A USE FOR OLD LAPTOPS
I posted this in the comments section of another post, but it's worth mentioning.

HDD shagged? DVD/CD player broken? A set of these and some screwdrivers (or maybe just a big hammer) will get you some NdFeB magnets. Those things will stick to anything metal so firmly that removing them will be akin in difficulty to pulling a black man off your mother-in-law. Kids love them, and they're fantastic for making huge, comedy fridge magnets. Watch out for your fingers though - these magnets can spring out of your hands unless you've got a proper grip on them.
( MatJ LOOK, Tue 8 May 2012, 17:37, 3 replies)

I've got the tools and the junk
have you got a link to a site that tells me where how to find and extract the goodness?
( P-MONKE We're all fucked, Tue 8 May 2012, 20:19, closed)

Prize open a hard drive.
See that magnet? Yeah? It's that.

Christ. Youtube how-tos have turned the fucking world into useless wet blankets. Can you even wipe your own arse without an FAQ?

edit: it's worth noting that sticking one of these magnets up your arse would be a really bad idea
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Tue 8 May 2012, 20:38, closed)

Whoah man, chill

( Major Turd for tonight only, Tue 8 May 2012, 20:41, closed)

Soz.
It's probably this hoard of powerful magnets stuffed up my arse.
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Tue 8 May 2012, 22:15, closed)

He's right
It's pretty obvious. For the record, its the curved bit of metal in one corner at the base of the spindle.
( MatJ LOOK, Tue 8 May 2012, 22:33, closed)

Thank you :)

( P-MONKE We're all fucked, Wed 9 May 2012, 8:30, closed)

I actually repair electronic devices and fault-find down to component level for fun, so I'm no dummy
And, for your reference, the only thing I find more pointless than videos that take 10 minutes to explain what could be gleaned in ten seconds of reading are absolutely useless replies on internet threads.
( P-MONKE We're all fucked, Wed 9 May 2012, 8:29, closed)

I think we'll be the judge of your dummitude.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Wed 9 May 2012, 17:54, closed)

It's easy
Just bash the fuckers to bits until the good bits come out.
(ubergeekian, Wed 9 May 2012, 9:10, closed)

I pull them off of dead hard drives
Some are holding up a large calendar. Some are on a bulletin board.

And there's a steampunk-like mass of the magnets on my dryer right now, holding a wad of dryer sheets. The only thing that makes this feasible is that portions of the dryer are not magnetic, so I can slide them about and lift them off to get to the dryer sheets.

They are brittle, though, so careful prying them up. I pry the metal bit to which they are affixed. I believe there is some adhesive there, but have never checked that far.
( kila is reading clocks upside-down as usual, Wed 9 May 2012, 13:05, closed)

Scratch off the foil covers over the screws, undo screws, open up the hard drive, and drop in the screws you just took out and shake it about.
Look for the bit with loads of screws stuck to it. It's a pair of magnets with a copper coil in between. Prise the two magnets apart, keeping your fingers well clear.

I volunteer to destroy the work hard drives when we scrap old PCs. I cash in the solid aluminium casings and spindles and stainless steel platters and lids at the scrap yard for beer money, and use the magnets to stick stuff to the walls of my metal shed.
( Pope Shax XIII uses Visio for picture editing, does it show?, Thu 10 May 2012, 5:26, closed)

Those are rather good.
I once stuck one on the back of my brothers new car. Being a nice flat surface, it is almost impossible to get them off with your fingers. Tools are required. On a nice new car.

Not popular. I beleive a plastic spatula from the kitchen was eventually used.
(username failed moderation, Wed 9 May 2012, 9:25, closed)