Is it possible to erase a Hard Disk Drive with magnets?

It is possible, but not with the magnets you have at home, and here is why: you would need a super strong magnet for that because it turns out HDDs are built to resist the influence of magnetic fields.

Do you want proof? Here it is: I've tested it myself with an electric motor full of magnets inside, they are very strong magnets. I rubbed the HDDs on it for minutes, then I tested them and they were intact, the data was all in there, so disapointing.

 

But then I had another idea: I microwaved the HDDs for 30 seconds, and it worked! They were not even recognized by the BIOS anymore, however I still don't know if the microwave damaged the disk inside it or only the chip which allows it to communicate with the BIOS, perhaps the data is still in there, I just couldn't access it with the SATA cable.

 

I used 2 very old HDDs which would end up in the garbage one way or another. If you know a better way then please write it in the comments below.