Well, I_Have_No_Account

Here is a little piece of trivia for you and an experiment ONLY you might want to try. I wouldn't suggest others try this, as you will probably have to replace your hdd. Take and open up your computer so you can see your hard disk drive. Make a backup copy of your hard disk drive. You will need it! Then take a magnet and slowly move it accross your hard disk drive.

Once you have done this see if your computer can read your hard disk drive. I am almost certain it won't be able to, as your digital data is magneticaly encoded on your hard disk drive.

This gets to what CRT was asking about, and trap_jaw4 was relating to.

Yes theoretically and realisticly digital data can fade "lose it's magnetism".

Point made, do what you wish with I_Have_No_Account, ursula, provided I_Have_No_Account didn't do the experiment.

If I_Have_No_Account did do the experiment...

I hope this answered your question on how and why this might happen CRT.