Does the Temperature of Hard Drive Storage Affect Hard Drive Reliability?

In Backup & Archiving Workflow by joseph gilbertLeave a Comment

If you’re concerned about how temperature changes could be affecting your hard drive storage, let Image Mechanics put your mind at ease.

Hard drives can store everything from photographs and videos to programs and important documents. They have become a critical part of the way that modern society archives our information. For this reason, among many others, it should come as no surprise that hard drive storage has become a prominent industry in and of itself.

Here at Image Mechanics, we get many questions about our ProStorage device and its unique capabilities. One of the most common questions is: “How does temperature affect hard drives during storage?” To answer this FAQ, we looked at a number of factors.

Manufacturer Guides to Hard Drive Storage

Just like most products around the globe, hard drive specs range from manufacturer to manufacturer. This means that the maximum and minimum temperatures for reliable hard drive storage will fluctuate based on the brand and product in use. Most are in the range of 70 degrees Celsius for a maximum non-operating hard drive temperature and 40 degrees Celsius for the minimum non-operating hard drive temperature.

General Heating and Cooling Guidelines

Here at Image Mechanics, we have found that most hard drives are pretty durable when it comes to heat. They get warm during use in your computer or in your external hard drive case when used; so they are designed to function through this warmth. The cold, however, can damage a hard drive if the temperature drops too low. This means that storing a hard drive in a cold climate would require a heat source to keep stored information safe.

Hard Drive Storage Tips

To reduce the possibility of data loss and to keep your hard drives safe, we suggest using a storage case designed with the abilities to regulate temperatures, to lower risk of static electricity, and to physically protect the information effectively.

Many products created to assist with hard drive storage are large, bulky, heavy, and difficult to store. Our hard drive foam is designed to fit into most filing cabinet drawers, while still offering 18 to 24 slots per case. The foam material acts as an insulator; while it does not heat or cool the product, it does provide a barrier. This barrier helps to deter fluctuating temperature levels from harming the product so long as it isn’t stored in intense heat or cold.

For more information on ways that ProStorage can help with your hard drive storage needs, contact us today, or check out our official site for more details.