Floppy disks and check-in lugagge --- X-RAY issue?

[skydiverek 63]

Is it safe to put the floppy disks in your check-in luggage? I know they always tell you NOT to put an undeveloped camera film in your check-in luggage, since the X-ray process would destroy it. But what about the floppy disks? Any danger of losing files???

[chaoskitty 0]

Probably not but they'd be safer in a carry-on. Depends on how important the files are to you. Certainly make back up copies.

Ever tried a jump drive? I carry mine in my purse which goes thru airport security twice a week and its fine.

[Kris 0]

X-rays should have no effect on magnetic media. Were that the case, there would be several thousand laptop harddrives being zapped to pieces on a weekly basis.
X-rays fogs film because the energy excites/interacts with the un-developed film, sort of the same way that light does. Damn those pesky photon wanna be's.

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[Kris 0]

Quote

Ever tried a jump drive? I carry mine in my purse which goes thru airport security twice a week and its fine.

I love those things but I'm always losing them. I fixed that by upgrading the SD card in my Motorola phone to the 1GB model. If I need any data, I just plug my phone into a USB port on the PC and go to town. If I need larger storage I can use my iPod as well.

Even being a geek, it amazes me just how cheap memory has become.

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[Guest]

Quote

Is it safe to put the floppy disks in your check-in luggage? I know they always tell you NOT to put an undeveloped camera film in your check-in luggage, since the X-ray process would destroy it. But what about the floppy disks? Any danger of losing files???

It's not a problem. The risk is losing your luggage, or someone's aftershave (etc) spilling from their bag into yours and messing up the disks. If it's important make backup disks (see Windows Help for "copying disks"). If its only a few files, you can create a web based email any number of places in a few minutes, and send the files there so in a pinch you can get them online wherever you have web available. hth

You can have it good, fast, or cheap: pick two.

[Guest]

IRL I use a little usb memory stick for stuff like this, 1G for 90 bucks now days.

You can have it good, fast, or cheap: pick two.

[Travman 6]

If the material is too sensitive, upload it to a webserver somewhere and download it at your destination - or USB keys are great.

[britboynz 0]

X-Rays are fine for floppy disks - whatever you do though, DON'T put it in your pocket and take it through the metal detector (which is a VERY large magnet)

Many years ago when I was in tech support (ah the good old days!) we would occasionally be asked to 'rejuvenate' floppy disks that some dumb beancounter [translation: high powered exec] had been stupid enough to put in his pocket then walk through the metal detector thinking it was 'safer than putting it through the x-ray' .

They didn't do That again once they'd been told their files had gone the way of the dodo (usually no backups either)

Russ