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  1. eHow
  2. Computers
  3. Computer Hard Drives
  4. Hard Disks

Hard Disks

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  • How to Use ProCurve Manager

    ProCurve Manager is an application designed by Hewlett-Packard for managing computer networks of varying sizes. Among its features are auto-discovery of network devices and monitoring of the devices on the network. If you're just getting started with the platform, the first steps involve setting up the program on your computer. From there, you'll have a host of options for adding and keeping track of the devices connected to your network.

  • How To Make a CGI Proxy

    A CGI, or Common Gateway Interface, proxy enables its users to access any website that would otherwise be inaccessible. Some websites and Youtube videos are blocked in certain countries. By using a CGI proxy server, you can allow your users access to these sites and videos and also protect their privacy by hiding their IP address. You just need a Web hosting account and the CGI proxy script.

  • My PC Hangs When My Hard Disk Is out of Sleep

    The technology of personal computers runs on clockwork precision. Even a single problem can make your computer difficult or impossible to use. Whenever you do something to your computer that involves processes that it doesn’t otherwise perform, you increase the potential for malfunctions. Changing modes, such as putting the computer into Sleep Mode or awakening it afterward, requires exactly that — processes that don’t occur elsewhere — and it’s not uncommon for users to have problems bringing their computers out of Sleep Mode.

  • How to Record DreamBox on a Hard Disk

    DreamBox receivers convert the feed from your satellite dish so it can be displayed on your TV screen. Even though the DreamBox does not include a built-in video recording option, you can use a USB video capture adapter to record the shows and movies from the DreamBox to a hard disk for later viewing. The Windows Media Center utility included on your operating system features the necessary software tools to capture the video to your hard drive.

  • How to Clean out a MacBook's Hard Disk

    A variety of situations may come up which require one to erase a computer's hard disk and doing so correctly is important to protecting one's personal, financial and business information. Erasing the data from a MacBook requires nothing but the installation CD or DVD and can be done quickly or slowly, depending on how securely one chooses to do so.

  • Five Ways to Recover a Hard Disk

    Success with recovering a failed hard disk depends on what caused the failure. If the computer disk light is still flashing, and the disk is not making unusual noises, chances are good that the data on the disk is recoverable. For this type of failure, there are simple steps that will make the disk readable again, and allow you to copy the data to a new disk. For mechanical failures, where the disk has stopped turning or is making clicking and grinding noises, data may still be recoverable, but only by specialized repair shops, and typically at great expense.

  • Advantages & Disadvantages of Hard Disks

    Disk drives, also known as "hard drives" or "hard disks," have been the foundation of computers, but advances in technology mean that there are now several alternatives to hard disks for every computing need; flash memory offers a range of sizes and capacities that cover most people's needs. Hard disks still have some advantages over the alternatives, but the fast development of flash storage and other storage media is likely to make hard drives obsolete in the coming years.

  • 5400 RPM vs. 7200 RPM Hard Disk

    In computer hard disks, the terms "7200 RPM" and "5400 RPM" refer to the rotational speed of the motor that drives a hard disk's spindle. A hard disk with a faster rotational speed can transfer data more quickly. However, increasing a hard disk's rotational speed can also affect its heat production and power consumption.

  • The Signs & Symptoms of a Hard Disk Starting to Fail

    Like all mechanical devices, a computer’s hard drive can fail for a variety of reasons. Once a hard drive has failed, it’s not possible to write or store data on that disk, which means all of the data on it is probably lost. Fortunately, signs and symptoms provide a warning of imminent hard drive failure. This gives a computer owner a chance to rescue his most important files – such as photos, documents and videos – before the disk crashes.

  • How to Delete Leapster2

    If you have a file named "Leapster2.exe" on your computer, you may want to remove it to free up space on your hard drive. Deleting a file requires only basic privileges through Windows' "Windows Explorer" application.

  • How to Install SQLite 3.7.0 From Source

    SQLite is a free, for any purpose, in-process library that implements a SQL database engine. According to the SQLite website, this engine is transactional, self-contained, serverless and zero-configuration. It does not require a separate server process, and reads and writes directly to disk files. A whole SQL database, containing multiple tables, views, triggers and indices, is contained in one single file. The database file is cross-platform, allowing you to copy it between 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.

  • How to Change a Dell Media Bay Into a SATA Hard Disk

    Install an SATA hard disk drive into the existing media bay on a Dell computer to increase the storage capacity or perform high speed backups. The media bay is mounted inside a standard hard drive mounting bay with an adapter to hold it in place. By removing the media bay from the computer, a new drive bay becomes available and this can be used to mount a standard 3.5 in. SATA drive or a pair of smaller 2.5 in. notebook hard drives or solid state drives.

  • How to Decode an Error That Was Detected on a Hard Disk Device

    A hard disk drive is a computer hardware component on which you can store data. A hard disk drive requires an operating system, such as Microsoft Windows, to interact with other hardware devices. In Microsoft Windows, when you experience an error with a hard disk drive, the operating system will assign an "Event ID" for the problem. You must then go to the Microsoft "Events and Errors Message Center" website and resolve the problem.

  • Signs & Symptoms of Low Hard Disk Speeds

    Along with the central processing unit, or CPU, the hard disk is an essential part of a computer. Low hard disk speed can definitely hinder a computer's performance on a daily basis. Revolutions per minute, or RPMs, measure hard disk speed. A hard disk's RPMs can decrease for a number of reasons, including hard disk space and physical failure. You can learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of a hard disk slowdown before it affects performance, and adopt good habits to minimize hard disk slowdown and maximize performance.

  • How to Identify the Size of a SATA

    Serial Advanced Technology Attachment, or SATA, is a bus interface for connecting storage devices to a computer. SATA technology replaced the older parallel ATA, or PATA, because of faster transfer speeds and reduced cable bulk. Hard disk drives that utilize SATA technology come in many different sizes for various applications. Computer users need to know the capacity of their SATA drives in order to prevent overfilling the drive with files and slowing down the drive speed.

  • The Difference Between Spinpoint F1 & F3

    The Spinpoint F1 and F3 are two series of hard drives produced by Samsung. Each series contains several different models of hard drive that are priced according to their storage capacity and data buffer. The F1 series supports eight different models while the F3 brand supports nine. The F1 series supports more combinations of data buffer and storage capacity while F3 series drives are available in a greater variety of storage capacities.

  • How to Calculate Average Disk Read Time

    The hard disk performance is one of the most important aspects when it comes to the speed of your system. Moreover, a very slow disk read time will always affect the performance of other components of the system as well. When computing the disk read time, a number of factors should not be missed, such as the speed of rotation, the size of the sector to be read and the average seek time for the device.

  • How to Allocate Disc Space

    Allocated disk space on your hard drive can be used to create space for programs such as the system restore tool, or used as part of a disk partition that allows the installation of a different operating system on the same computer. Allocated space is separated from the rest of your hard drive to prevent accidental overwriting, and is adjustable to provide more or less space for the separated section.

  • How to Explain an Irregular Sized Disk

    An irregular sized disk, such as a hard drive, is caused by the formatting process. Formatting is needed to enable the hard drive to store data. This allows you to install an operating system on the drive. When a hard drive is formatted, a specific amount of space is being used. You can explain this by viewing the hard drive data from tools provided by the Windows operating system.

  • How to Fix a Split Partition

    If you have a partition that was accidentally split or if you wish to enlarge a partition to occupy all free space on the hard drive, you can use Microsoft's Disk Management utility. The utility, included as part of the Windows operating system, allows you to easily extend a partition. If you are attempting to merge two partitions, you will have to back up the data on one and delete it before extending the other into that space. Once complete, you can move the data back onto the extended partition, effectively combining the two.

  • How to Split a USB Partition

    When you purchase a USB hard drive, the drive is formatted as one single partition. Splitting the drive into multiple partitions allows you to keep your data separate from other data. For example, one partition can be used for system backups, while the other can store the music and videos that won't fit on your internal hard drive. Splitting the USB drive into multiple partitions is simple. It is important to back up any data on the drive before splitting.

  • How to Back Up the Registry Files With Microsoft Backup

    Create a backup of your registry files so you can restore your system's settings and user profiles to their ideal operating condition after your restore or reformat your computer. Microsoft includes a backup utility in the Windows operating system to assist you in completing the data backup and recovery tasks on your computer. Create a system image of your hard drive to create a complete backup of your system files, including the registry.

