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Degaussed Laptop??

T

Tsunami982

Senior member
my idiot friend placed one of those telescopic magnet pens (the ones they use for picking up screws that fall into tight places) on my laptop a couple hours ago.

i was wondering if anyone knew if the magnet would degauss or otherwise damage my computer, specifically the hard drive. if anyone could help me on this it would be really great. i read online that turning it on after it has been exposed to a strong magnet could lead to further damage so im a little weary of turning it on to test it out.

im taking the computer in for repairs in a couple days but would really like to know at least something before then. thanks.

i dont know exactly how strong the magnet is but its very similar to the one here:Pickup Tool. just tested it out and it can easily pick up a 5lbs weight.

SIDE QUESTION:
all this thought about degaussing got me thinking, how close would the average degaussing loop (like the one in the average monitor) have to be to nuke a laptop?
 
No. AFAIK, the magnetic field needed to erase a drive would have to be strong enough to bend the frame first. Does the laptop work? If so, then forget about it. Oh, btw, degaussing does not refer to the action of placing the magnet on a thing, you need a 'degaussing coil' for that.
 

Don't sweat the little stuff and turn on your computer. It is unlikely that anything is damage because the plastic casing shield your computer.
 
Originally posted by: OffTopic

Don't sweat the little stuff and turn on your computer. It is unlikely that anything is damage because the plastic casing shield your computer.
Click to expand...

Plastic casing has no effect on magnetic fields.
 
Originally posted by: Aimster
probably nothing. I accidently screwed my harddrive in with a magnetic screwdriver.
Click to expand...
I uses magnetic screwdrivers to take hdds cover apart quite a few times & never once the hdds stop working (not even lost of data, however I haven't try putting the screwdriver tip directly onto the plater surface).
 
Originally posted by: So
No. AFAIK, the magnetic field needed to erase a drive would have to be strong enough to bend the frame first. Does the laptop work? If so, then forget about it. Oh, btw, degaussing does not refer to the action of placing the magnet on a thing, you need a 'degaussing coil' for that.
Click to expand...

well i read somewhere that if you suspect that your computer has been damaged by exposure to an strong magnetic field that you shouldnt turn it on, it will only make things worse. so 5lbs (strengh) magnet not strong enough to nuke my laptop?
 
Originally posted by: So
Originally posted by: OffTopic

Don't sweat the little stuff and turn on your computer. It is unlikely that anything is damage because the plastic casing shield your computer.
Click to expand...

Plastic casing has no effect on magnetic fields.
Click to expand...
Thanks
What was I thinking about 😱
I use to shield my radio with metal spray paint on the inside of the casing and ground it.
 
Originally posted by: Tsunami982
Originally posted by: So
No. AFAIK, the magnetic field needed to erase a drive would have to be strong enough to bend the frame first. Does the laptop work? If so, then forget about it. Oh, btw, degaussing does not refer to the action of placing the magnet on a thing, you need a 'degaussing coil' for that.
Click to expand...

well i read somewhere that if you suspect that your computer has been damaged by exposure to an strong magnetic field that you shouldnt turn it on, it will only make things worse. so 5lbs (strengh) magnet not strong enough to nuke my laptop?
Click to expand...

As I said, I seriously doubt it.
 
Send your laptop to me.

I will carefully dismantle it and verify each component my Special Test Equipment.

😉
 
degauss involves rapid occilations..
something that pics up screws is not near enough power to erase anything anyways... magnets power strength drops VERY rapidly with distance to boot.
 
It' a weak magnet, and there'll be some shielding provided by the chassis of the notebook and even the case of the HD. I'd put money on it being absolutely fine.... in fact, lets have a poll, then you can turn it on and we'll see who was right!

£20 says no problem.
 
Originally posted by: loic2003
It' a weak magnet, and there'll be some shielding provided by the chassis of the notebook and even the case of the HD. I'd put money on it being absolutely fine.... in fact, lets have a poll, then you can turn it on and we'll see who was right!

