I don't expect that any form of storage is "permanent," in the sense that you can write it and forget it for the rest of your life. But if you use a hard disk, it will only be a matter of a few years before you replace it with a disk ten times as big, just as a matter of course. Copying all your files from the old disk to the new one will "refresh" the data. Since I archive as lightly compressed JPEGs (after using Levels to optimize the dynamic range), my files only take a few megs each, so I can keep them on my hard disk without breaking the bank. And I back up my hard disk regularly by copying it across my network to another machine with a bigger hard disk in it. As additional backup, I write them to CD-R, using any name brand that has a 16X or better write speed, and I'm only writing at 8X. I verify the entire CD after burning it. The more digicam images I shoot, and the more slides I scan, the more space this will require. However, disk prices are plummeting, and their sizes are increasing, much faster than I could ever keep up with. -- Ciao, Paul D. DeRocco Paul mailto:pderocco@ix.netcom.com From: Kay Simon Waht do people use for archiving thir precious digital files now? Does anyone know the presumed longevity of hard drives, CDs, and DVDs. Which one gives the most reliable long-term storage, and are there any brands which are better tahn others. I've been using the Kodak Silver/Gold Cds, but they are no longer making them. I'm also using hard drives, but am not sure how long they are supposed to last. DVD is still quite expensive. - Turn off HTML mail features. Keep quoted material short. Use accurate subject lines. http://www.leben.com/lists for list instructions.