Can kids magnets really screw up an XP laptop

[Yobbo]

Hi

One of the teachers that I support has brought their XP laptop to me cos
they say the OS is doing all weird and wonderful things. Its really weird
and I haven't seen it before, its as if the hard disk and/or OS is sick.

On further investigation, the teacher said that her son had left the laptop
running next to a load of his magnets and she says they are pretty strong.

Can they affect the hard disk's mechanics? Is there a way to remedy this?

Thanks

 

[Ayush]

From-http://ask-leo.com/how_should_i_erase_my_hard_drive_before_i_give_it_away.html
**********
It's a common recommendation to use a big heavy magnet to really erase a hard
disk.
**********

AND
http://www.macminute.com/cgi-bin/ww...r=227025&page=32&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&part

 

[RA]

Hi

One of the teachers that I support has brought their XP laptop to me
cos they say the OS is doing all weird and wonderful things. Its
really weird and I haven't seen it before, its as if the hard disk
and/or OS is sick.

On further investigation, the teacher said that her son had left the
laptop running next to a load of his magnets and she says they are
pretty strong.

Can they affect the hard disk's mechanics? Is there a way to remedy
this?

Thanks

I don't know about the hard disk's mechanics, but another name for a hard
drive is 'magnetic' hard disk drive. The data on the disk is stored as itty
bitty teeny weeny magnetized areas on the disk. If you move those itty bitty
teeny weeny magnetized bits around (with a magnet), you have changed or
deleted your information pretty much permanently. I don't allow my
grandchildren to have any kind of magnets in my house because I know that,
sooner or later, those magnets will migrate to my office to muck up my
equipment.

 

[paulmd]

Hi

One of the teachers that I support has brought their XP laptop to me cos
they say the OS is doing all weird and wonderful things. Its really weird
and I haven't seen it before, its as if the hard disk and/or OS is sick.

On further investigation, the teacher said that her son had left the laptop
running next to a load of his magnets and she says they are pretty strong.

Can they affect the hard disk's mechanics? Is there a way to remedy this?

Thanks

Your average refrigerator magnet just isn't strong enough to screw with
the hard drive, even up close. A more powerful magnet might do it,
though. But unless they were directly on top of the drive, and closer
that an inch or 2 away, i don't think they're to blame.

To put it in perspective, the magnets inside a hard drive are so
powerful that you can put one on each side of your hand and they will
still stick together.

Worst case scenario, replace hard drive.

Download the drive utilities from the manufacturer of the hard drive,
and run the diagnostics.

You might get good results from reformatting and reinstalling the OS.

 

[Pennywise]

To put it in perspective, the magnets inside a hard drive are so
powerful that you can put one on each side of your hand and they will
still stick together.

Torn up a lot of hard drives for those handy magnets, the older the HD
the better, I have some magnets that will jump 5 inches to join
together.