What's a computer hard drive and how can this work? It's one of those normal questions which many non-computer specialists usually inquire. Finally they often confuse it for RAM. The solution is an easy analogy: a hard drive is similar to a filing cabinet where you store novels (hundreds or tens of thousands, to mention a few ). RAMis the background in which you work with a specific number of novels, with which you are able to work concurrently (10, 20 or even a bit more). However if you would like to understand precisely how he does it, then read on.



The purpose of the hard drive


A hard drive not simply save your private or work documents, but all of the code necessary for the operating system, the browsers used to link to the world wide web, the drivers to your accessories and everything else.

Each hard drive has a particular quantity of space, a part of that can be mechanically absorbed from the operating system and backup installments, however you can fill out the remainder with all the data you save and download, be it out of a brand new program, photos or music. Of your holidays.

Hard drive space is not as significant (or as pricey!) As it was. This is because now you're able to run applications and save data in the cloud, which will not need storage, thus freeing up valuable space in your computer.

Chromebooks have hardly any"bodily" storage area because of their dependence on cloud and streaming options. That is changing to a degree as a result of the expanding support for Android programs from Google Play.

Birth of the hard disk.

A little history.

Have you ever wondered why the main storage device is always assigned the letter"C:"? This is since the first commercial personal computers did not have a hard drive because of their high price. At that time, it was common to work with two" floppy disks ."

They were known as flexible since they were manufactured from an x-ray-like type of plastic, and within semi-rigid plastic packaging, the initial units were 5.25 inches. They were later stopped by 3.5-inch high-density drives (the former had a capacity of 360 and 720 Kb and the latter of 1.44 MB).
The first floppy disk comprised the disk operating system ( DOS ) and the program you'd work with. On the next disk you kept all your work. Unit D, etc consecutively and alphabetically.

Reynold B. Johnson developed the first actual hard drive at IBM in 1956. Johnson's team originally experimented with different procedures of storing data on matters like tape. However, his team found ways to save information (in the form of bytes) on metallic magnetic disks, which could be overwritten with new info as desired. This led to the development of an automatic record that read similar to a record participant, except it was much larger.

Later, IBM set out to develop floppy disks from the late 1960s to easily load code onto its mainframes. These disks originally measured eight inches in diameter using read-only data. The first commercially available read / write drive did not appear till 1972 when the group boss, Alan Shugart, emigrated to Memorex.

For several years, the way of storing data stayed the same, while great improvements were made in how the hard drive could store, read, and eventually write data.

Two types of units


Hard drives are either internal or external. Internal means they are located inside your desktop computer or laptop and also have a direct link to the main card. Topical means that they dwell outside of the computer and are generally connected with a USB or Thunderbolt cable. The external hard drive is generally slower than the inner one due to the sort of connection, but they could also be disconnected from the computer with no issue.

You may or may not be able to upgrade an inner drive. For desktop computers, you can easily get rid of the side cover, disconnect the drive, and plug into a new drive. On laptops, the update procedure may not be that easy.





Previously they had a particular access to your hard disk and the memory at the bottom that gave you access for an almost instantaneous change, currently most laptops, to save on manufacturing processes, they removed that access and today It Is Crucial to start the bottom cover entirely to alter the hard disk or memory

Some notebooks from assorted makers don't have removable storage. They have direct storage on the main card, and though it is not impossible to change it, it does need to be carried out by an expert, if possible. Read the specifications on the manufacturer's websites for how to correctly change your laptop drive.

But there's another variant: solid state drives or SSD (Solid State Drive, for its acronym in English). There is a large difference between the two which we describe in another post, SSD vs HDD. But here we summarize it:

HDD : Hard drives use a rotating magnetic disk which includes information written in tiny monitors, somewhat like a player. This necessitates moving components, especially heads to read and write information to the disc, as required, along with the propulsion required to spin the disc. It's an easy method, making buying hard drives really cheap, especially when generating quite large storage settings.

SSD - There are no moving parts on solid state drives. Rather, these units use semiconductors that store information by changing the electrical state of very tiny capacitors. They are much quicker than HDD hard drives and may save information more easily without worrying about wear and tear parts. SSD drives would be the reason why modern computers begin so quickly.

Important qualities of the hard disk




Space : Have a look at the specifications out there for computers now and you'll observe the storage choices in a number of terabytes. SSDs are especially essential for HDD storage since they store information in a far smaller, multi-layered space. That is precisely why we have phones that will save all our favourite songs, videos, and movies.

Speed -  The rate of a hard disk is dependent upon how quickly the data can be written or read. Including your link to the pc, which may hamper your information stream and finally your functionality (see below). For mechanical hard drives, rate is important also - 7,200 RPM drives are normally quicker than 5,400 RPM drives. However, both are substantially slower compared to SSDs.

Physical security: Physical safety is usually regarding durability, if your hard disk is concealed within a computer or an external model which you may carry. It ought to resist pressure and shocks, in addition to heat and other ecological issues. More sophisticated hard drives might also have attributes that assist in preventing piracy or discourage theft. 

Connections -  A hard drive can be attached via SATA, PCIexpress, USB, or Thunderbolt connectors. The type of connection affects the speed, therefore in the event that you connect an outside SSD into a USB-A 2.0 port, the maximum data throughput is 60MB per second, it doesn't matter whether your SSD can read or write at 1,800MB per second. Connections also determine compatibility and upgradeability, so check before purchasing or updating.