On flash drives, data will last longer if used

By Steve Alexander, Star Tribune

Last update: June 6, 2006 - 6:44 PM

Q I saved all my important digital photos and Microsoft Word documents on CDs. Then I read that a burned CD might last only a few years, so I put the data on a USB flash drive. But what's the lifetime of a flash drive?

WILLIS WOYKE, COLUMBIA HEIGHTS

A Use or lose files on your flash drives, which are really computer chips inside finger-sized packages. If you don't update or view the files, the electrical charge representing your stored data will disappear after about 10 years, said Brandon Stevens, a senior technology manager at computer storage manufacturer Kingston Technology in Fountain Valley, Calif.

Using the flash drive isn't enough. You must call up, or update, each individual file and the electrical charge will be renewed and you're good for another 10 years, Stevens said. Data renewed regularly will last almost indefinitely, he said. (By comparison, data stored on CDs last 10 to 20 years.)

But another factor limits the life of USB flash drives: The physical wear and tear they undergo from being carried on key chains and occasionally going through the washing machine inside a pocket. As a result, Kingston will guarantee its USB flash drives for only five years, Stevens said. By contrast, the company's flash cards, typically protected inside devices such as digital cameras or phones, are guaranteed for the life of the card, he said.

Despite concerns about their limitations, flash drives are projected to keep working for decades, or 10,000 to 100,000 uses, Stevens said.

"People will replace their flash memory devices long before they wear out, because new consumer electronics products will require more storage," Stevens said. Flash drives hold up to 4 gigabytes of data, but that will double later this year, he said.

In my May 24 column, Sonic Solutions offered a free copy of its Roxio CD-writing software to James Olson of New Hope. The offer was only for Olson; Sonic is not giving away software.

Steve Alexander covers technology for the Star Tribune. E-mail your technology questions to tech@startribune.com or write Tech Q&A, 425 Portland Av. S., Minneapolis, MN 55488-0002. Please include full name, city of residence and phone number.

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