  • How to Wipe a Hard Drive Without a Restore Disk

    Download and run disk-wiping software when the contents of a hard disk drive are no longer needed and the data needs to be erased. This software can permanently erase deleted or lost files and prevent any sort of data recovery or forensics lab from obtaining any data from the drive. It is not necessary to be able to boot to the drive or even access the files on the drive to perform a complete erasure as long as the drive is physically recognized as a primary or secondary drive on a working computer.

  • How to Wipe a Computer Clean Without a CD of Windows 7

    You can wipe the hard drive clean on any computer by running a specialized, secure erase software package that is designed to remove all programs and data. Most hard drives contain deleted files that can easily be recovered using forensic software. Erase all deleted areas of the drive and overwrite the entire drive with a random or secure pattern of information that leaves no trace of any files or settings. You can run several popular software packages that offer military-strength secure wiping of hard drives.

  • How to Wipe Out Old Computer Disc Drives

    Wipe old hard drives clean of any data, including the operating system, personal files, installed software and any other information that is contained on them. Prepare the hard drives for recycling or for sale and eliminate the risk of personal information falling into the wrong hands. Hard drive wiping software can permanently erase any data that exists on a disk and prevent data recovery programs from recovering any of the deleted files or other information.

  • How to Format a Disc on a Mac

    If you have a rewritable disc that you formatted for use in a PC and you want to now use it on a Mac, Mac OS X system software has a built-in utility to quickly handle the task. The Disk Utility application is a handy tool that reformats discs and troubleshoots problems with drives or volumes. The reformatting process formats the disc and deletes the all the data on the disc. Depending upon the level of security you want, the process takes several passes to wipe it clean.

  • Notes on Effects of Software Piracy

    Software pirates make illegal copies of proprietary software. The pirates then either use the illegal copies themselves or sell the software to customers, who may or may not know the software is illegal, for less than the market price. In either case, software piracy threatens the financial integrity of development firms, forces these firms to divert what would be otherwise creative efforts into additional anti-piracy measures and undermines the IT security of unwitting clients.

  • How to Backup Your Computer Programs

    You can protect your computer programs from being lost forever by creating a backup of your valuable software and personal files. Windows includes the "Backup and Restore Center" to assist you in performing the data backup and recovery processes for your computer system. Microsoft recommends using an external hard drive to store the backup files due to their large size, but you can also save backups to CDs, DVDs or USB flash drives.

  • How to Partition External Hard Drive With Acronis

    The Acronis hard drive management utility is useful for partitioning and formatting both internal and external hard drives. In addition, it can format partitions for use with both Windows and Apple computers. Creating a partition on an external hard drive relies on the same concept as with an internal drive. Partitioning sections off an independent storage area or drive within the larger hard drive. Among many options, partitioning enables you to install an alternate operating system within the partitioned section.

  • How to Setup SATA & IDE

    Several interface technologies are now available for computer enthusiasts to hook their devices into their computers. These include Serial Advanced Technology Attachment and Integrated Drive Electronics. SATA devices such as multiple hard drives can be plugged into the SATA ports on your motherboard in a Redundant Array of Independent Drives, allowing you to utilize the storage of multiple hard drives simultaneously. IDE devices include both hard drives and other peripherals such as disc drives. Your computer setup may involve either both SATA and IDE, or just IDE depending on the manufacturer of your devices.

  • How to Check Hard Drives

    Hard drives store all the data on the computer that remain after the computer is turned off, such as the operating system, installed programs and user documents. A hard-drive failure can destroy thousands of essential documents. While regular back-ups of your data are crucial, check hard drives using tools that come free with Windows to find out about problems before they cause data loss.

  • How to Clone a Disk to DVD

    DVDs can easily be damaged, get dusty or even be misplaced, so it's vital to make backups. Without a handy replacement, you run the risk of losing data and important software. With DVD duplication software you can clone your DVDs, that you will always have a safe copy.

  • How to Erase the Hard Drive on a Mac OS X 10.5

    Apple Macintosh computers are formatted differently than those run by Microsoft Windows. Windows uses the NTFS filesystem whereas all computers running Mac OS X use the HFS+ filesystem. Mac OS X can read Windows NTFS formatted hard drives, but it can not write to them. You can erase a hard drive using the Disk Utility built into Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard to make the hard drive fully compatible with the Mac operating system.

  • How to Synchronize Data on Two Disks

    Synchronizing data on two computer hard disks is called mirroring. Mirrored hard disks act in unison to store the same data, so that if one disk becomes corrupted or infected with a virus, no data will be lost. Your Windows operating system comes with a tool called Disk Management, which enables you to configure mirrored disks. This is a straightforward task that doesn't require special skills.

  • How to Partition a USB With Vista

    Partitioning your external hard drive divides the available storage space from a single drive into multiple smaller drives. With multiple drives you can organize your data better and keep important or sensitive data separate. Windows Vista includes a basic partitioning tool known as Disk Management. Using this utility, partitioning the USB hard drive is simple.

  • How to Backup My PC's Software

    Backup your computer's software to ensure your computer can be reloaded with your valuable programs should it experience a hard drive crash or devastating virus infection. Windows comes with the "Backup and Restore Center" to assist you in performing the data recovery and management processes. Use an external hard drive to store the backup files for your software, since its large capacity can store all of the backup files in a single location.

  • How to Format a New Disk on Vista

    There are several formats for hard drives, and you may find a specific drive you just purchased is not working on Windows Vista because of it. When this occurs, you need to format the new drive in order to properly function with the computer. Windows Vista has a format application already installed, so you don't need any additional programs in order to format the disk drive and use it with the computer.

  • How to Install Games from a CD to a Hard Disk on a Sony PS3

    Just like a computer, Sony's PlayStation 3 comes with a built-in hard drive. Also like with a computer, certain games must be installed to the PlayStation 3's internal hard drive before you can play them. The amount of space each game takes up is listed on the rear of the game's packaging.

  • How to Format C With a Bootable Disk

    Boot diskettes were used to format a computer prior CD-ROMs. A boot disk allows you to format the drive manually without any operating system disc. This is useful if you want to clear a drive for resale. It is also lets you install a different type of operating system. If you have an old boot diskette, use the 'fdisk' and 'format' commands.

  • How to Disconnect an External Hard Drive on Windows 7

    While connecting an external hard drive to your computer is often as simple as plugging in the drive's USB cable, removing the device properly is a little more complicated. Simply disconnecting the drive's USB cable suddenly can corrupt important files on your external hard drive. To safely disconnect an external hard drive, you must virtually eject it from your Windows 7 operating system.

  • How to Format the Whole Hard Disk

    In order to format the whole hard disk, any additional partitions beyond the primary partition must be removed and made part of the primary partition. This can be accomplished on most drives by deleting all existing partitions on a particular drive and creating one new primary partition with all of the available space. In some cases, additional steps must be performed to remove factory setup partitions and OEM partitions that are hidden on the drive.

  • How to Partition Windows Without a Reboot

    Partitioning a hard drive allows users to access sections of storage memory as if they were separate devices. A partitioned drive can house backup copies to protect from viruses and formatting loss, or store an entire alternate operating system. Many partitioning tools require a system reboot before the new partition becomes active, but Windows includes a built-in partitioning method that takes effect immediately without the need for restarting the computer.

  • How to Partition a Portable Hard Drive in Windows 7

    Before a portable hard drive can be used for storing data, it must first be partitioned. While most hard drives come partitioned when you purchase them, some aren't, and you may want to partition an already-partitioned hard disk anyway. You can perform this process through a utility in the Windows 7 operating system.

  • How to Use a Backup Disk

    A backup disk is vital for computer maintenance; it prevents you from losing valuable programs or data in the event a virus attacks your computer or the computer suffers hard-drive failure. A backup disk is useful only if you use it regularly and scan it to prevent a virus from damaging your backups. Using a backup disk is designed to be as simple as possible.

  • How to Disconnect an External USB Drive

    Nearly all computers have the ability to connect to different kinds of USB devices, such as external hard drives. When an external USB hard drive is connected to a computer, files can be transferred to and from the drive. To speed up the write operation, Windows uses a feature called "write caching" which stores files in memory temporarily until they can be written. It is important to properly disconnect an external USB drive so that no files are lost.

