the essentials in brief
Sometimes a hard drive isn't recognized because it might not be enabled in the BIOS or might not be connected to the correct SATA connectors on the motherboard. It is also possible that the hard disk is defective or the firmware is not up to date.
Backing up data to an external hard drive is quite simple. First, the external hard drive must be connected to the computer and the option of backing up data to the operating system must be selected. Finally, the backup option must be selected. A backup will now be created and the data saved.
In order to copy a hard disk on an operating system, you need a backup program that transfers the data from the hard disk in question to an external storage medium. After that, the copy can be restored if the original operating system needs to be reinstalled.
From important documents to photos and music, people store everything on their hard disk. Hard drives are therefore an indispensable part of every computer and an important storage location for your data. This blog article takes a closer look at how hard drives work and the different types of hard drives.
Contents
The development of the hard disk
The development of the hard disk has undergone some notable changes over the last few decades. From the first 5,25-inch drives introduced in the 1950s to the current 8 terabyte models, the capacity and Performance of hard drives has made impressive progress.
At first were the first hard drives exorbitantly expensive and only affordable for corporations and government agencies. They had a capacity of only a few megabytes and were the size of a wall unit. Over time, however, the cost of hard drives has become cheaper and cheaper and the capacities are increasing. This enabled individuals hard drives in their computers or televisions to store their data.
Introduction of the 3,5 inch drives
An important milestone in the development of hard disks was the introduction of 3,5-inch drives. These smaller and lighter drives were easier to install and use, and quickly became the standard size for desktop computers. Over the years, 3,5-inch drive capacities have increased to several gigabytes and later terabytes.
Emergence of the SSD hard drives
Another important event was the introduction of solid state drives (SSD hard drives) compared to the traditional hard disk drives (HDD hard drives). Unlike HDD hard drives, which rely on mechanical parts, SSD hard drives use no moving parts and are therefore more robust and faster. However, they still have a higher price per gigabyte than traditional HDDs.
RAID systems: RAID systems are one of the most important milestones in the development of hard disks, which made it possible to improve the performance and reliability of hard drives. Connecting multiple hard drives in a RAID system can increase performance and provide data redundancy.
HDD and SDD Hard Drives – Which is the Right Choice?
Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) and Solid State Drives (SSDs) are the two most commonly used types of hard drives. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages and the choice between the two depends on individual requirements.
HDD hard drives
HDD hard drives are the traditional type of hard drives and rely on magnetic platters and moving parts to store and retrieve data. They are less expensive than SSDs and usually offer larger capacities. However, a major disadvantage of HDDs is that they are slower and more prone to failure as they rely on moving parts.
When it comes to capacity, HDDs tend to come out on top. They are cheaper per gigabyte and offer larger capacities, especially with larger hard drives.
Discover the best HDD hard drives:
SDD hard drives
SSD hard drives on the other hand, use no moving parts and are instead based on flash-based memory chips. They are faster than HDDs, since the data can be read directly from the memory chips. SSDs are also more robust and less sensitive to shocks and bumps. However, the downside of SSDs is that they tend to be more expensive and have smaller capacities.
When it comes to performance, SSDs offer clear advantages. SSD hard drives are able to read and write data much faster and thus ensure significantly faster system performance. There is also a clear difference in the access time, SSDs are a lot faster here.
Discover the best SSD hard drives:
External and internal hard drives
External and internal hard drives are two different types of data storage media that can be used for different purposes.
Internal hard drives are the most common types of hard drives and are built directly into a computer. They are the primary method of storing data on a computer and are responsible for keeping operating systems, applications and personal information. Internal hard drives are mostly about one SATA connector connected to the computer's processor and can only be exchanged with great effort.
external hard drives on the other hand, drives that have a external connection cable be connected to the computer. These hard drives are used to back up data, to transport or to have additional storage space available. External hard drives tend to be smaller and more portable than internal hard drives and are often used as a backup solution.
