The Hard Drive is FAT

The hard drive, also called the hard disk or fixed disk, is the primary storage unit of the computer. It is always labeled the C drive. Additional drives are labeled after it as the D, E, F, etc. It has several read/write heads that read and record data magnetically on platters, a stack of rotating disks inside the hard drive. It is important for the following reasons:

It stores programs that must be installed to the hard drive before they can be used. It stores data files that can be accessed later. It organizes files like a file cabinet so they can be accessed more easily.

The Hard Drive is a hard disk that can store a large amount of computer data on it. Many advancements have made it possible to store a large amounts of data in a small space.

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Some people think that the platers that are in the hard drive are made of glass. The truth is that the platers are made of a metallic material that is magnetized.

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The hard drive's speed is discussed in terms of access time. This is the speed at which the hard drive finds data. The average access time is measured in milliseconds. One millisecond equals 1/1000 of a second. The average drives had 9 to 14 ms access time. The lower the access time the faster the hard drive.

The capacity, or amount of information that a hard drive can store, is measured in bytes. Buy the largest hard drive you can afford. Most programs take up large amounts of disk space.

Types of Hard Drive Connections

Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) It is a connector that can connect up to two hard drives at one time to a computer. The drives have the capacity of storing only 528 MB of data each. Small Computer Interface (SCSI) It is a connector that is a fast and easy way to connect a hard drive. It is expensive, but can also be used to connect other devices such as scanners, printers, CD-ROM drives that can all be "chained together". Three types of SCSIs include: SCSI-1: It connects up to 7 devies to a computer. SCSI-2: This is the current industry standard. It is faster but is also more compatible with more devices. SCSI-3: It can connect more than 8 devices together. It is the most expensive and has the fastest data transfer rate. Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE) This is the drive that most computers come with. It can connect up to 4 devices to a computer such as hard drive, CD-ROM, and tape drives. Each hard drive capacity is at 528 MB of data.

An important thing to mention is the disk cache. This is an area of memory where the computer stores the data from your applications that are most likely to be used from the drive. It speeds up the computer's operation. When data is needed the computer first looks in cache. If it is not found, then it looks on the hard drive. The cache is constantly updated to provide the most up-to-date data. The absence or presence of cache make a big difference in the speed at which the hard drive and the processor work together.

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All of the following drives store and access data. The only difference is that they go about it a little differently.

Bournolli has a mechanism that acts as a fly wheel. When the HD spins the disk follows gravities course and is lifted up a few centimeters causing the Read/Write heads to touch. When it stops spinning, the HD will fall back down the few centimeters. Magnetic Optical Drive has the best storage capacity. It has the same principles as the Bournolli, but is mixed with the Compact Disc technology so that the Read/Write head puts data in order and the laser reads off of it. Standard Magnetic Drive The standard magnetic drive is less complex than the other two but is less expensive than the others. It stores data with a read/write head which sends a pulse of electricity through causing the magnetic films electrons to line up in a certain way.

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