  • How to Partition an External Hard Drive on Windows XP

    External hard drives are normal hard drives contained within an external enclosure that connect to your computer via a USB, FireWire, eSATA or other type of cable. To the computer, these are normal drives that you can format, partition and store data on, just like any other drive. Windows XP provides a formatting utility you can use to partition an external drive on your Windows XP computer.

  • How to Partition Disks Without Data Loss

    Typically the hard disk contains a single partition, known as the C: drive. To create more than one partition on the hard disk, first create the free space to do so. Windows allows you to shrink a drive, freeing up space while leaving the data untouched. This lets you create multiple partitions from the unused space.

  • Definition of External Hard Disk

    An external hard disk is any hard disk drive that connects to a port on the outside of a computer rather than connecting directly to the motherboard on the inside of the computer case. Although an external hard disk uses a metal or plastic enclosure, the hard disk drive in the inside is similar to the one in your computer. External hard disk drives allow inexperienced computer users to add storage capacity without opening the computer case. They also give you the ability to move large amounts of data from one computer to another.

  • How to Partition Recovery Disks

    If you've set aside an external hard drive as a recovery disk to create backups of your hard drive, but still have plenty of space leftover, you can create a partition to store other data alongside your backups. With Windows Vista, Microsoft included the ability to "shrink" drives or partitions, letting you easily resize the recovery disk without losing data. New partitions can then be added to the drive.

  • How to Find Out if I Have a Partition on My Hard Drive

    For a hard drive to function, it must have an active partition. If you can access your hard drive from Windows Explorer, then your hard drive indeed has a partition. However, the reverse is not necessarily true: A partitioned hard drive can be hidden from view if it has not been assigned a drive letter. Furthermore, a drive can have multiple partitions, which appear as separate drives in Windows Explorer. To know exactly how the hard drive is set up, you need to use Disk Manager.

  • HDD Recorder Problems

    HDDs, or hard disk drive recorders, are video-recording devices that can save video broadcasts on a solid state, or hard disk drive. You can troubleshoot HDD recorder problems and errors in a number of ways.

  • How to Extract .SFX File

    As an abbreviation, SFX can refer to the special effects you see in television programming and movies. However, .sfx on a Windows computer system refers to a compressed data file. In order to view, edit or type information into an .sfx file, you first need to extract the information. However, unlike .zip documents, you don't need an extraction application to access .sfx files. Instead, .sfx files are self-extracting and has the needed programming built into the files.

  • How to Change a Hummingbird DM Footer

    Hummingbird DM is a document management program that helps you organize and standardize large groups of Microsoft Office documents. One thing it can do is insert a customized footer into every Word document you create. Changing the footer in Hummingbird DM requires accessing and editing the footer code file. Changing this file will change the code in all Hummingbird-controlled Word documents.

  • DOS Disk Recovery

    DOS recovery disks will allow you to recover information from any computer running a Microsoft operating system. With this disk, boot up any computer with DOS or Windows and gain the ability to fix problems.

  • How to Recover a Program From a Backup Disk

    A backup disk can be any device that keeps copies of the programs and files on your computers. The Windows 7 operating system allows you to pick the data you want to back up and choose the location for the backup. If there is any disaster that loses, damages or changes the data, you can easily recover or restore any program from the backup disk.

  • Norton Disk Doctor Error on Hard Disk 2: Master Partition Table Is Unreadable

    The last thing you want to see when you're running computer diagnostic and repair software is an ominous-sounding error message about the health of your hard drive. Symantec's Norton Disk Doctor (NDD) can report "Error on hard disk 2" (or another numeric value) under several circumstances, depending on your computer configuration.

  • Mobile Disk Problems

    The LaCie Mobile Disk hard drive provides additional back up storage for computer files and data. Once the drive is connected to your computer, you might experience trouble with power loss and recognition.

  • Comparison of the Samsung SpinPoint and the Seagate Momentus

    The Samsung SpinPoint and Seagate Momentus are two established brand-name computer hard drives. There are many different versions of each hard drive and new ones are released every few months.

  • Troubleshooting Issues in an HP 4345 Scanner

    The HP LaserJet 4345 is a 4-in-1 copier, scanner, fax machine and printer. If you experience problems with scanning, or any other function of the device, troubleshoot it to diagnose and fix the problem.

  • Removable Disk Recovery

    Data can be recovered in virtually all cases, regardless of the media it is stored on. This includes internal hard drives, removable drives --- such as flash and pen drives --- and discs, such as CDs and DVDs.

  • Data Disk Recovery

    Hard disk drives are one of the main ways data is stored. Despite their popularity, they can be rather unsafe storage mediums. They can suffer from mechanical, software and user errors. No matter what the cause, data can be easily lost. This loss can sometimes be permanent, but there are methods for recovering data from a malfunctioning disk.

  • Chkdsk Alternative

    Chkdsk inspects a computer's hard disk and lets you know if there are errors or problems on the disk. There are alternatives to Chkdsk if it is not providing the information you want.

  • How to Make a Backup Disk for Programs

    Backup disks give you a piece of mind knowing your valuable software programs are secure in the event your computer's hard drive crashes or your computer is damaged. With a backup disk, you can return your software programs to their original location or onto a different computer to recreate your ideal computer system. The Windows operating system includes utilities to assist you in completing any data backup tasks you may have. External hard drives are ideal backup drives as they can usually hold all the information and programs for your entire computer.

  • How to Recover a Failed Disk

    When a hard disk is not functioning properly, your files are in jeopardy of being lost forever. If your hard disk has failed you can try to recover the entire hard disk by freezing it, or recover files from the hard disk using free recovery software available on the Internet. A recovery program will recognize as many files as it can on a failed hard disk and make it possible for you to pull those files off of the failed hard disk and place them on a working hard disk.

  • How to Manually Uninstall a Hummingbird DM

    Hummingbird DM--now called Open Text Connectivity--is a disk management program that helps users use their hard drives most efficiently. If you want to get rid of Hummingbird DM or upgrade to a newer Open Text product (most of which include the same Hummingbird interface), you will first need to uninstall Hummingbird DM. Doing so manually ensures that you don't miss anything.

  • How to Test a Disk Read Error

    Your computer likely has a disk read error if it crashes often or stalls when you press certain keys. Visual signs may not be so obvious, however, as your computer may not show instability and yet contain flaws. You can test any drive on your computer to see if it contains errors by running CHKDSK. Short for "check disk," CHKDSK is a tool that repairs errors as soon as they are found in an effort to make your computer's operating system more stable.

  • How to Recover From Disk Boot Failure

    When a hard disk drive experiences a boot failure, it means your computer was unable to start under normal conditions. This could happen for a wide variety of reasons. The Windows operating system has a built-in feature that will help you recover your disk after a boot failure. You will be prompted to use this feature automatically after the failure has taken place.

  • SpinPoint F1 Problems

    SpinPoint F1 is the name of a product line of hard disks manufactured by Samsung. SpinPoint F1s are fast, high-capacity drives that offer plenty of space to store data. However, the drives have problems when used for some home applications. Those problems are due to errors in the SpinPoint F1 firmware and, as such, you can't fix them yourself.

  • How to Run a Recovery Disk From DOS

    Most PCs come with a recovery disk or CD in case the system goes kaput. If a virus or corrupted file has rendered your computer unusable, a recovery disk can restore the entire system back to factory defaults. However, you must first run the recovery disk on the computer to repair it and, if the computer is Windows 98 or earlier, you must use DOS to do it.

  • NTFS Hard Disk Recovery

    NTFS is the file system used by the Microsoft's Windows operating system. If key system files become corrupted, then a hard disk running Windows can become un-bootable. Users have a few options for regaining use of their hard disks.

  • Software for a Portable Hard Disk

    Mass storage has changed over the years, and as of January 2011, portable hard disks are available in small portable units called USB flash drives. Flash drives come with software that needs to be installed before they are used.

  • What Is DHT Limewire?

    LimeWire is a file sharing website that uses a DHT, which stands for "distributed hash table." A distributed hash table is a way of storing and organizing information over many different hard drives without a form of centralized organization.

  • How to Find Your I/O Magic Password

    Portable hard drives store large amounts of information in a compact design, but the portability causes concern that the drive may be lost or stolen. I/O Magic manufactures portable hard drive enclosures that house the actual drive. It is easy to place a password on the hard drive using freely available software. The majority of the software encrypts the contents on the drive and requires a password to view them. Another option to an external hard drive user is to place an "ATA" password on your drive. This prevents the drive from being accessed but does not encrypt the contents.…

  • How to Unlock HDD Software

    In computing, users install software to the hard drive disk, or HDD. These software programs allow you to perform endless tasks on the computer. Some software programs are free, but others require the purchase of a license or an unlock code. If you have an unlock code, you must enter it into the program while you are installing it. Installing a paid program to your HDD is the same as installing any other program.

