Chapter 3: Disk Drive Storage

Labs you will perform in this chapter:

• Lab 3.1 Replacing a Floppy Drive

• Lab 3.2 Replacing an IDE/ATA Hard Drive

• Lab 3.3 Replacing a SCSI Hard Drive

Disk drives were developed to create permanent storage for data. This was necessary because the data stored in memory is lost whenever the computer is shut down or loses power. The original form of permanent data storage for a PC was the floppy drive. Over the years we saw many improvements to the floppy that included a reduction in size and an increase in storage capacity.

The most common means for storing data in today’s PC is the hard drive. The hard drive provides a medium for permanent storage that has become affordable, and the amount of data that can be stored is rising very rapidly.

A hard drive consists of one or more platters coated with magnetic medium. Each platter has read/write heads that float slightly above the platter. The heads read and write the data to the magnetic surface below. The heads are attached to an arm called the head actuator, which is controlled by a servomotor. The hard drive connects to the rest of the motherboard through an interface. The three most common interfaces used to connect a drive are Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE), Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE), and Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI).

Although the floppy disk became a popular method for removable data storage, its storage capacity limits its functionality. Newer forms of removable media are being developed that include formats like Zip, Jaz, Kanguru, CD-ROM, and DVD. Removable media allow users to transfer data between computers easily and without having a network. The newer improvements have increased the reliability and longevity of the data stored.

This chapter will explore how to install floppy drives and hard drives. The labs will cover how to install both IDE/ATA and SCSI hard drives. You will find that over time you may need to upgrade your hard drive or install additional hard drives to increase the amount of data storage available in you computer. If you need to install other types of data storage, such as CD- ROMs, DVDs, or other removable media, the procedures are very similar to installing hard drives.

Note

For more information, see Chapter 3 of David Groth’s A+ Complete Study Guide (Sybex, 2003).