The Lifespan of an HDD?

[mekyle99]

I've had this HDD for 3 years now, and I've also read that they have a lifespan of 3 years, so I'm a bit worried. Is this true?

 

[k1114]

Anything can die at anytime. The majority of hdds are still alive after 3 years so I don't know where you read that. Maybe it's the warranty length.

 

[Kashimi]

I still have hard drives that are working from 2005 but yes, the average lifespan is 3 to 5 years.

My advice is just make and maintain a current backup of what you have, and let it run until it dies.

 

[USAFRet]

I've had this HDD for 3 years now, and I've also read that they have a lifespan of 3 years, so I'm a bit worried. Is this true?

I've personally had drives die at 5 weeks.
I also have other drives that are still going (semi)strong after 15 years.
I've seen other drives dead on the first day.

All drives die eventually.
A good backup routine is your best friend.

 

[jsmithepa]

I have a theory older drives were more sturdy, but these high-density nowadays.... as long as u have backups, no worries.

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

How long do they last? - - it's anybody's guess. Too many variables to pin it down.


Just keep your data backed up (even if it's on an SSD, don't trust any type of storage to the extent that you think backups aren't necessary).