Help New SD card-how do I transfer data from old SD?

[aimzzz]

My SD card is 4 or 5 yrs old & has been thru 3 phones. I'm thinking it's time to replace it, just in case. I had one that died a while back-- didn't make my day at all. Here are my questions:

1. What is the usual lifetime for an SD card. How often should it be replaced?
2. My plan is to copy the contents of the old SD card to my PC or to a cloud. Then I'll insert the new card & download the data from the old to the new. Is it that simple? Do I need to do anything else?

 

[PitCarver]

Can't speak for the lifespan of an SD card, but yes, it's that simple. By transferring with a PC you can keep a backup handy, for just in case.

 

[Hadron]

Lifetime is more to do with usage than time, but there's no simple rule. I have a 32GB Sandisk from 2010 that's still fine, and I had a 64GB Samsung card that failed after about 4 months of light usage. The brands are probably coincidence (I think my daughter's card, which is about 2 years old, is also a Samsung), the reason for mentioning them is just to be clear that I use reputable brands and have still had this range of lifetimes.

 

[The_Chief]

The lifetime of flash memory chips isn't measured in length of time, but rather the number of read/write cycles the memory chip is subjected to. These are referred to as P/E cycles (or Program/Erase cycles). Modern flash memory, like microSD cards, are rated in the billions, if not trillions, of P/E cycles... which means that - provided you use memory from a reputable brand and not some cheap Chinese knock-off junk - your phone or tablet will probably die of old age before your card does. Exceptions do occur, though, and memory chips can fail: so make a habit of regularly backing up the contents of your card to a PC or cloud service.