# Stroring A Hard Drive In A Safe Deposit Box? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 30, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stroring-a-hard-drive-in-a-safe-deposit-box/494846 "2009-04-30T15:12:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FORTRAN\_forever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@FORTRAN\_forever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FORTRAN_forever)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stroring-a-hard-drive-in-a-safe-deposit-box/494846/21 "2009-04-30T21:17:02Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > why not just keep backups burned to DVD in the box? That’s what I do. All of our old home movies of our daughters as kids (which have been converted into MPGs) are stored - among other places - in our safe deposit box on about ten DVDs. What, you’ve got something more precious to store than that? ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stroring-a-hard-drive-in-a-safe-deposit-box/494846/22 "2009-04-30T21:37:24Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > No modern hard drive has anything like the mechanical complexity of a wind-up watch. Hard drives are actually quite simple devices (mechanically) with just a few moving parts - they would not deliver their astonishing reliability otherwise. As a guy who likes taking them apart for their magnets, I agree to a point. However, they both have very close tolerances, and that’s where I was going with my reasoning—I didn’t say they were as mechanically complex; just that they were as delicate, and sensitive to lubrication issues. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stroring-a-hard-drive-in-a-safe-deposit-box/494846/23 "2009-04-30T21:40:22Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > The bearings themselves of course aren’t the issue, the lube on them is. It can shift around and the surface dry out. Not really. The bearings are sealed. I’ve got a couple dead ones cracked open here if you want to see. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stroring-a-hard-drive-in-a-safe-deposit-box/494846/24 "2009-04-30T21:41:50Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Would you? Is it safe? > > I mean, because of all the magnetics and all? > > Thanks > > Q Note that bank SD boxes are engineered to protect papers from thieves or fires. Many of them are not waterproof, and in some cases fires that will not hurt paper will hurt computerized media. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stroring-a-hard-drive-in-a-safe-deposit-box/494846/25 "2009-04-30T23:08:35Z")
A little more info here: [http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/generic/0,295582,sid5\_gci1254236,00.html](http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/generic/0,295582,sid5_gci1254236,00.html) and lots of conjecture and interesting ideas here: > **[Long-Term Personal Data Storage? - Slashdot](https://slashdot.org/story/08/12/13/1434216/long-term-personal-data-storage)** > > BeanBagKing writes "Yesterday I set out in search of a way to store my documents, videos, and pictures for a long time without worrying about them. This is stuff that I may not care about for years, I don't care where it is, or if it's immediately... ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stroring-a-hard-drive-in-a-safe-deposit-box/494846/26 "2009-04-30T23:10:37Z")
What I have learned from this thread is that many people are very protective of their porn collection. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stroring-a-hard-drive-in-a-safe-deposit-box/494846/27 "2009-05-01T00:00:23Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > What I have learned from this thread is that many people are very protective of their porn collection. :D:D:D:D:D:D I almost choked on my gin and tonic, when I read this **Fubaya** , because my porn collection consists of a pack of “naughty cards” and a postcard of Popeye having his way with Olive Oyl… No… I was just asking because in addition to being your favorite demented senile guy, I also write a lot… a LOT… and I just thought about one day, if I needed to, could I just buy a new computer and store the old one? But thanks for the laugh… I’ll tell Mae West you asked about her, as I dream of her tonight!!! :D:D:D And PLEASE don’t take offense, okay? I didn’t…I’m way past that now… Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stroring-a-hard-drive-in-a-safe-deposit-box/494846/28 "2009-05-01T01:18:21Z")
Quasi, I didn’t even notice who had started the thread, it was just an [old joke](http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/3774/mustsaveporn.jpg) about how everyone uses their computer primarily for porn. > [@Quasimodem](#): > > ..my porn collection consists of a pack of “naughty cards” and a postcard of Popeye having his way with Olive Oyl… You don’t have one of those pens with a picture of a lady who undresses when you turn it upside down? Those are so hot! I want to release an hour and a half DVD of someone turning one of those pens over and over. I’ll make millions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stroring-a-hard-drive-in-a-safe-deposit-box/494846.md?page=1)