  • How to Recover a Dead Disk

    Dead hard drives are pretty much the worst-case scenario of computer failure. Most hard drives die without much warning. While there is no guaranteed method for recovering the data from a dead hard disk, there are a number of possible ways to get a dead hard drive to run long enough to retrieve important data. If you're certain that the issue is the hard drive, then it's time to turn to some of the more desperate measures.

  • How to Create a WAR File

    A WAR file is a Java Web archive file for Java-based Web applications. A WAR file can be uploaded onto a server and installed with Tomcat software. The same software that is used to create the Java application can be used to create the WAR file, or you can download free software from the Internet. Even novice Java programmers should have no problem creating WAR files with the right instructions.

  • How to Create an ISZ File

    Converting your ISO files to ISZ files will save disk space, allowing you to fit more files into the same amount of hard drive space. ISZ files allow you set the amount of compression you want to apply, either none, light or heavy, to shrink the file sizes according to your needs. ISZ files can also be password protected to restrict user access to specific zipped ISOs, for users who require file security.

  • How to Replace the Touch Screen on an Archos 9

    The Archos tablet is a touch screen tablet with a 7- or 9-inch screen designed for Internet use as well as playing media such as music and movies. The device is made up mostly of its touch screen, therefore any damage to this component can ruin the device as a whole. If you have some extra time, you can open up the Archos and replace the screen on your own.

  • How do I Recover a Disk in an External Drive Enclosure WD1600?

    The Western Digital WD1600JS and WD1600AAJS are internal hard disks that hold 160GB of data. When it is plugged into an external drive enclosure, you can use the hard disk as a secondary storage device. This works by plugging the enclosure's USB drive into a computer's USB port. When the disk stops functioning, it needs to be formatted.

  • How to Remove a Drive Partition Without Losing Data

    In order to remove a partition from a hard disk drive on your computer, you'll need to format the entire drive. This will remove all data on the drive and return it to its original, unpartitioned settings. If you don't want to lose any of the data on the drive or partition, you'll have to back it all up onto another storage device (like another hard drive or a flash drive) before the formatting process starts.

  • How to Reset an HDD Password

    In order to protect the information stored on your hard disk drive, you may set up a hard disk drive password so that only authorized users may access the data. If you forget your HDD password or if you receive an old drive that has an unknown password, you must reset the password before you can access the drive or even format it. You can use one of several specialized programs to reset the password on your locked HDD. In order to use these programs to reset the password on a locked hard drive, you must connect the locked drive…

  • How to Recover GUID Partition Table

    A GUID Partition Table allows a drive to boot an Intel-based Mac OS X computer. Formatting a drive this way is necessary if you plan to use the drive as a Mac OS X installer or a bootable backup drive. Recovering, reformatting and making the drive bootable are fairly simple using Mac OS X's built-in disk management application, Disk Utility.

  • How to Find HDD Passwords

    A Hard Disk Drive (HDD) password is claimed by manufacturers to be something which offers ultimate security for your hard drive. A Hard Disk Drive password prevents access to an HDD without the password, and cannot be reset or bypassed. However, there a ways that an HDD password can be overwritten, meaning that the password can be changed if it has been forgotten or lost. To do so is a simple process, which does not require a great deal of technical knowledge.

  • What Is the Difference Between Chkdsk & Error Checking?

    Computer operating systems come equipped with functions that users should perform on a regular basis to ensure the safety of the system and the integrity of the data and hard drive. Two of these functions are Chkdsk and Error Checking.

  • Difference Between Chkdsk /R & /F

    Part of the Microsoft operating system, Chkdsk is a tool that repairs corrupt file or folder structures within the computer and checks for bad disk sectors. It inspects the physical structure of a disk to ensure that it functions well. Chkdsk can check the overall health of the hard drive and serves as an indicating tool for whether a drive may need replacing.

  • How to Use Acronis to Clone an OEM OS

    Acronis True Image includes various utilities for backing up and restoring data. It has a cloning utility that can create a complete image of a computer that you can restore to other computers. Some computer manufacturers install an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) version of operating systems on computers. An OEM license provides permission to install the operating system on multiple computers. If several computers need the same operating system, you can use Acronis to make a cloned image of a system and restore this image to other computers.

  • How to Partition a Hard Disk on Solaris 8

    Oracle's Solaris 8 is a Unix-type operating system. Unlike other Unix or Linux systems, Solaris disks are categorized in BSD Unix style. The main command-line program used to partition and format a drive is called "format." After running the command, this format utility presents a prompt and has its own set of specific commands. It can format, partition, repair and verify a Solaris 8 hard disk.

  • How to Calculate a Disk's Performance

    Knowing the performance of key system components allows you to pinpoint performance bottlenecks that might affect the overall speed of your computer. It also helps identify faulty equipment by comparing performance indexes with previous readings when the computer was functioning properly. If you replace the system hard drive, you measure its speed relative to the old drive to estimate productivity increase. Windows 7 comes with a built-in performance calculator called Windows Experience Index. Although the numbers do not relay actual transfer or processor rates, it does present a strong index to use for comparison between previous measures and community standards.

  • How to Increase Volume Size in Ubuntu Raid

    RAID (Abundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) is used to increase the size of storage data on hard discs and keep a duplicate copy of information on two separate hard-discs. This is beneficial in the event of a hard-drive failure. Advantages to using Ubuntu RAID are enhanced read/write capabilities, improved repetition and increased adaptability in the use of hard-discs and partitions layouts. Disadvantages include possible compatibility issues with other hardware software, increased difficulty in executing back-ups or system rescues; and diminished safety of the application. There are several RAID levels that depend on the volumes and goals you are trying to…

  • How to Increase Virtual Hard Disk Size With Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2

    The Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 program enables an I.T. administrator to install multiple operating systems -- called virtual servers -- on a single dedicated computer. The resources of the dedicated computer -- its CPU, memory and hard disk -- are all shared among the virtual servers. The size of the hard disk of each virtual server is allocated by the administrator, and can be increased or decreased at any time to meet the needs of the environment.

  • Types of SATA Hard Disks

    A Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) functions as a serial version of an ATA interface. It delivers point-to-point channel communication between the computer main board and hard disk drive. SATA works as a bus, providing high speed data transfer to and from the hard disk drive, at a rate of 1.5 GB/s. External hard disk drives, known as eSATAs, have the advantage over other external storage devices for their speed and durability.

  • Will Cloning My Hard Disk Affect My Software Activation?

    Whether or not using imaging software to clone your hard disk drive will affect your software activation depends on the software in question and your individual circumstances. If you are using cloning for a legitimate process, it is unlikely to cause any problem that cannot be solved.

  • How to Recover a Window Profile File From the Hard Disk After a Laptop Failure

    Losing a Windows profile isn't like losing just another file. Your Windows profile includes important personal data that affect the appearance of your Start menu, printer and fax connections and desktop shortcuts. A profile can be retrieved from a damaged computer as long as the hard drive isn't ruined. All it takes is a little bit of patience, attention to detail and an adapter that connects the old hard drive to the new computer.

  • How to Reformat a Time Machine Hard Disk

    Time Machine is a program for Mac computers that backs up information on your computer's hard drive. Reformatting the hard disk used to store your Time Machine backup information is necessary when you no longer feel that you require the security of the Time Machine backup files. Accomplish this by using the drive erase tools that ship with your operating system.

  • How to Format a Hard Disk on a Ricoh Aficio 1045 Copier

    In order to format the hard disk on a Ricoh 1045 copier, you will need to connect the copier to your computer with a Category 5 (Cat 5) or Ethernet cable. Formatting the hard disk will erase the data stored on the disk; all your saved settings will be removed from the printer as well. Note that you will have to install the Ricoh Aficio 1045 drivers on your computer for this process to work.

  • How to Retrieve Data From a Hard Disk

    Hard disks, known more commonly as hard drives, are used in desktop and laptop computers to store various kinds of files, such as music, video and document files. You can transfer these files from the hard disk onto another storage device, such as an external hard drive or a thumb drive. If you accidentally delete files from your hard disk, you can recover them using a free data recovery program, which you can download for free online.

