hard drives & disks library

 

In the Hard Drives & Disks section, we explore how they work, what it means when your hard drive crashes and how to add a hard drive to your computer.

Featured Article:  How to Add a Hard Drive to Your Computer in 8 Steps

Is your computer more than a year old? If so, there's a good chance you're running low on disk space. Adding a hard drive will help -- we'll show you how. See more »

How can I recover a deleted file from my computer recycling bin?

How can I recover a deleted file from my computer recycling bin?

When you delete files from your computer and empty it out of the Recycle Bin, can it be recovered? Learn about computer recycling bins and file recovery.

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How does a Zip drive store so much more data than a floppy drive?

How does a Zip drive store so much more data than a floppy drive?

The main thing that separates a Zip disk from a floppy disk is the magnetic coating used on the disk. How does this coating make such an impact on the disk's storage space?

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How does disk defrag work?

How does disk defrag work?

When you save a document, your machine disseminates little pieces of the file into empty spaces on the hard drive. Learn why it's done this way and how defragmenting maintains your computer's performance.

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How Floppy Disk Drives Work

How Floppy Disk Drives Work

Floppy disks were the first portable computer storage devices, created in 1967. They may be obsolete these days, but they definitely made computer history.

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How Hard Disks Work

How Hard Disks Work

Nearly every desktop computer uses one or more hard-disk drives. Your hard disk holds all of the information available on your computer. Take a look inside this incredibly precise storage mechanism.

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How to Add a Hard Drive to Your Computer in 8 Steps

How to Add a Hard Drive to Your Computer in 8 Steps

Is your computer more than a year old? If so, there's a good chance you're running low on disk space. Adding a hard drive will help -- we'll show you how.

See more »
What does it mean when a hard disk has a head crash?

What does it mean when a hard disk has a head crash?

The head crash -- it's one of the most terrifying and frustrating computer glitches because it can destroy all of your data. Find out how long you can expect a hard disk to last before a head crash happens.

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What is the churning sound I hear from my hard drive whenever it is retrieving data?

What is the churning sound I hear from my hard drive whenever it is retrieving data?

Surely you've noticed the grinding noise that sometimes happens when you open a file on a computer. Is it normal? What causes it?

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Why does my PC try to access my floppy disk drive when there is no diskette in it?

Why does my PC try to access my floppy disk drive when there is no diskette in it?

When your PC tries to access your floppy disk drive, there could be a number of reasons. Luckily, they're pretty simple to solve -- we'll show you how to troubleshoot and fix this problem.

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