is it bad to use a magnetic screwdriver when building your computer ?

[JamesElopre]

is it bad to use a magnetic screwdriver when building your computer ?

[Tyler Moore]

No, but like anything metal just don't intentionally try to short capcitors/etc.

[Peskanova]

well its bad use any screwdriver like stabing a torso, if you use a screwdriver to screw its ok just dont rush.

[Bitter]

It used to be ill advised back when magnetic storage media was the only way and it was much less robust, I would still avoid poking at a disk based hard drive with a magnetized screw driver, but just screwing in the 4 mounting screws shouldn't really pose a problem.

[JamesElopre]

TY 

[LunarGaming]

 if you use a magnetic screwdriver, make sure that it is not the strongest on the market.

[Mira Yurizaki]

It's not bad and I would highly recommend getting one because otherwise you will drop a screw somewhere in the worst place possible

 

It might've been a problem way back when if you had a bunch of floppy disks laying around, but then again the magnetic strength of those screwdrivers is often very weak.

[orbitalbuzzsaw]

5 minutes ago, LunarGaming said:

 if you use a magnetic screwdriver, make sure that it is not the strongest on the market.

[Bitter]

You can also just use a little bit of something sticky on the tip of the screw driver to help hold the screw on, I goop up sockets at work with weatherstrip and gasket adhesive to keep small bolts and nuts retained in the socket, works for screw driver tips too, but it's not something you're likely to have laying around at home unless you're a mechanic. It is good stuff to just have laying around though, that and E6000 glue.

 

https://www.amazon.com/3M-08001-Yellow-Weatherstrip-Adhesive/dp/B000HTNNDA?th=1

we affectionately refer to it as 'gorilla snot'. It'll stick most things to most things and has a long working time, it's a stringy sticky slippery weird adhesive that's got a use for about any situation.

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

The magnets on the tip of a screwdriver aren't nearly powerful enough to destroy hardware, even HDDs which are the most sensitive to magnets.  

[DimasRMDO]

It's safe, in fact it'll prevent the hassle when you want to screw all those small screws in place or when you accidentally drop them in the most inconvenient place.

[Sylvie]

Eh, I accidentally poked my hard drive with my magnetic screwdriver countless times and it's not been a problem. Magnetised screwdrivers generally have weak magnets anyway. 

[KingCobra484]

Magnetised screwdrivers don't do anything to HDDs, just don't try to poke it. Also, using one to take apart an HDD works too, though I wouldn't recommend it in that case as the manufacturer has purposefully tried to keep the screws non-magnetic. 

[PlayStation 2]

The strength of a magnetic screwdriver's magnet is meant to lift screws and not to zap hard drives. 

They're more than fine and I'd actually recommend using one.

[aHappyPug]

They are more than fine to use. Just be careful.

[JamesElopre]

THANK YOU