Off-Topic. How many years do you think it will be until my flash drives won't work on some future version of Windows?

Chris Tsao

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Mar 19, 2013, 2:48:49 PM3/19/13

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Are my flash drives that can be used with Vista and Windows 7 going to be unusable with computers in the not-so-distant future? If yes, how many years into the future will it be that this will be the case? I understand that flash drives only last twenty years, but say that they could last forever, then how long will it be until my flash drives won't work with some future version of Windows?

I find this notion very stressful.

Chris Tsao

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Mar 19, 2013, 3:03:41 PM3/19/13

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On Tuesday, March 19, 2013 2:48:49 PM UTC-4, Chris Tsao wrote:
> Are my flash drives that can be used with Vista and Windows 7 going to be unusable with computers in the not-so-distant future? If yes, how many years into the future will it be that this will be the case? I understand that flash drives only last twenty years, but say that they could last forever, then how long will it be until my flash drives won't work with some future version of Windows?
>
>
>
> I find this notion very stressful.

I meant to ask if the flash drives would be able to be re-programed to be able to be used with future versions of Windows. On the back of the blister packs they come in, they say what version of Windows they work with, so I take this to mean that maybe when there's something like a Windows 15 that the flash drives won't be able to be used with this far in advance of a version of Windows. Would you venture to guess that when there's a Windows 10 that current flash drives won't work with it?

nos...@127.0.0.1

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Mar 21, 2013, 12:36:50 PM3/21/13

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In article <1908d205-50f6-4f06...@googlegroups.com>,

Chris Tsao <rigid...@aol.com> wrote:
> Are my flash drives that can be used with Vista and Windows 7 going to
> be unusable with computers in the not-so-distant future?

Probably, as long as the file systems used in formatting the drive remain
supported by future operating systems.

It is likely that USB mass storage will be supported for some time to
come

> If yes, how
> many years into the future will it be that this will be the case?

Sorry, my crystal ball is out of order this week.

> I
> understand that flash drives only last twenty years, but say that they
> could last forever,

Who is "they"?

The truth is that flash storage is NOT an archival medium, and
compatibility with future operating systems should be the LEAST of your
worries if you're using them for archiving critical files.

> then how long will it be until my flash drives won't
> work with some future version of Windows?

Checking crystal ball again .... nope, sorry; still out of order.

> I find this notion very stressful.

I feel your pain.

>I meant to ask if the flash drives would be able to be re-programed to
>be able to be used with future versions of Windows.

It is likely that USB mass storage will be supported for some time to
come. The drive should be readable, if electrically intact, for as long
as the file systems used in formatting the drive remain supported by
future operating systems.

If you see a change coming, you could always reformat to a newer file
system that is more likely to be supported in the future.

You can't, in general, "re-program" flash drives.

>On the back of the
>blister packs they come in, they say what version of Windows they work
>with, so I take this to mean that maybe when there's something like a
>Windows 15 that the flash drives won't be able to be used with this far
>in advance of a version of Windows.

They can't print information about Windows 15 compatibility because it
hasn't been invented yet.

>Would you venture to guess that when
>there's a Windows 10 that current flash drives won't work with it?

One final try with the crystal ball .... waiting ... sorry, still out.
Guess I better call Crystal Ball Repair.

Chris Tsao

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Mar 22, 2013, 10:40:57 PM3/22/13

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On Thursday, March 21, 2013 12:36:50 PM UTC-4, nos...@127.0.0.1 wrote:
> In article <1908d205-50f6-4f06...@googlegroups.com>,
>
> Chris Tsao <rigid...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > Are my flash drives that can be used with Vista and Windows 7 going to
>
> > be unusable with computers in the not-so-distant future?
>
>
>
> Probably, as long as the file systems used in formatting the drive remain
>
> supported by future operating systems.
>
>
>
> It is likely that USB mass storage will be supported for some time to
>
> come
>
>
>
> > If yes, how
>
> > many years into the future will it be that this will be the case?
>
>
>
> Sorry, my crystal ball is out of order this week.
>
>
>
> > I
>
> > understand that flash drives only last twenty years, but say that they
>
> > could last forever,
>
>
>
> Who is "they"?

> The truth is that flash storage is NOT an archival medium, and
>
> compatibility with future operating systems should be the LEAST of your
>
> worries if you're using them for archiving critical files.

What I've noticed is that RW-CDs erase themselves. I've only had this problam with one flash drive. Really two. I have a flash drive that for some reason I could only see files from it on one out of the three laptops I had. I wasn't able to read files on the computer I created the files from. But to permanantly (sp.?) store files, I know that we should use a CD-R disc.

> > then how long will it be until my flash drives won't
>
> > work with some future version of Windows?
>
>
>
> Checking crystal ball again .... nope, sorry; still out of order.
>
>
>
> > I find this notion very stressful.
>
>
>
> I feel your pain.

http://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/121/ceb3326eab9340679501e79977fcd554/l.jpg

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/301611_153582941471880_163860413_n.jpg

I think I must've spent about a grand on flash drives and many hours searching for the perfect looking ones.

> >I meant to ask if the flash drives would be able to be re-programed to
>
> >be able to be used with future versions of Windows.
>
>
>
> It is likely that USB mass storage will be supported for some time to
>
> come. The drive should be readable, if electrically intact, for as long
>
> as the file systems used in formatting the drive remain supported by
>
> future operating systems.
>
>
>
> If you see a change coming, you could always reformat to a newer file
>
> system that is more likely to be supported in the future.

Thank you.

> You can't, in general, "re-program" flash drives.
>
>
>
> >On the back of the
>
> >blister packs they come in, they say what version of Windows they work
>
> >with, so I take this to mean that maybe when there's something like a
>
> >Windows 15 that the flash drives won't be able to be used with this far
>
> >in advance of a version of Windows.
>
>
>
> They can't print information about Windows 15 compatibility because it
>
> hasn't been invented yet.
>
>
>
> >Would you venture to guess that when
>
> >there's a Windows 10 that current flash drives won't work with it?
>
>
>
> One final try with the crystal ball .... waiting ... sorry, still out.
>
> Guess I better call Crystal Ball Repair.

Seashells. Seasje;;s. My friend's father died a year ago today. A cuban psychic used seashells to tell her that her father is going to die soon. He told her that he sees her having trouble with her inheritance and she's been having all kinds of trouble with it. He told her that he sees her cysts down there and she got a whole bunch of them and had to have them surgically removed. He told her that she's going to start bleeding down there and she bled uncontrollably for many many months nonstop after she got her period. No doctor could tell her why.