Magnet + hard drive.. format, or death?

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M

MDesigner

Platinum Member
Apr 3, 2001
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Let's say I have a HD I want to just wipe out before I sell it. Of course I could do a reformat, but what if I've already taken it out of the computer & don't want to hassle putting it back in to reformat.. could I use a magnet to wipe it out? Does a magnet make a HD unusable? Or will they be able to do a format to use the HD again?

Just curious.
 
E

ELopes580

Diamond Member
Jun 21, 2003
3,891
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I'm tempted to try this on an older drive. :D But I dont think I have strong enough magnet to do the job.
 
V

V00D00

Golden Member
May 25, 2003
1,834
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No, a magnet will probably not do anything. Unless you know how to do it just right. Which I bet no one here does.

What you'll really want to do is do a full format on it about 5 times. That will be sure to clear your data and any traces of it.
 
R

redbeard1

Diamond Member
Dec 12, 2001
3,006
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Consider that there is a very strong magnet already inside all modern hard drives. So if this doesn't affect the data on the platters, how stong would an external magnet have to be?

I knew someone who would appease customers worries by using a mass tape eraser on their hard drives to supposedly erase the data. Hooking the drive up again, found all of the old data there.

It is possible, but not practical.
 
J

Jiggz

Diamond Member
Mar 10, 2001
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Unless, you are using a magnet that has the intensity of those used on MRI machines, I doubt you can erase the data on a hdd. Modern hdd has built in magnetic shielding to protect data in the platter. If you are really worried about the hassle of reconnecting it maybe you ought to buy a used magnet from an MRI machine or built an electromagnet of the same intensity. Personally, I'll just reconnect the darn thing and then use a zeroing program from the hdd manufacturer.
 
13Gigatons

13Gigatons

Diamond Member
Apr 19, 2005
7,461
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Low Level format can take hours on those big drives but it is effective. I would use only apps that the hard drive maker recommends, using others may damaged the hard drive.
 
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JimPhelpsMI

Golden Member
Oct 8, 2004
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Hi, You are not going to find a magnet strong enough to do anything to the drive. Get a program that writes Zeros over the whole drive. They are erroneously called LOW LEVEL FORMATTERS. There are plenty of free ones on the internet. One is on a Boot Disk called MAD BOOT. By the way, it's not as easy to get data off the drive after it's written over as it appears to be on Television. Jim
 
V

vanderStoep

Senior member
Mar 1, 2000
333
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I think a magnet can screw up your HDD quite easely. Put one on your tv screen for a day... (dont your image will be distorted for many years).

That does not mean that al your files on your HDD will be gone but some might. And future read-write operation could be in trouble and a format will not repair this as the magnetism stays on the disc.

There are freeware progrmas that will do what you want.
 
R

ribbon13

Diamond Member
Feb 1, 2005
9,343
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Originally posted by: vanderStoep
I think a magnet can screw up your HDD quite easely. Put one on your tv screen for a day... (dont your image will be distorted for many years).

That does not mean that al your files on your HDD will be gone but some might. And future read-write operation could be in trouble and a format will not repair this as the magnetism stays on the disc.

There are freeware progrmas that will do what you want.
Click to expand...

Back on earth
 
M

MDesigner

Platinum Member
Apr 3, 2001
2,016
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I dunno, I think magnets can harm HDs. You know those "singing magnets" that you toss up in the air & they make a sound? My dad's laptop's HD was ruined by one of those. They're pretty strong magnets. They affect a CRT monitor from 14-18 inches away.
 
0roo0roo

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
84
91
free ware called eraser. let it go over it a couple times. and yes, magnets lose strength over distance very quickly, you'd need one very powerful magnet right next to the platter:p
 
T

tomcas1

Member
Nov 3, 2001
113
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0
Like 13 gigatons said- Do a low level format using a utility available from the drive manufacurer. The utility is free download and fool proof.
 
J

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,684
136
Just writing zeroes to the drive with the manufacturer's bootable utility floppy is entirely adequate, unless you're talking about extremely sensitive information, then you want DBAN or similar. DBAN will wipe every drive in the box, so be very careful how you use it...

Formatting a drive will not remove the information on it, at all, and a variety of utilities can be used to recover the contents... some of them free downloadables.

And you don't have to mount the disk to wipe it. Open the box, disconnect all the drives, hook power and a cable to the drive in question- just leave it sit in the bottom of the case or on the desktop. boot to the floppy, start the program, go to bed. It'll be done by morning, unless you're doing the 32 pass version of DBAN on a very large drive.

If you're worried about the FBI or the NSA, then putting the drive thru a shredder and depositing it in several different dumpsters would be about right..

This would work, although the drive won't really be saleable afterwards-

http://www.magnetechcorp.com/Hard_drive_eraser.htm
 
R

RU482

Lifer
Apr 9, 2000
12,689
3
81
not sure how relavent it would be, but I used to work at a TV station. to erase video tapes, we had to place them on top of this gigantic electromagnet and let it run for 10 seconds or so.
Now, consider the differences in media (tape vs disc), density, and the fact that a hard drive has a metal case.

just thinking out loud
 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
31,204
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SonicIce

SonicIce

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2004
4,771
0
76
Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Originally posted by: mwmorph
Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
This might work
http://www.unitednuclear.com/magnetfull1.jpg
2/3 down the page here http://www.unitednuclear.com/magnets.htm
Click to expand...

wtf, did you just change your avatar today?I almost mistook you for one of those generic spammer guys. anyway i think DBAN is more attractive for those of us that want ot keep our fingers and arms,
Click to expand...

Just having a little fun. Nerdguy is so 2005.
Click to expand...

but he looked just like you :p

holy crap that magnet is crazy, did you read the warning. i gotta get one...
 
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