[Catfish]

^ USB sticks, like SSDs, can store data for a long time; but the problem are changes of the data. If you use such a device for everyday changes, they will fail at some point. Data on such "fixed" devices (or better their memory blocks) can only be overwritten for a limited number of times (like with rewritabled CDs/DVDs, the technology is a bit different but has similar problems).

Best is really to store important data on HDs. The problem here is that the adaptors/ports/connectors change over time. This is due to improved hardware (inside computers back then IDE, SCSI, SATA, next .. what ?), or USB 2, 3, ..next? a.s.o..

So to keep data you have to regularly update the data storage devices, and copy the data to the newer ones. This is b.t.w. a big problem for museums etc., some say our times will become known as the "low information age", because data of this time stored in contemporary devices will not be accessible in a few decades from now – either because the storage containers broke down (like with CDs appx. 20 years of usability, or HDs with appx. 5 years until first errors and later failure) or because there will be no new computers being able to connect to the old hardware.
Microsoft has already given up on downward compatibility in a lot of cases, and this is the only company that at least used to think about that.