I'm currently backing up critical systems at my workplace since the PCs are quite old and always powered on. I'm in the process of cloning these aging drives and replacing them with new ones. However, I plan to keep some of the old drives in the tower as backups for redundancy. My main question is, should I keep these drives powered on continuously to prevent them from degrading over time? I've done some research that suggests HDDs should be spun up regularly to maintain data integrity; however, I'm unsure if it would be unwise just to leave them running constantly while the computer is on.
5 Answers
Simply having the HDDs spinning doesn’t really ensure data integrity. While it might keep the motor lubricated, it's not a foolproof method. Over time, the magnetism can degrade if parts aren’t written to, so just leaving them on won’t help with that. I'd recommend researching proper archiving techniques instead of relying solely on aging HDDs. If you're looking to have spare drives for emergencies, store them in ESD-safe containers at proper temperatures, preferably on their sides, not flat. Given their age, it might be more practical to invest in new drives for backups.
If you have hard drives in workplace computers that need constant replacement, it can negatively impact productivity and security. These drives can become a risk, especially if they're so outdated. Unless it's a non-profit with a tight budget, sticking to old HDDs might not be justifiable.
You might want to consider contracting an IT analyst for more complex situations like this. Ideally, a file server shouldn't be shut down often because it needs to run backups regularly, typically during off-hours.
Keeping the old drives connected as slave drives is fine. Just make sure to inform any colleagues who might not be tech-savvy about how the setup works.
That’s exactly what I’m doing! I’m cloning the drives, replacing the old ones, and storing another clone in the ESD bags. I’ll definitely keep them on their sides as you suggested!