When it comes to downloading and installing software, do you (or anyone else) actually keep the install files on an SSD after the software's been installed?

I’ve got a backup SSD where I keep all my downloaded software for my Mac, and yesterday I had to pull everything off because the drive was starting to show signs of failing. This now gives me a chance to sort through everything.

Considering I’ve got a Time Machine backup of my MacBook with all my programs and plugins, so do I really need to keep all these install files, or should I just let them go?

 

There is absolutely no way I would waste SSD space over an already installed program. Price per gb is too high to just sit there. Get an HDD if you want to do that kind of content backup, otherwise just delete everything.

 

Yep. I STILL have my very first installation files on Floppy Discs too! Win3.1.1.(cant remember if it was 3 or 4 discs) Progressing to CD, then DVD, USB Sticks and now Hard Drives/ SSD.

 

Hello @Vincent Price, yes, I always keep everything, and I rename the folder. For example, it looks like this:
Pitch Innovations - Sonic Atlas v1.0.1 VST3 - 05.11.2025 - 200 MB - KG - R2R, so that I can find everything again later if needed.
I often include the plugin's PDFs and images in the folder, which I then compress using WinRAR.

I move the folder to an external SSD, which I keep securely in a fireproof case. Even if the internet crashes tomorrow, I'll have everything I need. Backups aren't 100% reliable, so I also burn the most important files to Blu-ray. Even if a flood ruins my computer, my data is safe. Always prepare for the worst: total data loss, complete PC failure, or ransomware encryption. Consider that you too can become a victim of burglary and theft. What do thieves usually take first?

Data backup and labeling are hard work, but they always pay off.

 

Last edited: Nov 7, 2025 at 10:30 AM

I used to keep almost everything I installed, even stuff that I would later uninstall. These days, because I am running out of cloud storage due to Kontakt libraries, I've really been thinking about only keeping a handful of plugins that I really reach for. Sadly, there's no "plugin usage" counter on Studio One, so that makes things a little difficult. For me, really, it's just about convenience if I have to reinstall the whole system (which I haven't done since Windows 8, before even 8.1). I have backup images and the system is in a very well-kept state, so honestly, it's really just hoarding mentality.

 

I keep things I will need if I am going to do a system restore. For instance, MacOS Catalina will no longer install the most current version of a few things like 3rd party Logitech mouse, keyboard; and so i keep an older copy of their installer, or the version of Opera I like. But the issue with those that make them worth keeping is because they are difficult to find sometimes due to updates. Not because the little guy company has gone out of business.

Back many years ago, prior to the explosive proliferation of high speed internet for home users; not everything was backed up in such a way things did end up not getting archived. The worst exception to this is any freeware, because people think they will always be able to just go get another free copy. Unfortunately, the freeware being free is ironically the reason why the developers website will no longer be around to get a new copy of your file.

 

A 20TB HD is a couple of hundred bucks these days. Plenty of space to store stuff you'd like to keep, but don't need to access often...

 

I keep all installation files, except if the SW in question has been updated several times since.
On several occasions i have been very pleased to have older stuff still lying around when I needed it in some way.
Disk space is so cheap these days. What's a few TB between friends?

 

Every installation file, but more importantly, every library is always backed up (mirrored) to at least two other disks for storage. I don't want a 180 GB Kontakt library to be lost because of a potential crash. So, some 12–15 TB in a few closets are enough for me so far.

 

SSDs aren't aimed for longtime storage, they need to be written all the time. HDDs are the choice for backups. They are way more reliable and safe. And yes, I try to backup all I use.

 

i would never trust anything like timemachine - and not even making cloned images of HDs - to have a restore option for my personal system.

keeping all installers, files and information you onced used to install something in a single place is the most safe method of beeing able to reproduce the whole computer setup (as well as single application installs) if anything goes wrong or you you want to copy or have to replace the hardware.

this applies to all kind of software installs, from pure files over "drag installs" to cracked software or legit software with dongle protection. always keep everything in once place.

in 10 years from now you will not even be able to remember how somethign was called, from where you bought it, or where you have stored the serialnumber.

 

Thank you for that info. I never knew that!!!

 

How long does data on SSDs last without power?

The question of whether SSDs can lose data if they are disconnected from power for extended periods comes up frequently online. What's the truth?

