Do airport scanners kill flash memory?

[FreshPrince]

My friend just got back from mexico and he's having trouble copying pics from the smartmedia. we tried 2 flash memory readers...one wants to reformat the disk and the other reads it as blank. will sending flash memory through airport scanners somehow wipe it clean?

thx!

Fresh

 

[John]

Good question. I am leaving the country in May and would like to know as well.

 

[corkyg]

If they are functioning properly, airport scanners have no effect on magnetic media. They are X-Ray scanners that look throu things. X-Rays can fog film if subjected to reptitive exposure,. I have traveled quite a bit the past 10 years with magnetic media - laptop, digicam, etc., and have never had a problem.

If, however, the scanner is not functioning properly, and is emitting a high level of collateral EMI, then it is possible to have some effect on magnetic media. But, I have never run into this. Then again, I have never traveled into and out of Mexico by air lately.

Can he read his pictures in the camera? If so - then the problem could be the reader used.

 

[FishTankX]

Excuse, me , this is solid state memory. And I would like to know too..

 

[Dink]

The scanner and X-ray machines won't damamge flash memory. BUT, the irradiation process the US postal service uses now will destroy pharmaceuticals, contact lenses, biologicals, film or flash memory cards. Just a warning.

 

[nortexoid]

interesting...good to know, as i'll be leaving the country in sept with confidential meeeecro-film (roll the 'r')

 

[FreshPrince]

ok, spoke to him some more and found this piece of information: the digicam went through the scanner and he was able to view his pics from the camera on the plane....however, sometime after takeoff, the media stopped working...this is after they announced that it's ok to use digital equipment. So my guess is he used the camera in the time period during takeoff when he's not supposed to use it and it may have caused some problems with the flash memory. Sounds far fetched