I recently received the following question from a reader. “I want to dispose of my computer, but I am worried that someone might be able to find my personal information on the computer if I donate it or throw it out. I heard that sticking a magnet on the hard drive will erase any data. Is this true?” Dear Reader, While it is true that magnets can be used to erase a hard drive, just any old household magnet won’t do the job. The only magnets that are powerful enough for such a task as usually found in laboratories or … Continue reading →