I have several SD cards and USB flash drives that are often laying around my work space. Do I have to be careful to keep magnets away from them? (This paranoia is showing my age - I remember needing to make sure magnets never got near my precious 3.5 inch floppies...)
asked Mar 1, 2012 at 18:13
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Related: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…– iglvzxMar 1, 2012 at 18:33
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possible duplicate of Can Screwdrivers With Magnetic Tips Cause Damage To Electronics?– DiogoMar 1, 2012 at 18:38
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@DiogoRocha The thing about that question is that it is extremely broad and the top answer is anecdotal. I do not think they are duplicates.– iglvzxMar 1, 2012 at 18:41
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possible duplicate of superuser.com/questions/338641/…– BlueRaja - Danny PflughoeftMar 1, 2012 at 19:01
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1 Answer
No, unless the magnet is REALLY strong (see below quote). There is not enough magnetic material in them.
"A magnet powerful enough to disturb the electrons in flash would be powerful enough to suck the iron out of your blood cells"
If the above quote is the case you should not be working where you do.
It is also a big myth that normal magnets can ruin harddrives.
The same goes for hard drives. The only magnets powerful enough to scrub data from a drive platter are laboratory degaussers or those used by government agencies to wipe bits off media.
But those floppies, don't let them near your magnets.
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2Wouldn't the force exerted on the electrons be proportional to the speed at which you move the thumb drive through the magnetic field? Mar 1, 2012 at 23:24
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@SimonRichter Actually, it's inversely proportional to the speed you pass over it. Source: many years wiping mag media with electro magnet. Also, my electro magnet will erase a HDD no prob. In fact, the handheld electro mag will make a HDD unable to ever work again if you leave it over the drive too long.– kroweSep 7, 2014 at 4:36
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