Can airport scanners damage hard drives?

A laptop's hard drive is safe to put through an airport security X-ray scanner. Hard drives store their data as magnetic media; airport X-ray machines use a specific wavelength of light to operate. Unlike photo film, your hard drive is not photosensitive and therefore will be unaffected by the airport X-rays.



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Hard drives (external hard drives) Hard drives are only sensitive to magnetic charges, taking a hard drive or computer with a hard drive through an X-ray will not damage the drive.

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Even though x-rays won't damage your laptop, sending it through an airport x-ray machine is usually not a good idea, since it makes it easy for people to steal your laptop. Usually you can ask the airport security staff to inspect your laptop manually.

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While an airport security X-ray scanner is “safe” if you take your laptop through a metal detector or if it is examined with a metal wand, you could be at risk of losing the hard drive. These detectors send out a strong magnetic pulse that can erase hard drives. Perhaps my machine was wanded without me knowing it.

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Simple answer: Yes, you can carry a hard disk in your cabin baggage.

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Objections to TSA Body Scanners Primary concerns include: Health Risks. Full body scanners emit some radiation.

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Checked Bags: Yes Please remove the computer from your carry-on bag and place it in a separate bin for X-ray screening. For more prohibited items, please go to the 'What Can I Bring?' page. The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint.

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It's recommended to put your laptop in a padded laptop bag that fits within the personal carry-on bag. This way, you can place your laptop in an easily accessible location and keep an eye on it.

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A laptop inside a bag can also shield other items from view that may be dangerous. Scanning it separately reveals its internal components on the screen. In some cases you might be asked to turn it on to prove it's an actual working computer.

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Single Internal, External, and SSD Devices Place the drive in a bubble wrap envelope or a box lined with bubble wrap. Do not use packing pellets, peanuts, air bags, or newspaper. Place the packing slip inside the package, and seal the box with nylon or vinyl tape along all edges and openings.

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Individuals who refuse to be scanned will be offered an alternative screening method, involving at least an enhanced hand search in private. Any refusal of the body scanner or an enhanced search will result in the passenger unable to fly.

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In some cases you might be asked to turn it on to prove it's an actual working computer. With newer multi-view scanning technology, security officials can view the bag from multiple angles to discern whether something is being covered up, or made to look like something else.

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