  • How to Repair a Portable Flobo Hard Disk

    Repairing the information on your portable hard drive is necessary if you have drive issues such as corruption from malware, user error or improper removal of the disk from the system. You can repair your hard drive by using the bad sector repair tools on your Flobo Recovery program and restore the drive to like-new condition in about 20 minutes.

  • NTFS Hard Disk Data Recovery

    First used in Microsoft Windows NT, the NT File System (NTFS) hard disk data format has strong security and data-integrity features. However, it can develop problems. Microsoft has its own data-recovery tools and third parties provide others.

  • How to Recover My Files After My Hard Disk Has Been Formatted

    When a hard drive has been formatted, files that were on the drive before the formatting may be recoverable. The ability to recover the files depends on whether the hard drive was formatted using a simple format where only the new drive structure was defined or using a full format where every bit of data was written over to clear the drive. With a full formatting, data are usually not recoverable. With a simple formatting, most files should be recoverable. Several recovery programs are available that attempt to recover lost files.

  • How to Clone a ThinkPad Hard Disk

    Computer hard drives should be cloned periodically to prevent loss of valuable data and software programs. A cloned hard drive is simply a mirror image of an existing hard drive. In the event of physical damage to the hard drive or a virus infection, a cloned drive can be swapped out for the damaged drive with no significant loss of data or time. A number of commercial software products are available for cloning a hard drive on your ThinkPad, including products from Symantec, Acronis and R-Tools Technology.

  • How To Upgrade the Hard Disk for a Sony VAIO VGN-S46GP

    Unlike many modern laptop computers, the hard drive in a Sony Vaio VGN-S46GP laptop isn't located in a compartment on the underside of the computer. The hard drive on this particular model computer is located underneath the keyboard. So if you want to upgrade the hard drive there is going to be some disassembly of the computer involved. But there's no need to panic as you don't need to be very tech savvy in order to pull it off.

  • How to Initialize the Hard Disk on an HP 4345 Printer

    The Hewlett-Packard (HP) LaserJet 4345 is a multifunction printer that includes a scanner, copier, fax machine and printing capabilities. The device produces black-and-white documents, interfaces with computer networks and works with Windows and Mac systems. Like other HP LaserJet printers, the HP LaserJet 4345 contains a hard drive that stores print and scan jobs for future printing and processing. When problems arise, including error messages indicating a hard drive error or that the drive is not working properly, you can initialize the hard drive and return it to a working state.

  • My SATA Hard Disk Is Slow

    Desktop computers use Serial ATA, or SATA, hard disks. This type of hard drive replaced the old IDE hard disk. If your SATA hard disk becomes slow, you can correct the problem by using a different SATA port on the motherboard. This requires you to open the computer and switch the SATA cable port.

  • How to Convert MDF To ISO

    An Mdf and Iso file are image formats that store a disc's raw data. Converting an Mdf to Iso consists of changing the file extension and image type altogether. To date, there is no method to accomplish such task through a native Windows-based application. However, you may convert Mdf to Iso files by using various third-party utilities available for download.

  • How to Recover a Locked Hard Disk

    Recovering information on your locked hard drive enables you to repair the file structure of the drive without altering the locked properties of the drive, keeping your files safe and intact while simultaneously recovering them through your operating system. This corrects damage to the drive from improper shutdowns, system crashes and other undesirable acts that may have affected your drive.

  • How to Format a Removable Hard Disk

    Formatting a removable hard disk is much like formatting a traditional, built-in hard disk. Windows treats the two pretty much the same way. However, you should be aware of a few differences in order to ensure that Windows formats your removable hard disk correctly and you do not damage it in some way by the process. Note that the instructions apply to Vista or Windows 7.

  • How to Disconnect a Seagate FreeAgent External Hard Disk

    An external hard drive can come in handy if you need to back up files or need more storage space than your computer can offer. External hard drives come in a number of different sizes. You can choose from a few gigabytes to up to 2 terabytes with the latest technology. Seagate FreeAgent external hard drives are easy to set up and disconnect from your computer.

  • How to Fix an External Hard Disk

    External hard disks are ideal for computer users who need to carry extra storage around with them. Since they are portable, they are susceptible to sunlight and other environmental effects. When this happens, your external hard disk may become corrupted and when it is placed into a computer it will say it needs formatted. Taking care of your external hard drive is the most obvious solution, but if something happens, there are ways to repair the damage.

  • How to Restore Hard Disk Data

    System Restore is a utility that is used to return your computer to an earlier date, subsequently restoring data on your hard disk. System Restore can help you in a pinch when you accidentally delete a file or have experienced a system failure. By saving a blueprint of computer settings and configurations, System Restore is an effective and user-friendly way of backing-up and restoring your system files.

  • Hard Disk Cleaning Software

    There is software available for download that cleans your computer hard disk, making recovery of deleted information impossible. When you delete a file, you are just removing the directory entry. The information itself remains on the disk and can be recovered.

  • How to Make a Partition on an External Hard Disk

    In Microsoft operating systems such as Windows 7, Vista and XP, users have the ability to format hard drives into usable partitions with the Disk Management tool. While this is most commonly done on internal IDE and SATA hard drives, it can also be done on external hard drives (generally USB or E-SATA) if you have unallocated space and would like another partition on it.

  • How to Repair a Laptop Hard Disk

    As it is attached to a portable device, the hard drive in your laptop will naturally suffer an increased level of exposure to possible physical damage when compared to a similar drive in a desktop user environment. This renders your laptop hard drive more likely to develop file system errors and bad sectors on the drive's contents, a problem remedied by using the options in your operating system.

  • How to Format a Portable Hard Disk

    Any portable hard disk drive (HDD) can be formatted from within Windows while the hard drive is connected to your computer. When formatting the portable HDD, all of the information and data that currently exist on it will be erased. This information is not recoverable after the portable hard disk drive has been formatted. Save any data that you do not want to lose to another HDD before formatting the portable HDD.

  • How to Delete the Primary Partition on a Hard Disk

    Your hard drive's primary partition is typically the partition that contains your computer's operating system, which can make it difficult to delete as you cannot delete your OS partition as long as the OS itself is operating. In order to delete your hard drive's primary partition, you are going to need to boot from the Windows setup disk and delete it using the Windows install program. Fortunately, this is not quite as complicated as it sounds.

  • DIY Hard Disk Data Recovery

    The need for data recovery occurs when a hard drive fails and a backup of the data on it is not available. There are many levels of data recovery that range from simply finding and copying lost files to having a professional data recovery company remove the internal components of a hard drive to read the data in their lab. Several recovery procedures can be performed at home with the help of a working computer to attach the failed hard drive to, including the use of operating system utilities to fix minor problems or specialized software designed for data recovery.

  • How to Replace the Hard Disk in an HP Laptop

    Laptop computers are not usually as upgradeable as desktops because components have to fit into much smaller areas. That doesn't mean that laptop components can't be replaced. In fact, many computer components can be changed more quickly in a laptop than their desktop counterparts. For instance, replacing a hard drive in your desktop will require you to unplug your computer and disassemble the entire case just to get to the hard drive. In contrast, you can access a laptop hard dive just by removing a couple of screws.

  • How to Expand a Virtual Hard Disk for a Virtual PC

    The Virtual PC program enables a Macintosh to simulate a PC by using a partition on the hard drive to contain the Windows operating system. Expand this virtual hard disc that Virtual PC uses for storing data and other information by using a drive expansion program. The program is available at no cost and must be used while within the Virtual PC environment. Done properly, none of the files already on the virtual hard disc will be damaged or in any way compromised.

  • What Is the Purpose of an External Hard Disk?

    An external hard disk drive, usually called an external hard drive, refers to a device that stores computer data, including pictures, videos, documents and software. People use external hard drives to store or back up data.

  • How to Recover a Broken Hard Disk

    A hard disk, also called a hard drive, stores all of your precious data. It may have photos from recent birthday parties, videos from a baseball game and documents from your last income tax return. Once the hard drive begins clicking, the drive's days are numbered. The clicking sound indicates that the drive is starting to fail, so the only option you have is to copy the data from this broken hard disk to a working computer.