£20 says no problem.
Click to expand...

Another Brit!

:heart:
 
Even if you dragged the magnet along the metal top of the HD, it's unlikely that anything would happen. The HD itself has a remarkably-powerful magnet inside the drive already, as part of the VCO head-actuator assembly. So don't worry, your laptop is fine.
 
Originally posted by: DannyBoy
Originally posted by: loic2003
It' a weak magnet, and there'll be some shielding provided by the chassis of the notebook and even the case of the HD. I'd put money on it being absolutely fine.... in fact, lets have a poll, then you can turn it on and we'll see who was right!

£20 says no problem.
Click to expand...

Another Brit!

:heart:
Click to expand...

50 Quid says there are more...
 
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Originally posted by: DannyBoy
Originally posted by: loic2003
It' a weak magnet, and there'll be some shielding provided by the chassis of the notebook and even the case of the HD. I'd put money on it being absolutely fine.... in fact, lets have a poll, then you can turn it on and we'll see who was right!

£20 says no problem.
Click to expand...

Another Brit!

:heart:
Click to expand...

50 Quid says there are more...
Click to expand...

I know most of them 😛

They're just, rare 🙁
 
Originally posted by: Tsunami982
Originally posted by: So
No. AFAIK, the magnetic field needed to erase a drive would have to be strong enough to bend the frame first. Does the laptop work? If so, then forget about it. Oh, btw, degaussing does not refer to the action of placing the magnet on a thing, you need a 'degaussing coil' for that.
Click to expand...

well i read somewhere that if you suspect that your computer has been damaged by exposure to an strong magnetic field that you shouldnt turn it on, it will only make things worse. so 5lbs (strengh) magnet not strong enough to nuke my laptop?
Click to expand...

This makes no sense.

I think its broken so I shouldn't turn it on because it might break itself more?

Think about it some more.....

Just turn the damn thing on.
 
Originally posted by: So
Originally posted by: OffTopic

Don't sweat the little stuff and turn on your computer. It is unlikely that anything is damage because the plastic casing shield your computer.
Click to expand...

Plastic casing has no effect on magnetic fields.
Click to expand...


har drives are magnetically shielded arent they?
 
Originally posted by: OffTopic
Originally posted by: Aimster
probably nothing. I accidently screwed my harddrive in with a magnetic screwdriver.
Click to expand...
I uses magnetic screwdrivers to take hdds cover apart quite a few times & never once the hdds stop working (not even lost of data, however I haven't try putting the screwdriver tip directly onto the plater surface).
Click to expand...


id be lost with out my magnetic screw driver....that or id have lost screws rattling round
 
That tiny little magnet probably won't cause any problems.

But, it IS possible to screw up a hard drive with magnets (unlike what others here have said) - I know this from experience. I left a large (about 4" diameter) GPS antenna with a magnetic base in my laptop bag for a couple of weeks once, and the drive got F'ed up. Not enough to prevent the computer from booting, but it did corrupt some files (caused enough damage that I had to reinstall the OS). Plus I think the magnet also screwed up the CD-ROM drive - it wouldn't read any CDs correctly after that.
 
Originally posted by: shekondar
Plus I think the magnet also screwed up the CD-ROM drive - it wouldn't read any CDs correctly after that.
Click to expand...
Strange, CD's being optical and all...



I say boot the bloody thing up, worst case = buy a new HD for it: no biggie.

I've still got my £20 on it working no problem. Anyone want to bet otherwise?
 
Originally posted by: loic2003
Originally posted by: shekondar
Plus I think the magnet also screwed up the CD-ROM drive - it wouldn't read any CDs correctly after that.
Click to expand...
Strange, CD's being optical and all...
Click to expand...

CD-ROM drives have a small magnet & coil inside the head to focus the lens...my guess is that the larger magnet screwed up the smaller one inside the drive.
 
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