Safe storage of CDs and HDs against fire

[John Truman]

Hi.

I was thinking my CDs and HDs would stand a better chance against fire if I
stored them in a fridge. The one I have has two parts. The upper one is an
ordinary fridge. The lower is a freezer. Can CDs and external HDs be stored
in freezers? If so, for how long will an external HD need "thawing out"
before use?

Thanks for your help and expertise.

JT

 

[Doug White]

Keywords:

Hi.

I was thinking my CDs and HDs would stand a better chance against fire if I
stored them in a fridge. The one I have has two parts. The upper one is an
ordinary fridge. The lower is a freezer. Can CDs and external HDs be stored
in freezers? If so, for how long will an external HD need "thawing out"
before use?

Thanks for your help and expertise.

I wouldn't put a hard drive in any situation where you could get
condensation. The manufacturer should have a temperature spec for
storage, but that may be sealed up in it's original (dry) packaging. If
the temperature of the drive is below the dew point when you take it out
of storage, it will immediately be covered with condensation. If you
absolutely have to do this, I'd vacuum seal it in several layers of air
tight plastic with a desicant pack. Then let it thaw for several hours
before unsealing it.

You are better off keeping them in a safe deposit box.

Doug White

 

[Rod Speed]

I was thinking my CDs and HDs would stand a better chance against fire if I stored them in a fridge. The one I have
has two parts. The upper one is an ordinary fridge. The lower is a freezer. Can CDs and external HDs be stored in
freezers?

Yes, but it isnt good for either of them to store them like that.

If so, for how long will an external HD need "thawing out" before use?

Until its warmed up.

Makes a lot more sense to store them out of the house, like at work etc.

 

[Arno Wagner]

Hi.

I was thinking my CDs and HDs would stand a better chance against
fire if I stored them in a fridge.

They do not. The fridge walls will melt. Water will evaporate and
present an additional risk. Then the fridge will burn.

The one I have has two parts. The upper one is an
ordinary fridge. The lower is a freezer. Can CDs and external HDs be stored
in freezers?

Very bad idea. Most HDDs are only certified down to 0C and components
can actually get damaged on the negative C's usually found in a
freezer.

If so, for how long will an external HD need "thawing out"
before use?

Probably some time and has to be done by a professional data
recovery company.

Thanks for your help and expertise.

The only way to protect your data-carriers against fire is
to use a data-safe designed for this. They are typically
lighter on the armor against nurglery, but have special thermal
insulation and insulation against smoke. Also it seems that some
document safes use water vapuour to keep the paper below
flammation temperature. Paper will survive this moderately
damaged, but data-carriers will likely not. So it has to be
a produce designed for CDs, tapes, HDDs.

You may need to invest something like 1000USD/EUR and up
for a 120 minute variant and about half that for a 60 minute
variant.

Arno

 

[Backspace]

Hi.

I was thinking my CDs and HDs would stand a better chance against fire
if I stored them in a fridge. The one I have has two parts. The upper
one is an ordinary fridge. The lower is a freezer. Can CDs and external
HDs be stored in freezers? If so, for how long will an external HD need
"thawing out" before use?

Thanks for your help and expertise.

JT

Bury them in a hermetically sealed box in your back yard.