When you hear the term “hard disk” or “hard drive” in reference to your computer system, you may not understand what it actually is. The hard disk, or hard drive in your computer is the main and the largest storage device in your system. It is where your operating system, system files, documents and other programs are stored.
In addition to hard disk drive or hard drive, it can also be referred to as:
- Fixed disk
- Hard disk
- Fixed drive
- Fixed disk drive
- HDD (abbreviated for Hard Disk Drive)
Your hard disk is often referred to as a “C” drive, although other letters can be assigned to the drive, “C” is the most common. Many computer systems have one hard disk but it has been partitioned into more than one drive, so you may have a “C” drive as well as a “D” or even “E” drive. If your hard disk is not portioned Windows will assign it as a “C” drive by default.
The most popular hard disk manufactures are:
- Western Digital
- Sea-gate
- Hitachi
Generally your hard disk will have a life span of about 3 to 5 years. Since you know your hard disk will eventually crash, backing up your system files is highly recommended because you never really know when it will happen.
Your hard disk is normally about the size of a paperback book, but much heavier. There are pre drilled holes on the sides of the hard disk that allow you to secure it into the computer case. In the event of laptop hard drives, they of course are much smaller and lighter weight and usually just lock into place without screwing being necessary.
In a computer tower the hard disk is mounted with the connection facing inside the computer. A cable and power connector is plugged into the hard disk in order for the motherboard to recognize it.
In general, most hard disks will have jumper settings that can be set before installation. These jumper settings will help the motherboard determine whether the hard disk is to be the primary drive, secondary drive (slave) or you can leave the jumper settings to the default for it to be automatically picked up and read in your systems BIOS.
Replacing a hard disk is a simple task that just about anyone can do on their own. The hard disk will come with instructions for the correct jumper settings and information on how to install it properly.