Advantages and disadvantages of external hard drives compared to internal hard drives:
Hard disk encryption - data protection from unauthorized persons
Disk encryption is a method of protecting data on hard drives from unauthorized access. It is a technology that uses an encryption algorithm to encrypt the data on the hard drive so that only those with the right key can decrypt it.
There are different types of disk encryptionthat can be used, including software-based encryption and hardware-based encryption. Software-based encryption uses software installed on the computer to encrypt the data on the hard drive. Hardware-based encryption, on the other hand, uses a special chip on the hard drive that encrypts the data.
Advantages of full disk encryption:
- Data security: Full disk encryption protects the data on the hard disk from unauthorized access.
- Protection against data loss: Even if the hard drive is stolen or lost, the data on the hard drive is unreadable.
- Compliance with data protection regulations: Full disk encryption can help meet GDPR requirements.
- Protection against data manipulation: Hard disk encryption protects against unauthorized deletion of data.
Maintenance and data backup – This is how your hard drive survives
Data Backup is an important part of protecting important data. There are several ways to back up data. Here are the key steps for basic and effective data backup:
1. Identify important dates:
Before you with the Data Backup begins, you must first determine what data is important to you. This can be documents, pictures, videos, music, contacts, etc.
2. Select a backup medium:
There are various media to back up data to, including external hard drives, USB sticks, CDs, DVDs, cloud storage services and online backup services. Choose the medium that best suits your needs.
3. Make a backup copy:
In order to secure your data, you must first create a backup copy. This can be done either manually by copying and pasting data to the chosen backup media, or automatically using backup software.
4. Schedule regular backups:
It is important to back up your data regularly to ensure all current data is backed up. Set a schedule, such as weekly or monthly, to back up your data.
5. Test recoverability:
Check regularly that your backup copies have been created successfully and that you are able to restore the data from the backup copies.
6. Protect your data backup:
Make sure the backup is kept in a safe place and only authorized people have access to it.
7. Keep your backup software up to date:
Make sure the backup software you use is always up to date. Updates can fix security vulnerabilities and improve performance.
8. Back up your data in multiple places:
It's a good idea to store your backups in multiple locations, such as both locally and in the cloud, so you can always access your data in the event of an emergency.
By following these steps, you can ensure that your important data is protected and can be recovered in the event of data loss. It is important to take data backup seriously and to carry it out regularly to ensure that your data remains protected at all times!
disk formatting
Hard drive formatting is the process by which a hard disk prepared for use by deleting it and formatting it with a new file system. This process is required to initialize a hard drive, troubleshoot it, or prepare it for new use.
A hard drive format can be performed either as a quick format or as a full format. A quick formatting of the hard disk only deletes the directory structure of the hard disk, while the data on the hard drive still exists and can potentially be recovered. A complete formatting of the hard drive, on the other hand, will erase all data from the hard drive and creates a new directory structure.
Tip: An important aspect of formatting a hard drive is choosing the right file system. The most commonly used file system is NTFS, but there are other options like FAT32 and exFAT. When formatting your hard drive, make sure it is compatible with your operating system.
combined hard drive
To sum up, hard drives are an indispensable part of any computer and are essential for storing important data. There are different types of hard drives, such as HDD and SSD, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. It's important to choose the right hard drive for your needs.
Everything about hard drives at a glance
You can erase the data on your hard drive by overwriting the data. This will securely erase all data on the hard drive. Another option is to use a "low-level formatter". This is a program that formats the hard drive in such a way that even very old files are deleted and destroyed.
A good program for cloning a hard drive is Clonezilla. It is a free and very powerful tool that allows users to make a complete copy of a disk or partition and transfer it to another disk or partition. However, there are many other programs to effectively duplicate a hard drive.
When choosing an external hard drive, you should make sure that the hard drive offers enough storage capacity, has a high data transfer rate and that it is compatible with the desired device.