Information Overload: demagnetize

Thursday

How to Demagnetize Magnetic Media

Do you have some old VHS tapes, floppy disks, or hard drives that need to be erased? This process can be very time consuming if you manually erase them one by one. With the proper equipment, you can make the information disappear in minutes, rather than days or weeks.

Purchase a magnetic media eraser/degausser from an online source or at a retail store that carries them. Research the different types of available magnetic erasers to find the one that meets your needs. Read the included instructions for processing the type of media that you have. Arrange all of the media that you want to erase into a separate group and be sure that they are all really expendable. If you are not certain, review the media before putting it through the eraser device. This erasure/degaussing process is irreversible!

Quickly erase all of your information from the magnetic media forever. Reshelf and reuse your media or dispose of it properly. You might consider donating it to a local school or organization that can put the old media to good use.

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Wednesday

How to Magnetize and Demagnetize a Screwdriver

When working with small screws it is very handy to have a magnetized screwdriver to pick up and hold the screws while they are installed. Be sure not to use your magnetic screwdriver near a computer hard drive!

Find the strongest magnet that you can. The magnet found on the back of an old audio speaker is perfect for this. Hold this magnet in one hand and the screwdriver in the other. Touch the magnet to the base of the metal shaft of the screwdriver and pull the screwdriver until the tip reaches the magnet. Repeat this several times to make the magnetic field stronger. Place some screws on a flat surface and test your new magnetic tool. The screws should stick to the screwdriver, making them easy to pick up and retrieve if dropped.

To demagnetize the screwdriver, do the same steps above, but in reverse. Place the tip of the metal shaft on the magnet and push the screwdriver until the magnet reaches the base of the shaft. Repeat several times and the screwdriver should no longer be able to pick up the screws.