Do you know how a hard drive works?
I know that most of us are normal computer users. But do you know how the internal parts work? In this article, I will focus on the hard disk drive, HDD, the various components and how the whole unit works. The hard disk is made of platters, spindle, read/write head, actuator arm, actuator axis, actuator, IDE or SATA connector, jumper block and the power connector. The focus on this article is to actually understand how the reading and writing of information works. So, when you are using your computer and you decide to read information from it or save information to it, this is what happens:
- The actuator arm which holds the read/ write head in place and is anchored to the actuator axis moves to the sector on the platters where the reading or writing is to take place. The platters are divided into sectors where files are stored in binary form.
- After reaching the specified sector, the actuator arm lowers and the read/ write head hovers very close (nanometer length) to the platters but should not touch. If the head touches the platters, you might lose all your information. In short, any physical contact, even a very tiny particle of moisture on the platters, will cause disastrous effect to your hard disk.
- When the read/ write head has located the exact area of reading/ writing, it then proceeds to save or read information from the said sector. When writing, information is converted to binary then saved. When reading, the information is converted from binary to more logical form.
It’s that simple. So the next time you may be experiencing hard disk failure, it could be that one of this internal components are not working properly and they need to be handled with professionals. If not, you risk losing all your vital information. Such professional are data recovery experts . If your hard disk has crashed or is crashing, contact one today. More articles on hard disks follow the link.
About the Author:The author is a data recovery specialist. Get more information on data recovery services here
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Do you know how a hard drive works?