Electromagnet Hard Drive Erasure

Torture test of a Seagate hard drive using magnets, including my grossly overpowered electromagnet made from a microwave oven transformer (MOT). I try to quantify the difference in magnetic strength between the different magnets. I then inflict a series of escalating traumas upon the hard drive, following each assault by a scripted routine of tests that generates a wealth of data about the drive's status. When will this hard drive fail? And how? Can you really erase data from a hard drive using a magnet?

Warning: Powerful magnets pose a risk of pinching, broken bones, and damaged electronic devices including medical devices.

Links

• http://www.emfs.info/limits/limits-organisations/acgih/: The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), TLVs (Threshold Limit Values) and BEIs (Biological Exposure Indices)