  • How to Make a Hard Disk DOS Bootable

    The Disk Operating System (DOS) was once the dominant computer operating system, and most people who owned a computer in the 1980s and early 1990s have used it. While few computers use DOS today, you can still utilize it as a tool to make a new hard drive bootable. If you have a computer with an empty hard drive, you can use an MS-DOS boot disk from FreeDOS to install DOS on the hard drive and make it bootable. After installing DOS, you can use the computer to run older software, or install a second operating system on top of…

  • How to Clone a Hard Disk to a USB

    Cloning the files currently on your computer's hard drive to a USB drive enables you to create portable backup versions of the target files. This allows you to rest easy, knowing that your data is secure against the possibility of loss if either the USB drive or the hard drive happens to crash. The process generally takes no longer than a few minutes.

  • What Is the Difference Between Hard Disk & Flash Memory?

    Although hard disk drives and flash memory serve the same purpose---they both store computer data---they function in very different ways. Hard drives contain moving parts; flash memory does not.

  • How do I Use DD to Recover a Hard Disk?

    The Linux and Unix operating systems use the "dd" command to create exact bit by bit copies of a disk. The disk could be a hard drive, CD or DVD. You can use the "dd" command to back up a hard drive to an image. If that hard drive fails, you can use the "dd" command to restore the image of the drive to a new hard drive. The new hard drive must be the same size or larger than the original drive.

  • How to Wipe a Hard Disk Free

    Most experienced computer users know that merely deleting a file from your hard drive doesn't eliminate it for good. Sometimes being able to recover files that you've deleted can be a lifesaver, but other times it can be a security risk. If you need to destroy any trace of file activity on your hard drive and eliminate any chance of data recovery by spies, hackers or others, there are a handful of tools that will allow you to wipe your hard disk free of cost.

  • How to Partition a Hard Disk on XP

    When a hard disk is partitioned, Windows views it as if it were two separate drives. The main purpose of partitioning a hard drive is to ensure that if your operating system files are damaged, your data will not be lost. Often, the operating system is installed on one partition, and programs and files are installed on another.

  • How to Partition a Sata Hard Disk

    Hard drive partitioning is a process where physical space on a hard drive is set aside as a logical drive or volume and assigned a drive letter so it can be used to store data. A hard drive can contain several volumes, which allows users to organize files in separate storage areas. Windows 7 and Vista have built-in partitioning tools that allow users to manage partitions of drives including Serial ATA (SATA) hard drives.

  • How to Use Your External Hard Disk as a USB on a Sony Car Stereo

    Many audio sound systems, including those produced by Sony, now have a USB connection port installed. This feature allows you to hook up outside flash drives with audio to the system. The car stereo then plays the audio just like it would a standard MP3 player. Although you can connect an external hard disk (also called an external hard drive) to the Sony USB port, you must only have audio files saved on the hard drive---otherwise, the Sony stereo system will become confused when changing audio tracks.

  • What Does Piracy Mean in Terms of Software?

    In days of yore, a pirate was a swashbuckling, sea-faring plunderer. The term "pirate" is now applied to individuals who illegally use software. It is important to understand what, exactly, computer piracy is.

  • How to Recover a Bad Hard Disk

    Hard drives contain the data on almost every computer made for the last 20 years. Prior to that, most computers stored their data on floppy disks, magnetic tapes or even punched cards. Drive capacity has increased exponentially while prices have continued to drop, allowing most modern computers to hold vast amounts of information. When a hard drive crashes, it usually takes all that information with it. Recovering that information can range in importance from helpful to critical, depending upon what was stored. When a back-up is not available, data recovery comes into play.

  • How to Repair a Seagate Hard Disk

    Seagate is a hard drive manufacturer whose drives are used in computers. Like any other type of computer hard drive, Seagate drives can have errors introduced onto them through the operating system. These errors are called bad sectors, and can impact the speed and reliability of the hard drive unless they are repaired with the Windows built-in error checking and repair tool.

  • How to Copy a Boot Sector CD to Hard Disk

    If your computer boots up and displays an error message relating to your boot sector or your master boot record, you have to fix the problem before you can boot into your operating system. This error is fixed by copying the boot sector files on your Windows installation CD to your computer's hard disk through the "fixmbr" command, built in to the CD's recovery console.

  • How to Make a Bootable USB Hard Disk

    USB drives are a great choice for boot media because they are portable, durable and have a larger storage capacity than CDs or DVDs. In fact, one can use a bootable USB disk to run an entirely different operating system, if the drive is large enough. Booting from USB is also handy when you need to manually flash the BIOS or perform command line functions and do not want to completely boot into Windows.

  • How to Replace the Hard Disk for a Sony Vaio VGN-S46GP

    Just because your laptop's hard drive has stopped working or is simply too small, it does not mean that it's time to get a new laptop. In the past replacing a hard disk, or hard drive, in a laptop was an extremely difficult process that most PC users could not complete. However, replacing hard drives on laptops such as the Sony Vaio VGN-S46GP is now considered to be something that just about anyone can do with proper instructions.

  • Linux Hard Disk Speed Tests

    Linux provides a standard array of command line tools for testing hardware. If your system is performing slowly or you experience delays when running software, hardware benchmarks could help you identify the part of your computer that is causing the slowdown.

  • How to Format the Hard Disk by CD

    Hard drives are the primary source of storage for computers. Anything that is not in active use is stored on the hard drive for future use. Sometimes a user needs to format a hard drive. Formatting a drive removes the data on the drive, freeing up space and making the deleted information hard to recover. Reasons for formatting a hard drive include removing sensitive or important information before disposing of a computer, or preparing a hard drive for the installation of a new operating system.

  • How to Make a Hard Disk Boot

    Booting from a disk means that after you switch on the computer, your motherboard will try to start an operating system installed on the disk. For example, if you have Windows 7 installed on your hard disk C drive, you can tell the computer to boot from disk C. It will start that operating system after the computer is turned on. Booting a computer from a hard disk is not difficult.

  • How to Partition Your Hard Disk to Allocate Space

    Partitioning your hard disk involves allocating a certain amount of hard disk space and setting it aside with a specific label. After a disk is partitioned, the choice is made to either format the disk to hold data or to leave the formatting for a later point in time. After a partition is created, the space allocated to it is reserved and not usable in other partitions.

  • How to Repair a Toshiba Hard Disk

    The hard disk drive on a Toshiba computer controls how the computer operates. Problems with the hard disk drive could lead to corrupted programs and files and inefficient computing processes. While there are disc scans that will diagnose minor hard disk issues, major issues require a system recovery process to fully repair the problems.

  • How to Partition a Portable Hard Disk

    Before a portable hard disk can be used to store data, a partition must be created and formatted on the hard disk. You can use the Disk Management utility on your computer to perform this partition and format process. Once the process is finished, your computer will recognize the drive as being able to hold data and will let you save files to the disk.

  • How to Test Hard Disk Speed

    A hard drive is the part of a computer that stores important saved digital information such as documents, programs and operating systems. The speed of the hard drive contributes to the ability of a computer to run faster and access information in a more timely manner. If you want to know how fast your hard drive is, it is easy to find out using one of a few downloadable hard drive speed-testing programs.

  • How to Recover a Toshiba Hard Disk

    The Toshiba Hard Disk is vital to the proper operation of your computer. A hard disk that is not working as effectively as it should or a hard disk that is corrupted can mean that your computer is not able to save files or run programs like you normally do. Fortunately, Toshiba makes the process involved with recovering a hard disk drive fairly simple.

  • How to Partition Hard Disk Without Formatting

    When you format a partition on your hard drive, you enable the partition to hold data on the drive. This requires that you select a formatting type, which you may not want to do immediately after you create the partition. You can instead simply choose to create the partition and opt out of formatting it, choosing instead to come back at a later time and perform the formatting process.

  • How to Partition an Existing Hard Disk

    A partition is a sectioned off piece of your hard drive that can be as small as a few megabytes in size or as large as the entire size of your hard drive. Once a partition is created, you can format it so you can store data on it. As long as your existing hard drive has free, unallocated space available on it, you can allocate the space for a partition and create a new partition on the drive.

  • How to Configure a SATA Hard Disk

    SATA drives use a relatively new hardware interface that's much faster than the older IDE interface. Before you use your new SATA drive, you will have to configure it. This simple process tells the computer how to read the drive, and formats the drive in a file system that Windows can understand. Windows 7 comes provided with a built-in disk utility that makes formatting the drive a straightforward process.

