Magnetic screwdriver use

[FalvinP]

I have a quick question. Is it ever ok to use a magnetic screwdriver when assembling a computer system?

I have no 3.5 inch drives in the case I'm getting. I want to install a floppy drive in a 5 1/4 bay in case I need to flash the bios. I know I could use a flash drive to do this as well. I already have an old floppy drive that I want to put into a 5 1/4 to 3.5 adapter. I've discovered that it's really hard to get the screws attached to the inner rails of the adapter. It seems a magnetic screwdriver would help a lot.

My concern is that a magnetic screwdriver might demagnetize the floppy drive. Is the same true of installing a hard disk as well?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by FalvinP I have a quick question. Is it ever ok to use a magnetic screwdriver when assembling a computer system?

Sure, I use one all the time.

Originally Posted by FalvinP My concern is that a magnetic screwdriver might demagnetize the floppy drive.

No, a magnetic screwdriver won't demagnetize a floppy drive.

Originally Posted by FalvinP Is the same true of installing a hard disk as well?

You won't harm a hard drive by using a magnetic screwdriver. There are two very powerful magnets inside the hard drive to begin with (much more powerful than a magentic screwdriver) and they don't harm the hard drive.

Cricket

[FalvinP]

Thanks for the reply. I presume Best Buy would have magnetic screwdrivers for computer assembly use..............

[shadowpr]

Probably better off with a home repair store. Home Depot??

[backithink]

i use nut drivers but a standard phillips would work too heck you can get a phillips from walmart for 33 cents that would do the job fine stanley screw drivers are all magnetized and for the price they work real good... they sell those at walmart

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by FalvinP I presume Best Buy would have magnetic screwdrivers for computer assembly use..............

They have tool kits with magnetic screwdrivers in them. But you don't need one that is only for computer assembly, just get any magnetic screwdriver...I got mine from Sears.

Cricket

[The Village Idiot]

The magnetic screwdriver was my biggest ally in the fight against tricky nuts and bolts not inserting into where they need to.

[rwest]

Magnetize your own screwdriver.

1.Find a piece of plain old extenision cord, split down the middle so you have only one strip. You'll need about one to two feet. Strip the ends a little.

2.Take your favorite screwdriver and wrap the blade from one end to the other. The tighter and more coils the better. Depending on how much cord you have to work with, leave about 4-6 inches or more hanging off each end.

3. Go outside and pop the hood of your car. Touch one end of the cord to the negative side of the battery and touch the other end to the positive side. You only need to tap it once or twice. Yep, your gonna see a good spark. But now your favorite screwdriver will be magnetized.

Or you could just buy a magnetizer, but what's the fun in that.

[backithink]

lol possible electrocution i like it

[Ahura]

I think I 9 volt battery will work just fine. Car battery is a bit extreme.

[Rossua]

A basic PC repair toolkit I purchased had non-magnetized screw-drivers, which surprised me at first, as the magnetized type are so useful for working with a PC. However I wonder if there was some reason for this. The sensitive components such as IC's inside a PC may be damaged by a magnetized screw-driver, just as they can by static electricity, since a moving magnetic field induces a current in any neighbouring conductor, such as the connectors on an IC on the system board. Static electricity is always spoken about as a hazard, so maybe this could be a hazard too. Or maybe for installing disk drives its OK, but not for screwing down the motherboard for example ?

[FalvinP]

Any thoughts on the last post? I don't know one way or trhe other, so your opinions and advice are welcome.

Thanks for the input.

[Cricket]

I don't know much about magnetic fields and such but I have built over 100 computers using a small magentic screwdriver I bought from Sears ages ago and I don't think it has caused any problems. Of course some of those PCs aren't running anymore for various reasons (replaced with newer, faster computers is the most common reason) but the few computers that had components fail did so after being in use for a few years because some parts do wear out from use (hard drive, optical drives, etc...). I did have a rash of EPoX motherboard failures because of leaking or bulging capacitors, but this was a known problem at the time and not related to the use of a magnetic screwdriver.

In the 10 years I've been messing with computers as a hobby the most common failure or problem I've had to deal with is hard drive and optical drive failures and then fan failures. The next would be RAM sticks going bad and then video card failures followed by motherboard failures, modem failures, NIC failures and sound card failures. I've never seen a CPU go bad or die from normal use, but I have seen dead CPUs that were abused (overclocking or incorrect heatsink installation).

