Can a metal detector damage your laptop's battery?

[sam81]

A few days ago I was traveling by plane, at the security checks the agent told me to pass my laptop under the X-rays scan a second time, and was about to hand me in the backpack with the laptop through the metal detector. I asked that she pass me the backpack outside the metal detector, as the laptop's manual says:


"NOTICE: Do not walk the computer through a metal detector. Send the computer through an X-ray machine or have it hand-inspected."

taken from
http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins9400/en/om/travel.htm#wp1103274

my laptop is a Dell Inspiron 9400. After about a minute of discussion the agent insisted passing the laptop through the metal detector. The laptop was working soon after (they asked me to turn it on as well). However 2 days later the battery was dead, notice that the battery had not given any signs of deterioration so far, just one week before I watched a DVD for 1h and a half! Also I didn't use the battery during those two days, and the failure happened while the laptop was running on AC power. The battery was completely dead, the BIOS said: battery not installed. I asked the Dell tech support, and they told me to check the battery indicator built into the battery (you press a button on the battery and the leads should light up if the battery is charged): no sign of life at all, I'll have to get a new battery.

Now my question is, mere coincidence, or did the passage through the metal detector knock down my battery? Also why after 2 days?

[nonewmsgs]

im not sure but i heard they are bad for them, but the xray may well be worse.

[some_random_noob]

im not sure but i heard they are bad for them, but the xray may well be worse.

What? I'm pretty sure it says something else in Mike Meyers A+ Certification. I read that Xrays are apparently ok, but as for metal detectors I'd personally avoid it (Not 100% sure, but it sounds dodgy). Who the hell do they think they are to be scanning a laptop for metal anyway - The whole ****ing thing is metal!

Sounds like that airport has some retarded staff? You should ring up a few technicians and read a few books and consider taking action if necessary.

[nonewmsgs]

where does it say that one? i am actually studying it now, (but i think i missed it). really their idea of security is horrible.

[Kingsley]

A few days ago I was traveling by plane, at the security checks the agent told me to pass my laptop under the X-rays scan a second time, and was about to hand me in the backpack with the laptop through the metal detector. I asked that she pass me the backpack outside the metal detector, as the laptop's manual says:

Sorry, I'm kinda misinterpreting what you're saying. Did the agent actually know that a laptop was inside your backpack?

[jacob01]

didnt you try to get them to manually check it and any way keep complaining to the airport about it and blame it on them and hopefully they will pay for the damages. they shouldn make you run the laptop through a device that could damage it. it would be like making a kid that was allergic to nut sit next to another kid eating a peanut butter sandwich. you know its not good for them.

[sam81]

Sorry, I'm kinda misinterpreting what you're saying. Did the agent actually know that a laptop was inside your backpack?

yes, she knew. We argued over a minute whether it was all right to pass a laptop under the metal detector. In the end she just stubbornly did it!

I filled in a form of complaint to the airport society just before I posted this. I'll see whether they reply in the next days.

I also asked the Dell tech guy whether the metal detector could have caused the damage, and he said, yeah, that's possible.

Thanks guy for the info, I'm looking for more info and possibly some documents to better back up my complaint.

[sr20ve]

My laptop has been through an xray probably 100 times, no problems.

[Frak]

X-Ray, OK.
Metal Detector, can cause bits on the HD to missalign.