T 1.9 Loss of data due to intensive magnetic fields

Typical data media using a magnetic storage medium include diskettes, removable disks, cartridges, and tapes. Information is stored on these media using read/write head assemblies. Data media magnetised in this manner are sensitive to interference from magnetic fields, and for this reason they should not be brought near such sources of radiation.

The amount of data lost due to this radiation depends on the strength of the magnetic field. This is particularly critical for files which, due to their internal formatting, are rendered completely useless even when the changes are minor (e.g. postscript files, databases).

Examples of sources of magnetic interference include:

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