Do not use USB sticks for long term storage! Its not safe!

[Y.Job]

Why would you even consider using USB's for long term storage? I can't even hold on to my USB for more than 2 years because either they always break and malfunction (from dropping too frequent) or I lose them.
USB sticks are only good for not-so-major documents because they can easily be infected.

What do you usually use?

[yayayo]

Clearly paper wallets - provided these are not printed with a thermal or inkjet printer (laserprinter or even better matrix printer) - or engraving the keys into even more durable material are the best solutions for longterm storage.

The problem of long term availability also extends to the various hardware wallets on the market. There you have both a dependency on working hardware and a dependency that the company that provides services to access your funds still exists in the future. That's why I never bought hardware wallets. (I would buy a hardware wallet however, if it was small and would work as a standalone Bitcoin wallet with the ability to send and receive transactions without requiring external devices, so I could keep funds selected for spending separate from my phone - just like a traditional wallet.)

ya.ya.yo!

[BitcoinNewsMagazine]

Buy a Trezor. Use a passphrase to protect your seed and store the seed safely away in a couple of places. The password you keep in your head. The seed if compromised is worthless without the passphrase.

ATM I consider Trezor a better solution than KeepKey or Ledger. KeepKey does not allow for a passphrase and I do not care for the 2FA using a phone Ledger requires. If someone comes out with a better solution than Trezor I would be the first to recommend it.

[LiteCoinGuy]

USB sticks, Flash ROM, does not wear out because of "lack of power" - it is solid state circuitry - they wear out due to the maximum number of read/write cycles.

If you keep one in safe dry place and don't use it, it should retain its data for 60 to 80 years until the physical circuitry degrades.

WRONG!

Google "How long can a SSD store data without power?"

Did that. first search result:

Debunked: Your SSD won't lose data if left unplugged after all

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2925173/debunked-your-ssd-wont-lose-data-if-left-unplugged-after-all.html

[alyssa85]

Just a reminder

Its not safe to use USB sticks or SSDs for long term storage they lose data over time if they are not powered!

You can't just stick your private keys on a few USB sticks or SSD and box them up for 4 - 8 years you will lose all your coins.

 

I didn't realize USB sticks were not safe. Can you please explain why? And why does being powered help?

[Adrorecia]

Just a reminder

Its not safe to use USB sticks or SSDs for long term storage they lose data over time if they are not powered!

You can't just stick your private keys on a few USB sticks or SSD and box them up for 4 - 8 years you will lose all your coins.

For long term storage have at least 3 backups paper wallets or HDDs. You can even use something like DropBox But be sure to encrypt your wallet and change the name.

You can even hide your wallet inside a image file.

this is the first time i have ever heard about this is it for real? Didn't know that if the drive isn't charged for a long time
that he can forget my stored things wtf?

[raphma]

someone must be digging right now:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1465634.0

And yeah, i totally agree with op.
i never tried to store them in the proper places, but all my old usb sticks presented malfunction at some point so i would never trust my bitcoins in that.

[fenican]

I suppose archival quality Blue Ray is an option - apparently Facebook uses it for data they think will need to be stored for long periods of time.

Archival blue ray discs are more expensive but are supposed to have vastly longer shelf life than regular ones

[alyssa85]

Is anyone else wondering whether Satoshi unknowingly stored his coins on a USB stick? All that stuff he mined back in 2009 will be about seven years old by now...

[watermark]

I did not realize this. Thanks for letting us know. You may have just saved me a few dollars.

[BitHodler]

I only use paper wallets as I find them to be more secure than trusting a HDD or USD drive with your backups.

[whored]

I suppose archival quality Blue Ray is an option - apparently Facebook uses it for data they think will need to be stored for long periods of time.

Archival blue ray discs are more expensive but are supposed to have vastly longer shelf life than regular ones

The only secure way is to store it on an encrypted RAID 0 array made up of 8 MFM HDs (NSA has back doors on the new IDE ones *DO NOT TRUST*).

[Kprawn]

I never use any digital means to store private keys... they are simply to unreliable. I have 5 year old harddrives and memory sticks {unpowered} and I get read errors already. { These HD's are

Seagate drives used for storage, and not daily use } I do not trust memory sticks, due to the BadUSB exploits. I only use laminated paper wallets and a Trezor hardware wallet for smaller quantities

and daily use. I have several copies stored in different locations and kept in different banks. { Safe deposit boxes } 

[fenican]

I suppose archival quality Blue Ray is an option - apparently Facebook uses it for data they think will need to be stored for long periods of time.

Archival blue ray discs are more expensive but are supposed to have vastly longer shelf life than regular ones

The only secure way is to store it on an encrypted RAID 0 array made up of 8 MFM HDs (NSA has back doors on the new IDE ones *DO NOT TRUST*).

RAID-0  provides no fault tolerance or redundancy and is generally only used to increase throughput.

Did you mean RAID-1?

[Amph]

i don't agree i can buy one new each year, they cost nothing, like $4 so there is no problem with them as a backup, also don't have just one but by plenty of them at different time so you are even more safe

[whored]

I suppose archival quality Blue Ray is an option - apparently Facebook uses it for data they think will need to be stored for long periods of time.

Archival blue ray discs are more expensive but are supposed to have vastly longer shelf life than regular ones

The only secure way is to store it on an encrypted RAID 0 array made up of 8 MFM HDs (NSA has back doors on the new IDE ones *DO NOT TRUST*).

RAID-0  provides no fault tolerance or redundancy and is generally only used to increase throughput.

Did you mean RAID-1?

No no! Make sure it's RAID 0, because otherwise NSA can just steal one of your old MFM drives and replace it with another, and you'll never know!

[~Bitcoin~]

Just a reminder

Its not safe to use USB sticks or SSDs for long term storage they lose data over time if they are not powered!

You can't just stick your private keys on a few USB sticks or SSD and box them up for 4 - 8 years you will lose all your coins.

For long term storage have at least 3 backups paper wallets or HDDs. You can even use something like DropBox But be sure to encrypt your wallet and change the name.

You can even hide your wallet inside a image file.

Thanks for explaining this, i am only using paper wallet myself for long storage with storing them in bank vault and few backups in my google drive with google account being 2fa.

[Denker]

You can buy 4GB sticks for around 6-8 bucks depending where and which country.
Buy a handful every year and make several encrypted back ups. Don't see any big problems if you do it like that.
Of course additional to that paper wallets are always recommended.Use good paper/ink and seal them well!

[LFC_Bitcoin]

I bought an expensive USB key a while ago to back up my wallet.dat
I can't see that losing data, maybe with a shitty $5 one though it could happen.

[LiteCoinGuy]

I bought an expensive USB key a while ago to back up my wallet.dat
I can't see that losing data, maybe with a shitty $5 one though it could happen.

to be 99,99% sure : make another backup  
(M-Disc DVDs)