One group swears by SSDs, considers them reliable, and is completely convinced by the technology. The other group is skeptical whether an SSD can perform at least as well as, or even better than, a conventional hard drive with rotating magnetic platters. Now, a rumor about SSDs is circulating online that is causing even more doubt among critics – triggered by the question of whether flash memory can lose data if it is disconnected from power for an extended period.

An answer to this can be found by looking at the example of your PC's boot process: The computer retrieves the operating system from the hard drive and writes it to the main memory (RAM). This process occurs every time the computer is switched on, since RAM can only write data when it is powered on. SSDs use memory chips very similar to RAM, leading one to assume they also require a constant power supply to save files. However, this is not the case.

Instead, flash memory uses NAND flash chips, which employ a different type of gateway wiring. This ensures that a certain level of power is maintained even when the system is powered off. Flash memory also possesses a special feature known as a "floating gate." This is an electrical insulation that prevents external interference. Thanks to these protective measures, it can be definitively said that an SSD is a suitable long-term storage device.

At the same time, the ambient temperature of the storage medium affects the data's lifespan when the power supply is disconnected. If the storage temperature remains constant at 25 degrees Celsius, the data will be retained for approximately two years. However, if it rises by just five degrees, the lifespan is halved. These figures, however, are purely theoretical. The actual time until data loss varies from model to model, as manufacturing differences also play a role. However, as a general rule, you should not store an SSD in a warm, but not excessively hot, environment without power for more than two years to avoid jeopardizing the data stored on it.

Source: www.pcwelt.de/article/1178345/so-lange-halten-daten-auf-ssds-ohne-stromversorgung.html

 

Last edited: Nov 7, 2025 at 5:47 PM

I just don't really understand the point of doing this anymore, because you can easily find everything you could possibly need to reinstall.

Sure, there are some exceptions to that; but you will know what those things are. Maybe an unreleased patch or program. Or some freeware thing you know you might not be able to track down. In the case of Camel Audio, as example; a big company will snap up a smaller one.
But the atmosphere in audio is not the movie Wall Street yet where companies are buying others just to close them down. There are some people who will only buy things that are already k'd or soon to be; because R2R are rather accurate when they say they give software "the eternal life". Like they did with the EmuX e-mu emulator no longer needing an authentication server.

My general take is that if I cannot find something, it's because people are no longer using it. There is very likely a new option which supersedes the one you are looking for. I've never thought "I have noticed a distinct lack of DX7 emulations in music these days", and I'm sure no-one here has either. You'll more likely be faced with 20 other options to replace what you can't find. We're not talking about hard copy paper out-of-print books here or your favorite vintage Remi Martin. We're talking about flashlight batteries, in the greater scheme of things. Fit, Form, and Function replacement of things, and then just make it work. The what-ifs are only good ones in the case of "what if the internet crashes and goes down forever tomorrow", but you'd have a lot bigger things to worry about than a plugin you can't find.

 

Last edited: Nov 7, 2025 at 5:33 PM

I use four SSDs: two 4TB high-speed drives and two more 4TB drives with slower write speeds. I back up everything I have every 15 days. If one fails, I know I have three backups.

Regards

 

I always have dedicated External hard drive for things I download. And it is excluded from Windows Security, so that my Keygens are not deleted.

 

Last edited: Nov 7, 2025 at 6:29 PM

My entire life is stored on numerous HDDs, so why not installation files ?

 

the question should be do you install software after you keep it

 

You can backup installation files to another drive be it internal or external.
You can take an exact bootable image of your drive to another drive like a mirror that is offline so if it dies your system returns as it was.

Both stated, the issue if you get major problems with the second is you may never be sure if the image you backed up had an issue that will only rear its head again.

The answer? Up to the individual but for me, I have virgin install on a filed-away drive with everything base that I know has zero issues, a current full system backup I overwrite each month and the software I know I will always use with an O/S installation on an external.
Is it perfect? NAH, far from it. But it works for me.

 

I keep everything in triplicate on my hard drive: software presets, Kontakt libraries, samples, and MP3s. Everything is catalogued by names, separated by spaces, without special characters, numbers, and commas for quick archiving and searching. I arrived at this type of archiving after several years of backing up.