  • How to Deep Format a Hard Disk

    Disk formatting is the process of removing all data and preparing it to be used by your operating system. When such a procedure is performed, your system allows it to store your files securely through the use of a file system. Moreover, a disk format must be partitioned so that your computer recognizes its proper capacity. Performing a thorough disk format may be achieved through several efficient steps.

  • How to Connect an IDE Hard Disk

    IDE hard disk drives are a vital component in desktop computers, because they store the operating system as well as your data and files. You might want to add a second hard drive to your desktop to increase storage or you might need to replace an existing drive due to failure. Either reason is significant and serious when it comes to your PC usage, but the process to connect an IDE hard drive is uncomplicated and effortless.

  • The Storage Capacity of a Portable Hard Disk

    A portable hard disk stores computer data in a small enclosure, allowing the user to carry it around easily. It usually connects to a computer through a USB or a Firewire data cable.

  • What Is Smart Defrag?

    Smart Defrag is freeware disk defragmenting software. Installing and running the program regularly improves the performance of your computer as it defragments the noncontiguous files on your hard drive.

  • How to Format a Hard Disk With Ubuntu

    If you've recently installed or partitioned an existing hard disk in Ubuntu Linux, you will need to format to a file extension that you can use in Ubuntu, such as ext3 or fat32. Ubuntu comes with built-in disk formatting tools that can be run from the command line.

  • How to Format a USB Hard Disk

    Computers are designed to use storage devices that are placed internally as well as those attached to connection ports externally. Formatting an external USB hard disk drive does not require getting a formatting program because it is included with the computer's operating system. The procedure is different depending on whether you are using a PC or Mac computer, but both procedures are straightforward.

  • How to Mount an External Hard Disk in Ubuntu

    External hard drives have to be "mounted" before they can be accessed. Mounting refers to the operating system's recognition of the device. Ubuntu tries to automatically mount external hard drives using the built-in "gnome-volume-manager," an interface responsible for recognizing new media and hot-plugged devices. If auto-mounting fails, manually mounting a hard drive under Ubuntu is possible using the Terminal, a command-line interface.

  • Why Do You Want to Partition Your Hard Disk?

    A hard drive partition makes your computer treat a single drive like two (or more) drives. There are many reasons to do this. Some are for simple convenience, and others can help maintain the integrity of a computer in the event of a crash or loss of data.

  • How to Burn a DVD From a Hard Disk

    Both Windows 7 and Mac OS X have the ability to burn CD and DVD images from a hard disk without installing third-party software. An "image" is an exact copy of all the data on a DVD or CD, stored in a special file type, usually ending in .img or .iso. All versions of Windows 7 come with the "Windows Disk Image Burner" software pre-installed. OS X comes with "Disk Utility."

  • How to Format a New Hard Disk

    Adding a new hard disk drive to a computer requires formatting it to work with the computer's operating system. You can format a new hard disk by using the built-in programs that come with the Mac OS X operating system or the Windows operating system. No additional software is needed, nor do you need any special skills to format the new hard disk. The procedure is straightforward regardless of which computer operating system the new hard disk will be formatted for.

  • How to Format a Hard Disk in Linux

    A new hard disk often needs formatting. This involves creating a partition, a file system and an associated directory. You can do all of this in Linux using command-line tools.

  • How to Format a Hard Disk to NTFS

    NTFS is a file system storage format that is used on hard drives, predominantly by the Windows operating systems. Once a hard disk is formatted in NTFS, it can be used to store data, programs and other information on your computer. You can format a hard disk in the NTFS file system format by using a utility built in to your computer that gives you a walkthrough of the different options for the disk.

  • How to Mount an External Hard Disk in Linux

    In many Linux distributions, the automatic mounting is turned off to give the user more control over drives and devices. If this is the case, you will have to mount your external hard disk from the command line.

  • How to Perform a Low Level Hard Disk Format

    Performing a low level hard disk format is useful for many kinds of computer problems. A low level format, or "zero fill," deletes all of the data from the drive and essentially restores it to "factory" condition. This allows you to start from scratch as if the hard drive were brand new. Unless you're having other hardware problems, formatting your hard drive and reinstalling your operating system will restore your computer to "like new" condition.

  • How to Clean & Format a Hard Disk

    If your hard drive is sluggish and not performing at its peak rate like when you first purchased the computer, you may want to clean the hard drive by formatting it. Formatting a hard drive removes all current data stored on the device, so you must backup any important data from your drive before performing the format. Otherwise the data is erased and gone forever.

  • DIY Computer Upgrade: Adding a Second Sata Hard Disk

    A SATA (Serial ATA) hard drive is one of the most common hard drive types used in modern computers. Adding a second SATA hard drive to your computer requires that you have some advanced knowledge about the interior of your computer, since different types of computers have differences in opening the computer case and attaching the hard drive cables. The overall process, however, remains the same regardless of your computer.

  • How to Check a Seagate Hard Disk Warranty

    When your PC’s hard disk stops working, you may think it is time to go buy a new one. However, many hard disks come with a warranty that will enable you to get your hard disk replaced free. If you have a Seagate hard disk that has stopped working correctly, you may want to check the warranty on the hard disk to see if it’s eligible for replacement. Seagate’s website makes this a simple process.

  • Hard Disk Format Tools

    You may have several reasons why you want to format your hard drive. For example, you may simply want to start from scratch and reinstall your operating system. Another reason you might want to format your drive is to completely erase and delete all information from the drive to get the computer ready to be sold or given away. Several tools exist that format your hard drive using varying levels of security.

  • How to Partition Disks

    Modern operating systems make hard disk management much more user-friendly. That is, previous versions of operating systems did not have graphical user interfaces for making changes to hard disks. Instead, you had to do so using command line prompts. Both Windows and Mac operating systems allow you to easily partition both internal and external hard disks. Partitions are beneficial if you need to designate a section of your hard drive for a specific group of files.

  • How to Open & Fix the Hard Disk in a Laptop

    It is frustrating when your laptop's hard disk stops working. Instead of purchasing a new hard drive you can replace your hard drives components. Your hard drive is made up of a rotating magnetic disk, the magnetic disks motor and the motherboard that gives power to the motor. In most cases, when a hard drive is dead it is due to a bad motherboard inside the drive. Although this is not a terribly difficult task, you will be handling components crucial to the life and safekeeping of your hard drive's data.

  • How to Format the Hard Disk in DOS

    In the computer world, before Windows there was the DOS operating system. While considered archaic today, there are a number of people who are still loyal to DOS, and a number of computers, especially older machines, still use the system today. DOS is limited to approximately a 2 gigabyte hard drive, so if the drive is larger, it will have to be partitioned in order for DOS to format the drive properly.

  • How to Retrieve Information from a Hard Disk with a USB IDE Adapter

    You can retrieve information off of your hard drive without having to resort to the lengthy and potentially bothersome task of installing it to your computer. This is possible by utilizing a IDE to USB adapter, which is a cable that will allow you to treat your formerly internal hard drive as an external drive in a process that can be completed in just minutes.

  • Definition of a Sata Hard Disk

    The interface used to connect the hard drive to a personal computer (PC) serves a very important role in modern computing, and like other technologies, this one is rife with potentially confusing acronyms. Take for instance SATA hard disks. SATA stands for Serial ATA and currently represents for standard for hard drive interfaces. But what makes SATA so special and what does ATA stand for, anyway.

  • Comparison of an External Hard Disk & an Internal Hard Disk

    Computer hard drives store the operating system software, application programs and all sorts of other files and data. Internal and external hard drives can both be used for this purpose. The operation of internal and external hard drives is essentially the same --to store and retrieve information needed for processes being run by the operating system or application programs.

  • How to Copy an Audio CD to Hard Disk

    CDs are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Although they're useful for storing music, they're less durable and have less storage space than an MP3 player or a computer. If you're looking to back up your CD collection, or want to transfer your favorite songs to your MP3 player, you can copy your audio CDs directly to your hard disk by ripping the tracks with Windows Media Player. However, this is only for homemade audio CDs, as commercial CDs are copyrighted and usually have copy protection on them that prevents users from ripping them to a computer.

  • How to Lock an External Hard Disk

    External hard drives come with write-protection features, enabling you to "lock" the drive against unauthorized changes. The write-protection switch on an external drive is located on the enclosure itself, which will allow the drive to be connected to virus-ridden and potentially harmful computers without the possibility of corruption. Switching the drive to "locked" mode can be done in just minutes.

