Topic: Do not use USB sticks for long term storage! Its not safe! - page 5. (Read 5129 times)
Is anyone else wondering whether Satoshi unknowingly stored his coins on a USB stick? All that stuff he mined back in 2009 will be about seven years old by now...
I suppose archival quality Blue Ray is an option - apparently Facebook uses it for data they think will need to be stored for long periods of time.
Archival blue ray discs are more expensive but are supposed to have vastly longer shelf life than regular ones
Archival blue ray discs are more expensive but are supposed to have vastly longer shelf life than regular ones
someone must be digging right now:
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/i-spent-all-my-saving-on-bitcoin-now-i-am-broke-1465634
And yeah, i totally agree with op.
i never tried to store them in the proper places, but all my old usb sticks presented malfunction at some point so i would never trust my bitcoins in that.
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/i-spent-all-my-saving-on-bitcoin-now-i-am-broke-1465634
And yeah, i totally agree with op.
i never tried to store them in the proper places, but all my old usb sticks presented malfunction at some point so i would never trust my bitcoins in that.
Just a reminder
Its not safe to use USB sticks or SSDs for long term storage they lose data over time if they are not powered!
You can't just stick your private keys on a few USB sticks or SSD and box them up for 4 - 8 years you will lose all your coins.
For long term storage have at least 3 backups paper wallets or HDDs. You can even use something like DropBox But be sure to encrypt your wallet and change the name.
You can even hide your wallet inside a image file.
that he can forget my stored things wtf?
Just a reminder
Its not safe to use USB sticks or SSDs for long term storage they lose data over time if they are not powered!
You can't just stick your private keys on a few USB sticks or SSD and box them up for 4 - 8 years you will lose all your coins.
I didn't realize USB sticks were not safe. Can you please explain why? And why does being powered help?
USB sticks, Flash ROM, does not wear out because of "lack of power" - it is solid state circuitry - they wear out due to the maximum number of read/write cycles.
If you keep one in safe dry place and don't use it, it should retain its data for 60 to 80 years until the physical circuitry degrades.
If you keep one in safe dry place and don't use it, it should retain its data for 60 to 80 years until the physical circuitry degrades.
WRONG!
Google "How long can a SSD store data without power?"
Did that. first search result:
Debunked: Your SSD won't lose data if left unplugged after all
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2925173/debunked-your-ssd-wont-lose-data-if-left-unplugged-after-all.html
Buy a Trezor. Use a passphrase to protect your seed and store the seed safely away in a couple of places. The password you keep in your head. The seed if compromised is worthless without the passphrase.
ATM I consider Trezor a better solution than KeepKey or Ledger. KeepKey does not allow for a passphrase and I do not care for the 2FA using a phone Ledger requires. If someone comes out with a better solution than Trezor I would be the first to recommend it.
ATM I consider Trezor a better solution than KeepKey or Ledger. KeepKey does not allow for a passphrase and I do not care for the 2FA using a phone Ledger requires. If someone comes out with a better solution than Trezor I would be the first to recommend it.
Clearly paper wallets - provided these are not printed with a thermal or inkjet printer (laserprinter or even better matrix printer) - or engraving the keys into even more durable material are the best solutions for longterm storage.
The problem of long term availability also extends to the various hardware wallets on the market. There you have both a dependency on working hardware and a dependency that the company that provides services to access your funds still exists in the future. That's why I never bought hardware wallets. (I would buy a hardware wallet however, if it was small and would work as a standalone Bitcoin wallet with the ability to send and receive transactions without requiring external devices, so I could keep funds selected for spending separate from my phone - just like a traditional wallet.)
ya.ya.yo!
The problem of long term availability also extends to the various hardware wallets on the market. There you have both a dependency on working hardware and a dependency that the company that provides services to access your funds still exists in the future. That's why I never bought hardware wallets. (I would buy a hardware wallet however, if it was small and would work as a standalone Bitcoin wallet with the ability to send and receive transactions without requiring external devices, so I could keep funds selected for spending separate from my phone - just like a traditional wallet.)
ya.ya.yo!
Why would you even consider using USB's for long term storage? I can't even hold on to my USB for more than 2 years because either they always break and malfunction (from dropping too frequent) or I lose them.
USB sticks are only good for not-so-major documents because they can easily be infected.
USB sticks are only good for not-so-major documents because they can easily be infected.
What do you usually use?
Why would you even consider using USB's for long term storage? I can't even hold on to my USB for more than 2 years because either they always break and malfunction (from dropping too frequent) or I lose them.
USB sticks are only good for not-so-major documents because they can easily be infected.
USB sticks are only good for not-so-major documents because they can easily be infected.
Well what are your other options? Magnetic media is horrible, DVD's are worse, and the cloud is potentially vulnerable to hacking. If the data is just a private key you could etch it into glass or something but for larger data sets not many good options.
Why would you even consider using USB's for long term storage? I can't even hold on to my USB for more than 2 years because either they always break and malfunction (from dropping too frequent) or I lose them.
USB sticks are only good for not-so-major documents because they can easily be infected.
USB sticks are only good for not-so-major documents because they can easily be infected.
Thanks for the advice, i didn't know that usb sticks could be corrupted in few years (if there are no powered in long time period). I thought that usb sticks will last more years.
Personally I would be comfortable with storing my key data on a pair of new unused USB drives and plug them into a wall power source, not a PC where they might get stolen or infected, once a year.
I wouldn't trust magnetic media for any period of time. I've never lost data on a flash drive but have seen countless hard drive failures over the years including ones I had in storage. Among other things, exposures to a magnetic field can corrupt or erase them.
I wouldn't trust magnetic media for any period of time. I've never lost data on a flash drive but have seen countless hard drive failures over the years including ones I had in storage. Among other things, exposures to a magnetic field can corrupt or erase them.
How to combine a file or folder into a image tutorial.
http://www.wikihow.com/Hide-a-File-in-an-Image-File
http://www.wikihow.com/Hide-a-File-in-an-Image-File
Thanks. Was just about to ask you if you had a link to show how this is done. Appreciate the link.
If Reliability is Paramount a Western digital blue hard drive or a paper wallet is far safer then a memory stick or SSD for long term storage.
Your so wrong but you do what you want with your coins but plz don't spout your nonsense here.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2925173/debunked-your-ssd-wont-lose-data-if-left-unplugged-after-all.html
Companies will always over state the life span and abilities of there products to sell more. Websites will always be at the beck and call of advertisers. PC world sells a lot of add space to Cruical. They would not risk that income.
Your so wrong but you do what you want with your coins but plz don't spout your nonsense here.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2925173/debunked-your-ssd-wont-lose-data-if-left-unplugged-after-all.html
Your so wrong but you do what you want with your coins just plz don't spout your nonsense here.
USB sticks, Flash ROM, does not wear out because of "lack of power" - it is solid state circuitry - they wear out due to the maximum number of read/write cycles.
If you keep one in safe dry place and don't use it, it should retain its data for 60 to 80 years until the physical circuitry degrades.
If you keep one in safe dry place and don't use it, it should retain its data for 60 to 80 years until the physical circuitry degrades.
WRONG!
Google "How long can a SSD store data without power?"
The original article speculating that SSD's had a short "powered off" shelf life were discussing SSD's that had exceeded their endurance rating (i.e. were worn out) and were stored at higher temperatures. This spawned an internet myth that newer SSD's had a short shelf life for data retention.
For new drives, particularly the lower speed Flash ROM sticks, the powered off shelf life is vastly longer. At least a decade probably much longer.
I found out about this the hard way, I lost 1BTC in 2013 
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