What is a Hard Drive?

A Hard Disk Drive, also known as HDD, Hard Disk and Hard Drive is a non-volatile digital storage medium that records data on platters (rotating disks with magnetic surfaces).  Hard Drives have been and continue to be the primary storage medium for computers, including Servers, PCs and Laptops.  Recent advancements in Hard Drive technology, including miniaturization and "ruggedization" have led to the inclusion of hard drives in many hand-held electronics including MP3 players, cellular phones, video cameras and more. http://www.hcditrading.com/Shop/Control/Product/fp/vpid/2653922/vpcsid/0/SFV/29664

How Does a Hard Drive Work?

A hard disk drive works by writing - magnetizing a magnetic material in a data pattern – and reading – detecting the magnetization on the platter medium.  A Hard Drive’s storage medium generally consists of one or many non-magnetic platters, Aluminum or Glass, which are coated with a ferromagnetic material allowing for the storage of magnetically recorded data patters.  Hard Disk Drives are generally fixed disks, meaning that their internal storage components – platters – are permanently fixed in the device. 

Most modern Hard Drives consist of a spindle, which holds one, or generally several flat magnetic disks – called platters.  These disks are spun at very high rates of speed, ranging from 5000 to 15000 RPM, (rotations per minute), or more. These disks rotate under what are called read-and write heads, which, as their name implies, are uses to write and read data on the platters.  The surface of platters are divided up into extremely small magnetic regions, each designed to store a single binary unit of information.

Hard Drives are tightly sealed and function within extremely rigid mechanical tolerances.  The slightest contamination to the platters, as little as a spec of dust, can result in the total destruction of the Hard Drive and its data.  Hard Drives offer reasonably secure storage and protection of your data, however they rely heavily on moving parts to store and retrieve data and are susceptible to shock and electrical damage as well as the occasional worn out part.  Other than these potential problems, which are inherent in any device containing moving parts, very little short of a powerful magnetic pulse will put your data at risk.