# Do magnets effect flash drives? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 26, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-magnets-effect-flash-drives/377999 "2006-10-26T16:30:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-magnets-effect-flash-drives/377999/1 "2006-10-26T16:30:45Z")
I’ve been looking into getting a small 2GB flash drive to keep in my keychain so I’ll have certain files with me all the time. Plus, memory sticks are cool. Now, I carry my keys on my beltloop so that they hang right over the pocket in which I carry my wallet. Normally this wouldn’t be a concern, except that my wallet has a magnetic money clip, and I know that magnets can wreak havoc on harddrives. My brother told me that the magnet in my wallet is proably not strong enough to do any damage, and I believe him. I just thought I’d check in here to see if anyone knows more about hardward than he. So am I worrying for nothing? Should I just go ahead and get it and not worry about it? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-magnets-effect-flash-drives/377999/2 "2006-10-26T16:41:48Z")
No, magnets don’t affect flash memory; the storage method is electronic rather than magnetic. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-magnets-effect-flash-drives/377999/3 "2006-10-26T19:59:47Z")
Excellent, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-magnets-effect-flash-drives/377999/4 "2006-10-26T20:02:03Z")
Hell of a thing to lose on the Walmart parking lot. 🙂