If a 2.5" HDD is placed very close (2 cm or 3 cm) to a large, power-off 29" big CRT TV, could this TV, due to its large and powerful magnets and coils, cause some degradation in the HDD's magnetism, leading to data loss or corruption and magnetic degradation? my old hdds 2.5" WD10JPVX-08JC3T5, HGST HTS541010A99E662 e ST500LM030
Hey classicaran,
That's an interesting question—CRTs do have some beefy components like deflection yokes and degaussing coils that involve magnets, so it's worth digging into. I'll break this down factually based on how HDDs and CRTs work.
Short answer: It's
very unlikely that a powered-off 29" CRT TV would cause any noticeable degradation, data loss, or corruption to your 2.5" HDDs (like your WD Blue WD10JPVX, HGST Travelstar HTS541010A9E662, or Seagate ST500LM030) at just 2-3 cm away. Modern hard drives are built with shielding and error-correction mechanisms that make them pretty resilient to everyday magnetic fields. That said, I'll explain why and add a caution.
Why it's unlikely:
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No active magnetic field when off: CRT TVs generate strong electromagnetic fields primarily when powered on (e.g., during operation or the degaussing cycle at startup). When completely off and unplugged, the coils and magnets aren't actively producing fields. Any residual magnetism from the yoke or shadow mask is typically weak and static—not enough to penetrate an HDD's casing and disrupt the platters at that distance.
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HDD durability: Your drives are from reputable brands (WD, HGST/Hitachi, Seagate) and use perpendicular magnetic recording, which is stable. They're designed to handle exposure to moderate magnetic fields (think fridge magnets or speakers). Studies and manufacturer specs often rate HDDs to withstand fields up to 200-300 oersteds without issues—far stronger than what a dormant CRT would emit.
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Distance matters: At 2-3 cm, any potential field would be minimal. Real-world tests (from tech forums and labs) show that even powered-on CRTs rarely affect HDDs unless they're right up against the strongest parts, and that's with the TV running.
But to be cautious: While the risk is low, magnets
can theoretically cause problems if they're extremely strong or prolonged (e.g., neodymium magnets directly on the drive). If these are old drives with important data, I'd recommend:
- Keeping them at least 10-15 cm away from any large magnets or coils, just to play it safe.
- Storing them in anti-static bags or cases for extra protection.
- If you're worried about data integrity, run a tool like CrystalDiskInfo or the manufacturer's diagnostics (e.g., SeaTools for Seagate, WD Dashboard for Western Digital) to check for errors periodically.
If you've noticed any actual issues with these drives (like bad sectors or read errors), it might be unrelated—age, heat, or mechanical wear are more common culprits for older 2.5" HDDs. Feel free to share more details if that's the case!
What made you think of this setup? Got an old CRT kicking around?
