One warning about thumb drives. Most folks don't realize this, but they do have a battery in them. Actually, it would be more accurate to describe it as a storage cell. They generally only last about 5 years. You don't realize the cell no longer holds power until you insert the thumb drive into a computer and find there's nothing on it. that power cell is basically a high capacity capacitor, and it "recharges" each time it's inserted into a powered USB slot. So that's how you can get more than 5 years out of one. If using the thumb drive for long term storage with no intent to access it in the future unless absolutely necessary, it's perfectly possible for it to go dead after about a year. But it's also possible for them to last up to 5 years before the power cell goes dead and you lose everything saved on the thumb drive.
bottom line is, do not use thumb drives for long term date storage. You're better off using a CD or DVD for that.
