Hard disk | Definition & Facts (2024)

FAQs

What is a fun fact about hard disk drive? ›

The hard disk drive (or HDD) was invented as a means of secondary storage for computers by IBM. The first HDD was the size of two medium fridges, weighed a ton and had a storage capacity of 3.75 megabytes. In today's terms, this would store the equivalent of one digital photo!! Luckily, things have moved on…

A hard drive or hard disk drive (HDD) is a type of data storage device that is used in laptops and desktop computers. An HDD is a “non-volatile” storage drive, which means it can retain the stored data even when no power is supplied to the device.

Hard disk drives have more moving parts and are less durable and more likely to fail than their solid-state counterparts. For this reason, hard disk drives tend to last between 3–5 years. Get it repaired fast at one of our stores. Just stop in or make an appointment⎯we'll handle the rest.

A hard drive is the hardware component that stores all of your digital content. Your documents, pictures, music, videos, programs, application preferences, and operating system represent digital content stored on a hard drive. Hard drives can be external or internal.

A hard drive is used for storing and retrieving digital information in computers and other devices. It serves as the main storage medium for operating systems, software applications, and personal files such as documents, photos, videos, and music.

The rigid nature of the platters is what gives them their name (as opposed to the flexible materials which are used to make floppy disks). Hard drives typically have several platters which are mounted on the same spindle.

The data is stored on the hard drive magnetically, so it stays on the drive even after the power supply is turned off. The term “hard drive” is actually short for “hard disk drive.” The term “hard disk” refers to the actual disks inside the drive.

So, do computers slow down with age? Not quite. You could easily assume so — as, when you regularly use the same computer in the same way for years, it does seem to begin to slow down with age. However, in reality, the hardware would not be directly responsible.

Can the hard disk be repaired? ›

It is possible to repair a failed hard drive for reuse, but it is not always recommended. If the hard drive has physical damage, such as a scratched platter or a failed head, it is unlikely that it can be repaired successfully. Even if the hard drive can be repaired, there is a risk that it will fail again prematurely.

If you want a hard drive for general use, your safest bet is getting a 500GB – 1TB hard drive for storing files. That should be enough to cover most standard file storage needs. The price difference between a 500GB and 1TB is typically negligible, so I personally recommend going for a 1TB drive.

Data is stored on a hard drive in binary code, using 1s and 0s. The information is spread out on the magnetic layer of the disk(s) and are read or written by the read heads that 'float' above the surface thanks to the layer of air produced by the ultra fast rotation of the disk.

The first production IBM hard disk drive, the 350 disk storage, shipped in 1957 as a component of the IBM 305 RAMAC system. It was approximately the size of two large refrigerators and stored five million six-bit characters (3.75 megabytes) on a stack of 52 disks (100 surfaces used).

Compared to SSDs, HDDs offer a much lower cost per bit, meaning that, for the same price, HDDs will provide more space. This is particularly important in data centres and servers which often rely on thousands of individual HDDs for hosting media, storing backups, and providing data to cloud-based applications.

The drawbacks to HDDs are a result of the mechanical parts used to read and write data, as physically finding and retrieving data takes more time than electronically finding and retrieving data. The mechanical parts can skip or even fail if they are handled roughly or dropped.