What is machine rot?

Copilot's interesting answer is below. Any comments?
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Machine rot is a term that refers to the gradual decline of software performance or functionality over time, even if nothing has changed in the software itself1. Machine rot can be caused by various factors, such as changes in the environment, compatibility issues, bugs, or improper use of resources2. Machine rot can affect the speed, stability, security, and usability of software, and may require updates, upgrades, or repairs to fix3.

Some ways to prevent or mitigate machine rot are:

• Keep your software updated with the latest patches and security fixes4.
• Uninstall or disable unused or unnecessary software that may consume resources or interfere with other programs4.
• Clean up your system registry, disk space, and temporary files regularly to remove clutter and improve performance5.
• Use antivirus and anti-malware software to protect your system from malicious attacks that may corrupt or damage your software5.
• Backup your important data and software regularly to avoid losing them in case of a system failure or crash5.

I hope this helps you understand what machine rot is and how to deal with it.

1: Software rot - Wikipedia 2: Software Rot: Definition, Causes, Threats, Mitigation Methods 3: What is Windows Rot & how to arrest it! - The Windows Club 4: Avoiding or Fixing Software Rot in Windows 10 - Ask Leo! 5: Software Rot: Definition, Causes, Threats, Mitigation Methods

Similar to what's known as "bit rot" in regards to the bios.

Machine rot is simply "AI BS"

Ghosts in the machine.!!

Cheers
jimbo

BamaInArk said:

Similar to what's known as "bit rot" in regards to the bios.

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Copilot has this to say about bit rot.
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Bit rot is a term that describes the gradual degradation or corruption of digital data over time. It can affect various types of data, such as photos, documents, music files, and videos. Bit rot can occur due to several factors, such as hardware failures, software errors, environmental conditions, or human errors12.
There are different ways to protect your data from bit rot, such as using error-correcting code (ECC), checksums, backups, and RAID systems13. However, none of these methods are foolproof, and some data loss may be inevitable in the long run. Therefore, it is advisable to regularly check your data for errors and update your storage devices as needed.
If you want to learn more about bit rot, you can check out these web search results:

• Bit Rot: How Hard Drives and SSDs Die Over Time - How-To Geek
• Definition of bit rot | PCMag
• Bit rot Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
• What is Bit Rot? | CellularNews
• Bit rot - Wikipedia

I don’t think rot is the right word when talking about computers - unless it is literally going rusty! Degradation is maybe more accurate.

I used to have optical storage that I converted into solid state storage (more recent technology) but in terms of bit rot, that may have been a backwards step
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Optical storage and solid state storage are two different types of data storage technologies that have different advantages and disadvantages in terms of bit rot. Bit rot is the gradual degradation or corruption of digital data over time, which can affect various types of data, such as photos, documents, music files, and videos. Bit rot can occur due to several factors, such as hardware failures, software errors, environmental conditions, or human errors12.
Optical storage uses lasers to create and read pits and lands on a disc, such as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray. These pits and lands represent the bits of data (1s and 0s) stored on the disc. Optical storage has a very long shelf life without worry about bit rot, as the pits and lands do not change over time. However, optical storage can be damaged by scratches, dust, heat, or humidity, which can make the disc unreadable34.
Solid state storage uses flash memory chips to store bits of data using electrical charges in microscopic transistors. Solid state storage has the advantages of faster speed, lower power consumption, and higher durability than optical storage. However, solid state storage can suffer from bit rot when the electrical charges leak out of the transistors over time, or when the flash memory cells wear out after a certain number of write cycles1 .
To protect your data from bit rot, regardless of the storage type, you should use some of the following methods:

• Error-correcting code (ECC): This is a technique that adds extra bits of data to detect and correct errors when reading data from a storage device. Some optical discs and solid state drives have built-in ECC, while others may require external ECC software1 .
• Checksums: This is a technique that calculates a numerical value based on the data stored on a device. By comparing the checksums of the original and the copied data, you can verify the integrity and authenticity of the data. Some file systems and backup software use checksums to prevent bit rot1 .
• Backups: This is the most basic and essential method to prevent data loss due to bit rot or any other cause. You should make multiple copies of your important data and store them on different devices and locations. You should also update your backups regularly and check them for errors1 .
• RAID systems: This is a technique that combines multiple storage devices into a single logical unit that can provide redundancy, performance, or both. RAID systems can protect your data from bit rot by mirroring, striping, or parity-checking the data across multiple devices. However, RAID systems are not a substitute for backups, as they can still fail due to hardware or software issues1 .

