[Richard Warren]

Hey Roy,

I do not know a whole lot about the subject but I am not sure a HD would be the safest place to archive data. The reliability of hard drives has certainly improved over the years but it is still entirely possible that you turn it off and it never spins up again.

I think I would consider DVD-R/RW or DVD+R/RW. You should be able to get 4.5GB or so on each disc. They should last a lifetime with minimal care. Also, you could make multiple copies and store them in separate locations. DAT or Travan tape drives are an option as well but you stil have the possibility of the tape going bad. But, you could make extra copies of those too.

I guess nothing is a "for sure". You just have to try to lower the odds of losing it.

Richard