Types of Computer Drives
Disk drive (drive) – a computer device that stores and retrieves information, data, files, programs, etc., from a disk. The drive is often referred to by its letter (your drive letter may differ).
A
hard disk drive (hard disk or fixed disk) is usually designated as the “C:
drive”. The hard disk drive is the main data storage hardware device in a
computer that can provide quick access to large amounts of data. Find
Pointing
device – a device used to control the
movement
of the pointer (cursor) on the screen.
A
CD/DVD drive is usually designated as the “D: or G: drive”.
A
metal and plastic tray that juts out of a computer.
A
network drive is usually designated as the “U: drive”.
The
back of a computer with several ports and wires sticking out.
A
removable disk (USB) is usually designated as the “H: drive” or “K: drive”.
A
USB flash drive is a small portable external device used for data storage.
The
most common use for external drives (USB) is for backup purposes or to transfer
files from one computer to another.
A small rectangular USB memory drive.
All
computer information is made up of various combinations of two numbers: zeroes
and ones. Those numbers are the “digital” components of the language that
computers speak. When discussing computer “files,” and the need for you to
“back up” your files, we are talking about large groups of zeros and ones that
have been created when you type a manuscript, take a photograph with a digital
camera or send a text message from your phone. That picture of the kids at
Thanksgiving dinner is, in its basic form, nothing more than a big batch of
numbers called a “file.” Computers have the ability to take that group of
numbers and turn it into an image on a screen.
Computer drives are designed to allow us to
store our files and retrieve them when needed. They were originally called
“disk” drives because the files were recorded on round things called “disks.”
“Floppy” disks kept the information on a very thin, round piece of spinning
material about the thickness of a piece of paper, and were about 3-1/2, 5-1/4
or 8 inches in diameter. Housed inside a plastic or paper sheath, they were
used in floppy disk drives. Very few people continue to use floppy disk drives.
Hard Disk Drive PhysicalDescription
A
hard drive is usually the size of a paperback book, but much heavier.
The
sides of the hard drive have pre-drilled, threaded holes for easy mounting in
the 3.5-inch drive bay in the computer case. Mounting is also possible in a
smaller 2.5-inch drive and larger 5.25-inch drive bay with an adapter. The hard
drive is mounted, so the end with the connections faces inside the computer.
Laptops often use a 2.5-inch hard drive or SSD.
How a Hard Drive Works
Unlike
volatile storage like RAM, a hard drive keeps a hold of its data even when
powered off. This is why you can restart a computer, which powers down the HDD,
but retain access to all the data when it’s back on.
Inside
the hard drive are sectors located on tracks, stored on rotating platters.
These platters have magnetic heads that move with an actuator arm to read and
write data to the drive.
Storage Capacity
The
hard disk drive capacity is a significant factor in determining whether someone
will buy a particular device like a laptop or phone. If the storage capacity is
rather small, it means it will fill up with files faster, whereas a drive that
has lots and lots of storage can handle much more data.
Choosing
a hard drive based on how much storage it can retain is really up to opinion
and circumstance. If you need a tablet, for example, that can hold lots of
videos, you’ll want to be sure to get the 64 GB one instead of the 8 GB one.
The
same is valid for computer hard drives. Are you one to store lots of HD videos
or pictures, or are most of your files backed up online? An offline, at-home
storage preference might drive you to buy an internal or external hard drive
that supports 4 TB versus a 500 GB one.
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