the HDDs, with temperatures close to 60C? Is there any efficient and simple test that doesn't cause stress and heat on the HDD to find out if all the files remain intact after 1 year?

Unfortunately, I can't reduce the temperature to prevent the HDDs from demagnetizing. It requires a lot of money with expensive air conditioners.

As has been said to you multiple times....

Don't have your data on a single device.
Check the data on a regular basis. (no, I will not attempt to lay out a calendar for you)
Copy to some other device every once in a while. (no, I will not attempt to lay out a calendar for you)

 

[cloudff7ps1]

Does the weakening or loss of magnetism in 2.5" HDDs occur due to age and due to storage at high temperatures (36C) and high humidity (58-67%)? Is it inevitable and when does it start to affect the data inside the platters?

Is the behavior similar for LTO tapes?

 

[stuff and nonesense]

Does the weakening or loss of magnetism in 2.5" HDDs occur due to age and due to storage at high temperatures (36C) and high humidity (58-67%)? Is it inevitable and when does it start to affect the data inside the platters?

Is the behavior similar for LTO tapes?

Wiki is your friend

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_Tape-Open

Look in the durability section.

​

 

[Ralston18]

@cloudff7ps1

Also:

https://neomagnets.net/how-does-temperature-affect-magnets/

https://www.gme-magnet.com/info/how-does-temperature-affect-magnets-87895118.html

Note the "Curie Temperatures".

Just where are you storing the drives?

Barring a hot fire (which is an entirely different situation) any concern about ambient temperatures demagnitizing the HDD magnets can be set aside.

If you are not backing up your data to multiple locations, as has been posted, then there are any number of reasons why your data could be lost.

Focus on backups.

 

[cloudff7ps1]

@cloudff7ps1

Also:

https://neomagnets.net/how-does-temperature-affect-magnets/

https://www.gme-magnet.com/info/how-does-temperature-affect-magnets-87895118.html

Note the "Curie Temperatures".

Just where are you storing the drives?

Barring a hot fire (which is an entirely different situation) any concern about ambient temperatures demagnitizing the HDD magnets can be set aside.

If you are not backing up your data to multiple locations, as has been posted, then there are any number of reasons why your data could be lost.

Focus on backups.

I didn't know about the Curie temperature, but it's quite high compared to my 36C. In the case of 2.5" laptop HDDs, they use Curie Temperature Material
Iron 770°C
Nickel 358°C
Cobalt 1121°C
Neodymium 310-400°C

I store the 2.5" HDDs inside the enclosure case, inside the blister and original Orico or Kesu box in the closet drawer in the same room because another place to store them is not available to me, a risk of fire for me is minimal

The humidity also varies from 58-68% without rain, but I don't know how it affects the magnetization of the 2.5" laptop HDDs

Is it possible to avoid bit rot without constantly copying the files from the HDD to the PC and copying them back to the HDD?

 

[USAFRet]

Is it possible to avoid bit rot without constantly copying the files from the HDD to the PC and copying them back to the HDD?

As has been said, more than once....leaving a storage device on the shelf for years, and never checking it, is a foolish way ahead.
Similarly, having only one copy.

 

[stuff and nonesense]

I didn't know about the Curie temperature, but it's quite high compared to my 36C. In the case of 2.5" laptop HDDs, they use Curie Temperature Material
Iron 770°C
Nickel 358°C
Cobalt 1121°C
Neodymium 310-400°C

I store the 2.5" HDDs inside the enclosure case, inside the blister and original Orico or Kesu box in the closet drawer in the same room because another place to store them is not available to me, a risk of fire for me is minimal

The humidity also varies from 58-68% without rain, but I don't know how it affects the magnetization of the 2.5" laptop HDDs

Is it possible to avoid bit rot without constantly copying the files from the HDD to the PC and copying them back to the HDD?

1. Don’t have one copy, have a few, preferably one off site.
2. Keep your backup up to date either overwrite, fresh backup or incrementally backup, record changes from a base.
3. Don’t trust that your media will be 100% reliable. Physics says it won’t. See 1.

If data isn’t in 3 places it doesn’t exist.

 

[Ralston18]

@cloudff7ps1

What did you understand the Curie temperature to mean?

From the link:
https://www.gme-magnet.com/precast-concrete-lifting-accessories/rubber-recess-former.html
"Permanent magnets only work in a specific temperature range. If a permanent magnet gets heated above a specific temperature, called the Curie point, it will lose its magnetism.

At the Curie point, the tiny spins inside the magnet material start pointing in random directions instead of lining up. It makes the permanent magnet stop being magnetic."

You posted:

"a risk of fire for me is minimal". Well and good but not realistic.

Minimal is not non-existent. And a fire will very likely exceed the Curie point temperatures.

Then there is the matter of all the water that might be hosed on to put out the fire.....

The issue is not about magnets, temperatures, humidity, and all the bad things that can and do happen to stored data.

The issue is about you not having multiple backup copies that are regularly checked for recoverability and readibility. With the copies located in different locations.

 

[cloudff7ps1]

@cloudff7ps1

What did you understand the Curie temperature to mean?

From the link:
https://www.gme-magnet.com/precast-concrete-lifting-accessories/rubber-recess-former.html
"Permanent magnets only work in a specific temperature range. If a permanent magnet gets heated above a specific temperature, called the Curie point, it will lose its magnetism.

At the Curie point, the tiny spins inside the magnet material start pointing in random directions instead of lining up. It makes the permanent magnet stop being magnetic."

You posted:

"a risk of fire for me is minimal". Well and good but not realistic.

Minimal is not non-existent. And a fire will very likely exceed the Curie point temperatures.

Then there is the matter of all the water that might be hosed on to put out the fire.....

The issue is not about magnets, temperatures, humidity, and all the bad things that can and do happen to stored data.

The issue is about you not having multiple backup copies that are regularly checked for recoverability and readibility. With the copies located in different locations.

Yes, I have several 2.5" HDDs with the same files on 4 drives

Below the Curie temperature, is there no demagnetization? Is the magnetic material on the platters of a 2.5" laptop HDD made of iron?

Is bit rot related to demagnetization on 2.5" HDDs? How can I avoid bit rot on a 2.5" HDD that is powered on once a year?

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, I have several 2.5" HDDs with the same files on 4 drives

Below the Curie temperature, is there no demagnetization? Is the magnetic material on the platters of a 2.5" laptop HDD made of iron?

Is bit rot related to demagnetization on 2.5" HDDs? How can I avoid bit rot on a 2.5" HDD that is powered on once a year?

Curie temperature has nothing to do with a drives magnetism, barring a house fire.

You avoid "bit rot" by having multiple copies, and checking them once in a while.