Author Topic: How much magnetism is needed to screw up a harddrive? (Read 3404 times)

brimic · « **on:** February 18, 2010, 12:48:07 PM »

When I got up this morning I saw something that really amused me.

Monday my son had off school and my wife took him shopping, and in the process bought a 'Bakugan' toy.
Yesterday I saw him playing with it after school, touching it to various metal surfaces.
I didn't know what exactly it is or was until this morning. Its a ball about the size of a golf ball. Its very magnetic and when it touches something magnetic or ferrous, it pops open into a dragon shape.
I figured this out after plucking it off my wife's work laptop this morning.

zahc · « **Reply #1 on:** February 18, 2010, 01:01:42 PM »

A lot. I'm sure the laptop is fine. I once set two unsheilded car audio speakers on my laptop just to freak my roommate out. It was fine.

Brad Johnson · « **Reply #2 on:** February 18, 2010, 01:10:16 PM »

Depends on how close it came to the drive surface. IIRC magnetic fields drop off exponentially with distance.

Brad

Nick1911 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 18, 2010, 02:02:40 PM »

A heck of a lot. As Brad said, even small distances increase the power needed by quite a lot.

T.O.M. · « **Reply #4 on:** February 18, 2010, 03:07:42 PM »

Once upon a time, the court I work in used to "destroy" tapes and computer drives with a large electromagnet...until we tried a tape and computer after "destruction" and found that nothing had happened. Now, we pull the drives and smack the crap out of them with a sledge hammer. More effective.

Hawkmoon · « **Reply #5 on:** February 18, 2010, 05:01:28 PM »

Quote from: Chris on February 18, 2010, 03:07:42 PM

Once upon a time, the court I work in used to "destroy" tapes and computer drives with a large electromagnet...until we tried a tape and computer after "destruction" and found that nothing had happened. Now, we pull the drives and smack the crap out of them with a sledge hammer. More effective.

The range where I shoot periodically hosts hard drive shoots.

RocketMan · « **Reply #6 on:** February 18, 2010, 06:17:59 PM »

Usually, the best erasure of a magnetic storage medium is done with a moving or alternating magnetic field. Static fields do not work well.

Firethorn · « **Reply #7 on:** February 18, 2010, 09:04:43 PM »

Quote from: RocketMan on February 18, 2010, 06:17:59 PM

Usually, the best erasure of a magnetic storage medium is done with a moving or alternating magnetic field. Static fields do not work well.

You not only have this, but as hard drives become able to store larger amounts of data, they actually alter the plates to make them more 'difficult' to change the magnetism - think of the detail difference you can have between etching soft clay and etching marble.

Degaussing a hard drive properly takes a hundred+ pound piece of equipment with rare earth magnets or very powerful electromagnets.

dogmush · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2010, 09:08:41 PM »

or half a pound of thermite.

Jim147 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2010, 11:27:42 PM »

I vote you test it for us on your wifes laptop.

Start a hard drive benchmark test and then start stacking magnets on it to see if you can get it to go freaky before your wife does.

Have fun.

jim

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #10 on:** February 18, 2010, 11:31:37 PM »

Quote from: Hawkmoon on February 18, 2010, 05:01:28 PM

The range where I shoot periodically hosts hard drive shoots.

But I would give them such a good home.

sanglant · « **Reply #11 on:** February 18, 2010, 11:48:01 PM »

Quote from: brimic on February 18, 2010, 12:48:07 PM

When I got up this morning I saw something that really amused me.

Monday my son had off school and my wife took him shopping, and in the process bought a 'Bakugan' toy.
Yesterday I saw him playing with it after school, touching it to various metal surfaces.
I didn't know what exactly it is or was until this morning. Its a ball about the size of a golf ball. Its very magnetic and when it touches something magnetic or ferrous, it pops open into a dragon shape.
I figured this out after plucking it off my wife's work laptop this morning.

ok time to ask, where can i buy 2.

i'm probably going to regret asking.

CNYCacher · « **Reply #12 on:** February 19, 2010, 12:10:36 AM »

Quote from: fistful on February 18, 2010, 11:31:37 PM

But I would give them such a good home.

yes and Frankenstein gave a good home to all the cadaver parts.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #13 on:** February 19, 2010, 12:11:29 AM »

Silence, Igor!

sanglant · « **Reply #14 on:** February 19, 2010, 12:16:20 AM »

i tink i found 'em

RocketMan · « **Reply #15 on:** February 19, 2010, 01:24:54 AM »

Quote from: Firethorn on February 18, 2010, 09:04:43 PM

Degaussing a hard drive properly takes a hundred+ pound piece of equipment with rare earth magnets or very powerful electromagnets.

Quote from: dogmush on February 18, 2010, 09:08:41 PM

or half a pound of thermite.

I vote for the method that makes the most fire and smoke.

brimic · « **Reply #16 on:** February 19, 2010, 08:07:03 AM »

Fired up the laptop last night- no harm done.

Firethorn · « **Reply #17 on:** February 20, 2010, 04:28:21 PM »

Quote from: RocketMan on February 19, 2010, 01:24:54 AM

I vote for the method that makes the most fire and smoke.

I would as well if it wasn't for such annoying brother agencies like OSHA and the EPA.

:(

Doggy Daddy · « **Reply #18 on:** February 20, 2010, 05:18:32 PM »

Quote

How much magnetism is needed to screw up a harddrive?

The amount of magnetism required is inversely proportional to your desire to preserve the data on the drive.

DD

Nick1911 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 20, 2010, 05:24:58 PM »

I don't think an actual, mains powered deguassing wand would screw up a hard drive.

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Author Topic: How much magnetism is needed to screw up a harddrive? (Read 3404 times)