Current Events > Do magnets actually mess up computers?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Just want to know if the myth is true or not

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Why don't you type that in google and hit enter

Cpt_Pineapple posted...

fucking magnets how do they work?

They got lil bits of gravity in em

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Can't get karma and an answer that way

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They mess up the drives. I actually don't know if they mess up anything else.

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Yes, they can, at least with older computers. I'm sure I'll get the technical terminology wrong but it's because memory (and maybe storage?) was/is based on destructive reading methods.

Basically, say you have a blank memory stick that's all 0's. All the segments in that loop are going to have a magnetic direction pointing one way. Then say you save a document to it. To save the data, a "write" signal is sent out over the loop to change the directionality of the corresponding segments to the opposite, so that the next time you load that document it's recreated according to the binary. When you load the document, the "read" signal actually goes out, when it hits a "reversed" section it reports that back to the system but it also reverts the section back to the original direction, so that has to be re-written.

Anyway, it's based on the magnetic direction of the block of memory and so if you put a strong enough magnet next to it then it'll change the direction, thus fudging up the data.

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Hexenherz posted...

Yes, they can, at least with older computers. I'm sure I'll get the technical terminology wrong but it's because memory (and maybe storage?) was/is based on destructive reading methods.

Basically, say you have a blank memory stick that's all 0's. All the segments in that loop are going to have a magnetic direction pointing one way. Then say you save a document to it. To save the data, a "write" signal is sent out over the loop to change the directionality of the corresponding segments to the opposite, so that the next time you load that document it's recreated according to the binary. When you load the document, the "read" signal actually goes out, when it hits a "reversed" section it reports that back to the system but it also reverts the section back to the original direction, so that has to be re-written.

Anyway, it's based on the magnetic direction of the block of memory and so if you put a strong enough magnet next to it then it'll change the direction, thus fudging up the data.

Ohhhh I see how it is now. Was curious because I was playing with a refrigerator magnet and notice it stuck to my keyboard lightly.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Yeah I doubt the weed magnet will pull of the job

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I wouldn't recommend it but I've wrecked the hell out of a monitor that I was throwing out anyway by dragging a pretty weak magnet over it.

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