Hard Disk Role in Computer System
The hard disk possesses a major role in the various aspects relative to the operation of a computer system that includes:
• Performance – hard disk is important in determining overall computer system performance because the speed of boot up and loading of software applications are directly affected by the speed of the hard disk. It is equally vital during multi-tasking operations or processing large amounts of data;
• Storage Capacity – obviously, being the main storage device, a higher capacity allows for storage of more data and programs;
• Software Support – with inflated operating system files and software applications, the hard disk provides critical support to their stable performance;
• Reliability – good quality coupled with smart maintenance and back up will help protect your data.
Secure Erase
Identity theft and data loss may leave the company at stake being liable under federal law. HIPPA, Sarbanes-Oxley, Graham-Leach-Bliley and other state laws are example of the federal laws. Penalties include fines and imprison of 20 years plus results of civil suits if any.
Secure Erase makes it safe to avoid the crimes. It is a set of command mostly incorporated in ATA drives. This technology is available since 2001. But it was disabled by most of motherboard BIOS. That’s why many of users don’t know it besides Murphy’s Law was still enforced. Secure Erase is a gun aimed right to all of the data in the PC.
Hard Drive Against Tape Drive
Prior to the introduction of hard drives, the main medium of storage used specially by mainframe computers is known as the Tape Drive. There are significant differences between the two storage mediums which include:
• Magnetic recording material on tape is coated on a thin plastic strip, hard drives utilize layered high precision aluminum or glass disk;
• The seek operation is faster on a hard drive compared to a tape drive;
• The head on a tape drive comes in contact with the media while on a hard drive there is no actual contact but flies over the media;
• A hard drive can store huge amounts of data in a relatively small space compared to a tape drive.
IDE Hard Disk: Why Such a Name?
Every hard disk is interfaced in the motherboard through a disk controller. This disk controller is the one that plays bridge between the hard disk and the operating system. For the user to access data from the hard disk, there is a data bus connecting the hard disk and the motherboard. The data bus is like a pipe where bytes of data are being transmitted. 
There are two kinds of data buses, Serial ATA and Parallel ATA, which are used in SATA hard disk and IDE hard disk respectively.
IDE is the abbreviation of Integrated Device Electronics. The Parallel ATA was earlier called IDE. That’s why hard disks that use Parallel ATA are called IDE hard disks.
Upgrading the Capacity (Part II)
After successfully plugging out the old IDE hard disk you want to replace (if there is any), you are now ready to plug in your new addition or upgrade.
When you plug in the new IDE hard disk, make sure that the jumpers are in the right configuration and the pins are in the proper orientation (master or slave). Check the alignment notch to guide you with the pins and the jumper settings on the back of the IDE hard disk or product manuals to help you verify the jumper configuration.
Next, you now connect the IDE and power cables. Then slide the new IDE hard disk into the slot where the old one was or any empty slot on your case.
Upgrading the Capacity (Part I)
Of course, everybody wants more capacity. If you have the money to spend, why not indulge into it? Just a little upgrade will be nice. You will find no difficulty upgrading your IDE hard disks, either by replacing the old one or adding another one to add more space.
All IDE hard disks have the same standard pins and socket type. So if you are just replacing a hard drive, the steps can be very easy. Just plug out the IDE and power cables from the disk, remove the screws holding the drive into the case and plug in the new one.
Hard Drive Fact
The normal process of the platters is to spin up once the hard disk is started and keep spinning. The spinning course is the most tiring part on the spindle motor of the hard disk. A lot less effort is require maintaining the speed of the spindle. To get the maximum performance of the hard disk is the keep it on spinning. Before the hard disk can read or write it need to spin up on full speed.
When the hard drive is spinning down it doesn’t only reduce power consumption at the same time it reduces the thermal output. Thus, spinning down the spindle increases the longevity of the hard disk.
HDD’s will get even smaller next year
Laptop and Notebooks are making strides like never before this year. Therefore, one of its major components needs to change or, in this case, shrink but retain its memory size.
HDDs apparently represent the most expensive component in a netbook system, as CPUs, LCD panels, optical disc drives and batteries mostly fall between US$20 and US$25 each, while a 2.5-inch HDD can go for as much as US$43-45, a perfectly good reason for trying to lower the cost of these specific components. The three storage companies are said to be focusing on minimizing the cost of the drive’s ICs, magnetic platters, and pick-up heads. Storage capacities for the lower priced hard drives are to fall between 80GB to 120GB, on the condition that the price cut is effective.
Small is the future…
Disk Formatting
All magnetic hard drives are formatted in the same way, or divided into different parts known as tracks, sectors and cylinders.
The formatting method sets up a method of allocating addresses with the different fields. Formatting also make up a region for maintaining the list of addresses. The only way to know what happened with the data inside the hard disk is thru formatting. Take it for example a library. Imagine a library where your pages were tearing off from the books and scattered everywhere in the room. Getting the together the pages back to the book is almost impossible thing. The concept of formatting is to allow you to use the space while still being able to find things.
Hard Drive Myths part 3
The truth is current design of hard disk’s head actuators are not power-driven by any motor. Previous design of the head actuators are actually powered by a stepper motor. But currently head actuators use the voice coil instrument that uses electromagnetic power to stir the heads. In short, head actuators don’t have a motor to fail and not powered by any mechanical motor.
In addition, take note that head actuators’ automatically when there are power cuts meaning it is not an active process. Head actuator uses spring to park itself. The spring retracts the actuators when the power is cut while it moved against the spring tension when active.