Hard Disks & Microwaves

  • Thread starter Thread starter John F Kappler
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John F Kappler

I have a friend who has suffered several hard disk failures on
different systems over the last 2-3 months. Sometime files are
inaccessible and sometimes Windows wont start, and worst case, the
boot sector gets corrupted necessitating the re-installation of
Windows.

Sometime the hard disk will then not format.

This has happened on >3 hard disks in several minitower systems, each
with different motherboards and processors.

I'd began to think the place was haunted, but then thought about
external interference as all the systems have sat in the same place,
on a desk against a wall. The wall is 4" thick, block construction.
Immediately on the other side of it is a conventional, domestic,
microwave oven. Now I know there are magnets in there, but is it
likely to be causing these failures?

Thanks for any help,

JohnK
 
It could be very likely...

I do know that when my microwave is running, it messes up the display on my
TV nearby. It MIGHT be electrical interference, but it seems more like
magnetic interference as the picture goes all wavy.
 
John said:
I have a friend who has suffered several hard disk failures on
different systems over the last 2-3 months. Sometime files are
inaccessible and sometimes Windows wont start, and worst case, the
boot sector gets corrupted necessitating the re-installation of
Windows.

Sometime the hard disk will then not format.

This has happened on >3 hard disks in several minitower systems, each
with different motherboards and processors.

I'd began to think the place was haunted, but then thought about
external interference as all the systems have sat in the same place,
on a desk against a wall. The wall is 4" thick, block construction.
Immediately on the other side of it is a conventional, domestic,
microwave oven. Now I know there are magnets in there, but is it
likely to be causing these failures?

Thanks for any help,

JohnK
Click to expand...

Magnetism out of a microwave oven? A microwave oven generates radio waves
(2850 MHz if I'm not mistaken), how is magnetism created? Radio waves too
can disturb monitors or TV's (in repy to Phrederik's message) (hold a
mobile phone, when it's ringing or in use, next to your TV when and see for
youself. You should see distruptions unlike magnetism interference, which
causes colored areas).

I'd say when you don't see any interference in you monitor when the
microwave oven is on, that's not the cause of your problem (provided the
monitor is near the computer). But of course, I'm not saying it's
impossible, it's just what I think. Have you used the same power supply in
every of those towers? Probalby not, but if you have, check the voltages
(under load). They should read 5 and 12 volts, as you probably know.

And if you're unsure, just kick out the oven :)

Halfgaar
 
Magnetism out of a microwave oven? A microwave oven generates radio waves
(2850 MHz if I'm not mistaken), how is magnetism created? Radio waves too
can disturb monitors or TV's (in repy to Phrederik's message) (hold a
mobile phone, when it's ringing or in use, next to your TV when and see for
youself. You should see distruptions unlike magnetism interference, which
causes colored areas).
Click to expand...

The microwave ovens do have a big magnet in them for the tube that generates
the microwaves. Also when turned on the transformer will generate a
magnetic field. Both of them are too week to have much effect on anything
like a hard drive.

If the microwave has enough leakage microwaves to affect anything I am sure
you would be able to see other results lkie getting how while around them.

Unless the microwave is drawing enough current to pull down the AC line of
the computer and that is courrepting the data that is being written to the
hard drive , I would look for other causes.

I think I would look for a virus on the computers.
 
Probably because the 'power unit' is called a magnetron? (Or used to be when
I was a lad <G>)
Click to expand...

They still use a magnetron, which has two large doughnut-shaped
magnets about as powerful as found on a 10" woofer, though of course
it could vary based on the wattage of the oven.

However, this is inside ferrous metal casings, so outside the
microwave, though a wall, and the system case, there should be no
effect on a HDD.

I'd guess it'd just coincidence... most of us have "something" within
a few feet of the case that we could suspect, when it's still more
likely a power or heat problem.


Dave
 
kony said:
They still use a magnetron, which has two large doughnut-shaped
magnets about as powerful as found on a 10" woofer, though of course
it could vary based on the wattage of the oven.

However, this is inside ferrous metal casings, so outside the
microwave, though a wall, and the system case, there should be no
effect on a HDD.

I'd guess it'd just coincidence... most of us have "something" within
a few feet of the case that we could suspect, when it's still more
likely a power or heat problem.


Dave
Click to expand...

Funny, I have a 10 inch woofer 40 cm away from my computer, no problems at
all :) My VCR near the other speaker is also not affected.

Halfgaar
 
I have a friend who has suffered several hard disk failures on
different systems over the last 2-3 months. Sometime files are
inaccessible and sometimes Windows wont start, and worst case, the
boot sector gets corrupted necessitating the re-installation of
Windows.

Sometime the hard disk will then not format.

This has happened on >3 hard disks in several minitower systems, each
with different motherboards and processors.

I'd began to think the place was haunted, but then thought about
external interference as all the systems have sat in the same place,
on a desk against a wall. The wall is 4" thick, block construction.
Immediately on the other side of it is a conventional, domestic,
microwave oven. Now I know there are magnets in there, but is it
likely to be causing these failures?
Click to expand...

No.


Have a nice week...

Trent

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity!
 
John F Kappler said:
I have a friend who has suffered several hard disk failures on
different systems over the last 2-3 months. Sometime files are
inaccessible and sometimes Windows wont start, and worst case, the
boot sector gets corrupted necessitating the re-installation of
Windows.

Sometime the hard disk will then not format.
Click to expand...
snip

More than likely a heat problem, check and make sure the drives are properly
cooled.

Lane
 
Thanks for all the replies.

The microwave has been reprieved and the system is now working again.

I noticed that the system wasn't seeing either of the Hard Disks on
the first IDE channel, but was seeing both the CD Drives on the
second.

I reseated all the connectors on the IDE ribbon cable and it is now
working. I'm not sure whether it was the cable of some form of
overheating which was affecting the motherboard or channel (the unit
has one of these new cases with a side vent opposite the processor,
and this had been placed quite close to the side of a cupboard).

I dont beleive it was the HDD themselves getting overheated as one of
them is in a removable aluminium caddy with two fans built in.

Anyway, thanks to all,

JohnK
 
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