Putting a Laptop through an airport XRAY machine

[bagellad]

Well here is a new one, one of my clients put her computer through a airport xray machine right after turning it off. I believe the laptop was still probably closing down. I was discussing this with my house mates, and one said they now usually use EMI (electronic magnetic imaging) for the xrays instead of actual Xrays. Could this damage a laptop hard drive? I would imagine it will. I got an EMI once and they make you remove all metal or it will get stuck to the machine.. as they do with xrays as well I believe. Anyway what do you think? What is the proper way to take a laptop on the plane? I know they require you to turn it on to prove its "Real".

 

[seedubya]

What's actually wrong with the laptop? An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine would certainly kill the hard drive but I wasn't aware they use those in airports. It wouldn't be possible afaik.

After a brief google search I can't find anything regarding airports using MRI machines

 

[bagellad]

oh maybe my housemate is just making things up, he did just move in last week. The laptop has some errors in hdtune, makes a clicking noise and vista wont boot up, runs very slow and chkdsk etc. don't help it. I assume it needs a new HD.

 

[seedubya]

If it's clicking get the data off it NOW it's about to die if not already dead. And, yeah, it needs a hard drive

 

[geekhelp4u]

X-ray machines emit an electromagnetic energy, which is not magnetic and does not damage or destroy electrical equipment or magnetic sensitive data.

 

[electrohermit]

An MRI is for viewing your insides,, not what's inside your clothes, suitcase etc. You are also given special fluids so that the magnetic resonance in various parts of your body shows up. It can make people really sick too.