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Ask Mr. Computer Guy!

Q: Dear Ask Mr. Computer Guy,

Will magnetic fields destroy data?

Damned if I know. Try PC World.

For venerable floppies, this statement holds true. We placed a 99-cent magnet on a 3.5-inch floppy for a few seconds. The magnet stuck to the disk and ruined its data.

Fortunately, most modern storage devices, such as SD and CompactFlash memory cards, are immune to magnetic fields. "There's nothing magnetic in flash memory, so [a magnet] won't do anything," says Bill Frank, executive director of the CompactFlash Association. "A magnet powerful enough to disturb the electrons in flash would be powerful enough to suck the iron out of your blood cells," says Frank.

I'm going to be busy for the next few days. Back on Monday.

Via Fazed

Comments (2)

dof:

10/15/2004 06:21:42 AM

I'm going to be busy for the next few days

I almost daren't ask, but are you going to be busy with powerful magnets?

10/15/2004 11:14:18 PM

I would reply to this -- but I seem to have most unfortunately shotgunned my hard drive.

So I won't.

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