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Possible Duplicate:
What computer components are currently vulnerable to magnets?

Is it safe to keep a magnetic material near the computer? Does the magnetic material affect the performance of computer or computer parts in any way?

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  • Yep - it's a dupe.
    – hotei
    Aug 28, 2010 at 13:13

2 Answers 2

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There is eHow: Why Do Magnets Destroy Computers?

My general opinion has been that strong magnets (not your average refrigerator magnets) and microwaves (probably not your normal mobile phones) can damage data on magnetic storage.

But, I'd like to invite Gravitas who described worries on static charges a short while back here for a second opinion.

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  • @Gravitas, hi there, does this reach your radar? :-)
    – nik
    Aug 28, 2010 at 12:55
  • Does that actually work? I thought you had to be in the thread for it to flag you... otherwise "Dan" would get flagged all the time. I'm not really aware of any good method to flag down another user without going to somewhere else they've been and leaving a comment.
    – Jarvin
    Aug 28, 2010 at 19:59
  • @Dan, I don't think it will work. Was just trying some ideas. Partly, to check that there is no method to flag down another user. It is intended to be that way.
    – nik
    Aug 29, 2010 at 3:09
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What every elementary school computer teacher would say is to keep magnets away from the computer. They're basically afraid that the magnet will start flipping the bits on the magnetic hard drive.

As nik said earlier, the magnets aren't strong enough to do any damage. I would stay on the safe side though and err on the side of keeping magnets away from the computer anyway.

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  • What if the magnet got too close to the hard drive?
    – Dave
    May 8, 2014 at 8:04
  • There are already some very strong magnets inside the hard drive. May 23, 2017 at 12:07

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