If you want to learn more about optical storage, solid state storage, and bit rot, you can check out these web search results:

• Bit Rot: How Hard Drives and SSDs Die Over Time - How-To Geek
• Why aren’t optical disks the top choice for archive storage?
• Optical storage - Wikipedia
• Optical Storage: Definition, Devices & Types - Study.com
• [Solid-state drive - Wikipedia]
• [Error detection and correction - Wikipedia]
• [Checksum - Wikipedia]
• [Backup - Wikipedia]
• [RAID - Wikipedia]

IMO those terms are just new names referring to conditions we've all been aware of our entire computing life. Time and conditions degrade hardware and its ability to do its job as effectively as when it was new. It's the same thing for people. It's called "old age". Add the human factor into the equation and some data that was once pristine becomes dirty. Human Rot begins setting in as soon as a new system is turned on... a fragmented file here, a human error there.The only systems that have no "rot" are brand spanking new ones.(assuming each piece of its hardware is 100% compatible and performing at 100% or better of it's specs).Of course, we could go one step further and add the term "Microsoft rot". The OS would have to be 100% perfect for a system to be "rot free".

glasskuter said:

IMO those terms are just new names referring to conditions we've all been aware of our entire computing life. Time and conditions degrade hardware and its ability to do its job as effectively as when it was new. It's the same thing for people. It's called "old age". Add the human factor into the equation and some data that was once pristine becomes dirty. Human Rot begins setting in as soon as a new system is turned on... a fragmented file here, a human error there.The only systems that have no "rot" are brand spanking new ones.(assuming each piece of its hardware is 100% compatible and performing at 100% or better of it's specs).Of course, we could go one step further and add the term "Microsoft rot". The OS would have to be 100% perfect for a system to be "rot free".

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The term machine rot is slanted towards software rot.

In terms of Windows machines, I think that machine/software rot is overshadowed by bad Windows Updates, at least statistically speaking.

I myself never had any problems from a bad Windows Update. There was the rare WU that did not install at first try and only installed at subsequent attempts, but that never caused me any problems.

I did, however, on rare occasions (less frequent than solar eclipses) felt the need to rebuild or partially rebuild/refreshed Windows machines, and reading Copilot's answer in the OP including the references, I now wonder if that was caused by machine/software/Windows rot.

Ghot said:

View attachment 85052

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Nah! That's fire damage. I've seen that before! That was one HOT system!

TechnoMage2021 said:

Nah! That's fire damage. I've seen that before! That was one HOT system!

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LOL.
Cut me some slack. You try and find a pic of a rotting computer.

Sorry, but I just don't like that explanation of "Machine Rot". Ones and zeros are only as secure as the medium on which they are stored.
All storage media, even STONE, degrades with age. The chips in any computer are technically Stone, (Silicon) but after being zapped with electricity, millions of times, they will degrade... ergo the life expectancy of an SSD is rated in hours of use, or millions of Read/Write cycles.

Then there is the less intelligent hardware, like 'Electrolytic Capacitors', which age, and eventually Break Down, and can even explode.
I've personally witnessed that!!! Likewise, with motor bearings, and cooling fans that get hot and lock up, and continue to get hotter and hotter till they just Burn up. I've Seen that too.

That's what I'd have to call, "Machine Rot".

TM Retired Computer Tech.

A chinese sailor lost his way in a storm. Upon returning, he reported seeing people with black skin. The emperor did not believe him, so people with black skin don't exist

Ghot said:

LOL.
Cut me some slack. You try and find a pic of a rotting computer.

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I'm pretty sure I can....what will you pay me for it?

@TechnoMage2021 You didn't read the articles.