Why Are Magnets Bad for Computers?
The old myth that a magnet will destroy the information on your computer is only partially true. In reality, it depends on which storage device you are utilizing. Are you utilizing a floppy disk, hard drive or flash media? Most storage devices that you use on your computer today will not be affected by a traditional magnet. However, if you are still using a floppy disk, a magnet can be a threat.
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Magnetism
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In order for a computer or storage device to be affected by a magnet, it has to have something magnetic in it. Magnets attract other magnets. If a device does not have some type of magnetism, the magnet will not be drawn to the device.
Floppy Disks
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The 3.5 floppy disk does have magnetism within it. For this reason, magnets destroying data on the floppy disk fueled the myth about magnets destroying your computer. If you buy a cheap magnet and put it near a floppy disk, the magnet will stick to it. After a few seconds, the information on that floppy disk will be destroyed. You will no longer be able to access the data.
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Other Storage Devices
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Generally, newer storage devices will not be affected by magnets because they do not have any magnetism. Though many computers, hard drives and other storage devices have electrons in them, a normal magnet does not have the power to disturb the electrons. This is also true of today's memory cards and flash media.
Erasing Data
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Many times, people have purposely utilized magnets to try to erase data from hard drives. This will not work. You can, however, overwrite the information on a hard drive. There are software programs made specifically for overwriting data. The government has tools to erase information from a hard drive. They use lab degaussers and other stronger magnetic instruments. Once data has been erased from magnetic media, the information cannot be retrieved.
Overwriting Data
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Overwriting data is not always the same as erasing data. Overwriting data refers to replacing old information with new information. On any type of flash media, overwriting data is the same as erasing data because the information is not recoverable once it is overwritten. In this case, being overwritten is the same as being erased. On any type of magnetic media, old data that has been overwritten, or at least some portion of it, can usually be retrieved by professionals. Therefore, the information was overwritten, but not erased.
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