How much time a hard drive can get without being connect?

[petabyte85]

My HD is with some problems and I'll take for a DR companie, but I was recommend to not turn on the HD.

The budget is free, but depending on the recovery price, I'll have to get it back and agter get the money, to send to the DR companie again to recovery my files, It'll be stored insiden an antistatic plastic up a shelf (Where nobody mess).

It already has some physical and logical problems. (But the fact of leaving ot standing can affect something)?

[petabyte85]

So which is the better option to store the hard drive until take to the data recovery companie?

- Antistatic plastic?
- Plastic case?
- Antistatic plastic inside plastic case?
- Inside the computer, screwed and disconnected (Both SATA cables: energy and data)?

[day1data]

It should be ok to just leave the drive on the shelf as long as it is properly stored and the place is not to humid.

Also don't store it near magnetic fields.

Drives can last years even when they are not in use.

Like Spildit says.

Static bag won't matter too much unless the drive is being transported, handled etc.

Its safe just to leave it in a drawer uncovered but better to be safe with the drive in a static bag to keep out dust, humidity etc.
Best place is if the drive was left in the PC case screwed in but not plugged in. That way there is no risk of losing the drive or knocking it around.