How Long Can an SSD Stay Unused Before Losing Data?

Interesting! For anyone with an external SSD for backup, how often should we connect it to minimize the risk of data loss?

The issue with older SSDs was that some could start losing data as quickly as a week without power. Now, more modern ones are better, and you can expect to keep data safe for around 3-5 years if left unpowered. To be safe, it's a good idea to connect it once every few months.

I get that! My oldest SSD is about six years old, so I'm a bit worried about it losing data anytime soon.

You might want to consider that there seems to be some data loss when files go unaccessed, even if the drive appears healthy overall. A friend of mine had some read failures on files that hadn’t been touched since he moved them over years ago. So, definitely check backed-up data periodically!

Yes, it's true that an unpowered SSD can eventually lose its data. This occurs because the data is stored in cells that hold small electrical charges representing bits. Over time, these charges can leak out, leading to data loss, often resulting in the data reverting to zeros. The time it takes for this to happen can vary, generally estimating between 1 to 5 years, depending on the type of NAND, temperature, and how heavily the drive was used before being stored. If you give it a year without powering on, that’s probably a safe bet for important information to avoid any loss.