A warning to my fellow newbies

[DinkyDogg_]

I was just messing with my floppy drive, trying to figure out why it wasn't working from the last time I messed with it, when it came to me. I was using a magnetized screwdriver. Bad idea. I don't know for sure if that's what screwed it up, but all the same- don't use a magnetized screwdriver when messing with your magnetic drives! Good thing I made that mistake on the floppy drive instead of the hard drive....

Well, I hope you can learn from my stupid mistake. May it be the last one (yeah right...)

[Google]

[alasdair2000]

I'm going to ask a stupid question.

Let's say I'm using a magnetic screwdriver as a standard tool to build/fix a computer. Given that I'm not applying any power to the system and I'm not disassembling any component, when should I not use a magnetic screwdriver?

Obviously I'm not going to need a screwdriver to install RAM but what about the magnetic/optical drives? It's safe to screw a HDD or a floppy drive into the bay, right?

[2old2care]

I use a magnetized driver all the time for assembly...DD was using it inside the drive when it was open...have you tried de-magnetizing the heads of the drive. They are the only things that it would bother in a floppy drive...residual charge on heads...just like in tape recording. A few of us remember those days.
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Liquid-Cooled Q9450 and an EeePC
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[sandness]

As far as magnets and hard drives go, I've never had any bad luck. In fact, I had once attempted to erase a hard drive with a pretty good sized magnet (about 40oz or couple pounds). It didn't even phase it. I lost no data and it worked just fine afterwards. That was before I found out about writing 0's to a drive to erase it.

[ToggleHead]

you shouldnt have a problem with that at ALL........its good practice not to leave large magnets, like speakers and subwoofers and such near a computer for a prolonged period of time, but screwdrivers you'll be fine with
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[Ham_fisT]

Some of the most powerful magnets I have seen came OUT of a hard drive...right next to the platters

so a magnetic screwdriver shoul have no effect on the drives.

but don't store you floppy DISCS on top of your subwoofer, that WILL corrupt data
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Yeah....... ok

[JayDubya]

[Sally]

The only way yoiu can damage a HD w/ a magnetic screwdriver is by spearing the drive w/ it.
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[madcat]

[Josh]

yup, i alwayts use a magnetic screwdriver when builing my comps....it helps alot for installing the motherbaord alot, as you always drop the screws, and fitting your hands between the CPU cooler and the PSU is difficult Being able to pick it up via a magnet is most useful. Besides, the magnetism of a screwdriver is low anyway, if you were using an electromagnet that is used to pick up cars, then i would reconsider
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[fussnfeathers]

Don't worry about the sub next to your tower. There is simply not enough magnetic power in a speaker to erase a hard drive. Period. Computer speakers are shielded, in fact, most home speakers are shielded to an extent, to prevent interference with TV's and such. A sub the size of even a Z680 only has a total of 1000 Gauss.......it takes over 10,000 Gauss to even make a dent in a hard drive, and it's actually impossible with consumer magnets to erase a hard drive magnetically.

Don't worry about using a magnetic screwdriver, you're not going to erase anything, and don't worry about your sub being next to your tower. It won't hurt anything, it's simply not powerful enough.
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Big enough to scare you