Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ames!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!ucrmath!hope!deano From: deano@hope.UUCP (Dean Benz) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Re: how strong of a magnet? Message-ID: <73@ucrmath.UUCP> Date: Tue, 1-Dec-87 20:32:56 EST Article-I.D.: ucrmath.73 Posted: Tue Dec 1 20:32:56 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 5-Dec-87 11:17:21 EST References: <9554@shemp.UCLA.EDU> Sender: news@ucrmath.UUCP Reply-To: deano@hope.UUCP (Dean Benz) Organization: University of California, Riverside Lines: 24 In article <9554@shemp.UCLA.EDU> flowers@CS.UCLA.EDU () writes: >Recently people suggested unformatting a floppy by using a magnet. I >needed to do so, so used a donut magnet about 1 inch in diameter >(don't know the strength), and the floppys were readible just fine >afterwards. While I'm gratified to know that they aren't THAT >vulnerable, I'm wondering just how strong of a magnet is needed for >this task. (This time I ended up formatting them on a PC to get the >needed effect). I personally have 2 four inch diameter x 1 inch thich Speaker magnets that I use to "unformat disks". It does seem to take quite a bit of effort to convince the mac the disk is completely unreadable. I tried using a cassete deck demagnetizer a few times but was unable to make the disk completely unreadable. The big magnets do quite a nice job and are readily available? (Know anyone who has recently blown a home or car speaker, ask them for the dead one and pry the magnet off the back.) Good Luck. Dean Benz UUCP: {ucbvax!ucdavis,sdcsvax,ucivax,ucla-cs}!ucrmath!hope!deano ARPA: ucrmath!hope!deano@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu or ucrmath!hope!deano@ics.uci.edu USNail: Dean Benz, 1110 Blaine St. Apt. 108 Riverside Ca 92507. Phone: (714) 686-6131 (U.C. Riverside: Home of, Ah, Well, Gimme a sec.)