Would I stop using my magnetic screwdriver? Nope, I'll keep using it because in my mind it doesn't pose a problem when assembling a computer.

Cricket

[TwoRails]

I've been using magnetic screwdrivers on computers since the originall IBM PC: No problems.

As far as "magnetic fields" caused by the screw driver goes, look at it this way: the computer (or TV, or optical drive, or anything else electrical / electronic...) is full of magnetic fields. That's why cases and the like act as a form of shielding; there are ratings for home use (versus commercial use) so they don't interfere with other equipment.

[Petef56]

Originally Posted by Rossua The sensitive components such as IC's inside a PC may be damaged by a magnetized screw-driver, just as they can by static electricity, since a moving magnetic field induces a current in any neighbouring conductor, such as the connectors on an IC on the system board.

Rossua,
Is the above your theory or can you provide the souce where
this info can be further investigated?

Months ago, I had posed a similar question on another forum about the dangers of
magnetic screwdrivers. I also did considrable searching online looking for valid reasons
why we should or should NOT use magnetic screwdrivers for building PCs. The best I
could determine is that those warnings NOT to use magnetic screwdrivers were based
mostly on old computer technology and that it was ok to use them on modern PCs.

PS: This is a good topic to inquire about on a motherboard manufacturer's support forum.

---pete---

[TwoRails]

As I alluded to in my post above, I don't think I've ever seen a "real" reason to not use one. I've had to touch the proverbial gazillion chips and the like with a magnetic screwdriver and never had a problem. The chips themselves produce fields that I would speculate are much stronger than that of the screwdriver.

[Rossua]

As far as I am aware, this is a basic law of physics, and is the principle by which an electric generator or 'alternator' works. For example in a coal-fired power station, mechanical energy produced by steam is used to rotate a turbine in a magnetic field, which produces
an electric current in the coil windings of the generator. This is how we get our mains AC electricity supply.

(eg. see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_station)

Instead of burning coal, the mechanical energy could be produced by a wind turbine or by a hydro-electric dam (which is of course 'greener'). In our cars, an 'alternator' converts mechanical energy from the engine into electrical energy, which is used to provide current to keep the battery charged.

In the above Wiki article, the relevant phrase is : 'converts mechanical energy into electrical energy by creating relative motion between a magnetic field and a conductor', which would apply to a magnetic screw-driver being used in and around sensitive electronic components.
The question of course would be the quantity of current produced and whether it is sufficient to cause damage. The stronger the magnetization on the screw-driver and the faster it is moved, the greater the current produced.

[TwoRails]

I think we're talking about to different things... I don't think anybody can move the screwdriver fast enough to create a generator / alternator of sufficient strength to hurt anything, not to mention the weakness of the screwdriver's field. That's a lot different than a dynamo running at 2 thousand RPM.

Now, running a rare earth magnet on a speeding fan in near contact to a chip may make a difference.. but even then, would it cause any damage? And that's a far cry from a simple magnetic screwdriver.

[Ahura]

When I was putting my parts together, the magnetic head of my screw accidentally got attracted to my RAM heatspreader and that instant I though my ram was gone. Booted up and everything is fine, memtest w/ no error.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by Ahura When I was putting my parts together, the magnetic head of my screw accidentally got attracted to my RAM heatspreader and that instant I though my ram was gone. Booted up and everything is fine, memtest w/ no error.

Why would the magnetic screwdriver get attracted to the RAM heatsink? Isn't the RAM heatsink made of aluminum?

Cricket

[Ahura]

I don't know. The thing is near and it just stuck together. I though so too, but I'm not a ram maker so I would not know.

[piasabird]

What is a floppy drive?

Just kidding. Floppy drives are not worth buying as far as I am concerned.

[TwoRails]

??? floppy drive posted in wrong thread???

[shadowpr]

No, I think he was just talking about the OP's desire to install a floppy.

[TwoRails]

Dooh!! Forgot about that part of it already

[Rossua]

Just as a matter of interest, what type of screw-drivers have been supplied in PC Toolkits that people have bought ? The one I purchased (a very basic set) included the non-magnetised type of screw-drivers only. By contrast a set of electrical screw-drivers I bought (the fully insulated red colored ones) WERE magnetised. As regards this whole issue it is easy to say 'oh that is too small an effect to cause any damage', but remember static electricity is also only a small effect and we are always advised to use anti-static mats and wrist-straps etc (though I suspect most people don't).

[TwoRails]

Ya.. but some kits do come with magnetic drivers...