  • How to Erase a Hard Disk Without a CD

    When you have a hard drive (either internal or external) with too much garbage taking up disk space, you may just want to start from scratch and erase all the data on the drive. Although you do need the Windows CD if you are reformatting the actual master drive with the operating system on it, there is no need to use a CD when erasing the data on slave drives (drives that do not contain the operating system).

  • How to Connect a SATA Hard Disk as a Slave

    An SATA hard drive is an internal hard drive that connects to your computer's motherboard. It is even possible to connect multiple drives to the same computer; however, only one drive can be the master hard drive; the other(s) must be slave drives. This is because the master drive has the operating system installed and must be used to boot up the system. When installing a new SATA hard drive onto your computer, you must set it as a slave.

  • Step-By-Step Instructions on How to Format the Hard Disk with FDisk

    Windows 95 through Windows ME used a utility called Fdisk to handle formatting hard drives through MS-DOS. Formatting is required to remove all data from a hard drive prior to installing a new operating system. As a command-line utility, Fdisk can be confusing, but a simple set of step-by-step instructions will allow you to format your hard disk for a new operating system.

  • How to Partition a Hard Disk With FDISK

    Partitions on the hard disk of a computer split up the storage space on the disk, so that they can be used as separate containers. With multiple storage containers on your hard disk, you can install more than one operating system on your computer or organize files and programs into smaller groups. If you need to partition the hard disk on a computer that is operating an older version of Windows, such as Windows 98 or Windows ME, you can do so using the built-in partitioning tool called FDISK.

  • How to Format a 500 GB Hard Disk

    A 500GB hard drive is a large-capacity drive used in computer systems to store data. These types of drives can be found in a variety of formats, from laptop drives to desktop drives and even in the form of external hard drives. If you have a new 500GB drive, you need to format the drive before you can use it on your computer.

  • How to Fix the Partition on an External Hard Disk

    An external hard drive is just like a normal hard drive, but it is connected to your computer externally, usually via a USB cable. If your external hard drive has a partition that has bad data sectors, or is returning bad data values, you will need to repair that partition. The primary native Windows operation to fix hard drive partitions is a program called “CHKDSK.” CHKDSK scans your hard drive and corrects bad data sectors or memory blocks, and can be accessed through the command prompt found in your Windows operating system.

  • How to Improve Hard Disk Boot Time

    Every computer takes a certain amount of time to start up; this is called boot time, or boot up time. During boot up, the computer loads system files, checks different hard disk partitions for consistency, checks files and folders and finds/amends bad sectors of the disk (if applicable). The higher the number of files on your PC, though, the greater the hard disk boot time. The best way to counter this is to organize your installed programs efficiently.

  • How to Access External Hard Disk Files

    External hard disk drives are a convenient, albeit somewhat expensive, way to store important files or back up files from the computer. These drives not only have the ability to back up the entire system, but the operating system as well. One of the huge advantages of external hard disk drives is safe storage. You can send your files to the drive on the computer, then physically store the drive in a protected area such as a safe or closet to avoid damage. Files from an external hard disk drive are accessed in much the same way as you sent…

  • How to Format a Hard Disk on XP

    Hard disk formats delete all data that are stored in your computer. As an XP user, you may want to format your hard drive if you are reinstalling or installing an operating system or recovering from a serious virus infection. Formatting a hard disk in Windows XP is an easy process and can be executed with the help of a Windows XP installation CD.

  • How to Wipe a Hard Disk Clean

    About $437 million dollars. That is how much identity thieves took from consumers in 2003, according to Reuters. Access to private data makes it all possible, and old hard drives are a good place to get it. A study conducted by a multi-national coalition of universities found that a third of the drives it tested on the second-hand market contained sensitive personal data. Emptying recycle bin and reformatting clearly doesn't do the trick. But before you take a sledgehammer to your drive, consider a more elegant solution.

  • How to Replace a Hard Disk in an Archos 604

    The Archos 604 is an older computer, so you may have to replace the hard drive with a newer model to ensure data security. Hard drives have an average lifespan of around 10,000 hours. You can replace the drive in your Archos 604 in 20 to 30 minutes.

  • How to Chop a PC Case to Put in More Hard Disks

    Many computer manufacturers offer the option of adding a second hard drive by including a hard drive "cage" that can accommodate more than one drive. But if the cage design doesn't offer this feature, you can "chop" or "kit bash" the case and borrow parts from other computers to create a stable cage for a second hard drive.

  • How to Recognize a SATA Hard Disk

    A SATA hard drive, is an internal hard drive and installs on the inside of your computer. Most computers have at least one hard drive, with many having two or more. If you have a SATA hard drive and you want the computer to recognize it you need to properly install the hard drive into the computer and upload the drivers not your system from the installation wizard.

  • How to Change an HDD Recorder Hard Disk

    A hard disk drive recorder is a device that is capable of retaining digital information for posterity, such as digital television, movies and music. Replacing the hard drive in your HDD recorder can be necessary when your old hard drive has become full or when it has suffered an irreparable failure. This is a process not unlike changing a hard drive in a computer, as the two devices are identical.

  • How to Remove HP Recovery From a Hard Disk

    HP computers routinely come with a "Recovery Partition," a section of the hard drive that is partitioned off and includes a complete copy of the operating system that you can restore on the computer should the need arise. If you want to remove this recovery partition and free up your hard drive space, you can do so. Be aware that once you remove this partition, you can no longer recover your computer from it.

  • How Can I Clone an XP Hard Disk?

    Cloning a hard drive provides unique and significant advantages over other backup methods. As hard drive prices drop and capacities increase, the reasons against maintaining such a backup also drop away. With a cloned hard drive, downtime due to a crash is almost nothing as it eliminates the need for reinstalling Windows, programs and drivers.

  • How to Restore a Corrupted File or Directory on a Hard Disk

    Corruption in system files or directories is a fact of life for computer users. Whether from malware, viruses or hardware failure, you can expect to see one or more of your precious files on the hard disk become corrupted over the life of your computer. Restoring files or directories is as easy as using the built in System Restore feature in your operating system, which will reverse the clock back to a point when the corrupted file or directory was whole and intact.

  • How to Troubleshoot a Powerbook G4 Hard Disk Failure

    The PowerBook G4 may be outdated, but it is still a dependable laptop that many Mac owners continue to use. If the Power Book refuses to start or functions erratically, the PowerBook's hard disk drive is the most likely culprit. Troubleshooting the hard drive can tell you if it needs repair, and if the repair is one that you can do yourself. Troubleshoot the hard disk drive by making sure that power is properly flowing to it. You can also use a built-in disk repair program, as well as one you can get from a Mac software supply store. The…

  • How to Recover From Hard Disk Failure

    Hard disk failures (or theft) are almost as inevitable as death and taxes. You may get lucky and never experience one, but chances are if you are reading this, the event is upon you. If you have critical data backed up, the experience will not be traumatic, and replacement drives are relatively inexpensive. Here are some suggestions for how to approach a failure with specific references to Windows operating systems.

  • How to Clone a Hard Disk

    Cloning your hard disk is pretty simple. All you need is a disk cloning program and a new location to save your cloned content to. This is usually a new hard drive, but it doesn't matter whether it's internal or external. Depending on how many files you're cloning, cloning the hard disk could take a long time. If you're working from a laptop, make sure your power source is connected before you start the cloning process.

  • How to Format an OS X Terminal Hard Disk

    Occasionally your Mac OS X computer has trouble formatting a disk the usual way (i.e., through the Disk Utility). This guide is meant to provide an alternative means of formatting a disk that is far more reliable. We'll be using Terminal to type in commands directly to the computer, giving you a level of power and control that is unparalleled.

  • How Do Partitions Increase the Capacity of Hard Disks?

    Partitioning is the act of separating the total available storage space of a hard drive into sections. This increases storage capacity and improves overall performance in a number of ways. The first involves the way your drive organizes data. All hard drives use some type of file system. The file system organizes data so your system can store and retrieve it easily. To accomplish this, it collects data into "clusters." A cluster is the minimum amount of space allotted to store a file. No matter how small the file, it takes up an entire cluster. If a file contains less…

  • How to Transfer Programs From an Old Hard Disk to a New One

    To transfer programs from one hard disk to another, you will need a disk cloning program. These programs will usually cost money, but you might be able to find some free ones online. They all do the same thing so the program you decide to install is up to you. Make sure it will support the amount of space you need to copy and it works on your operating system. One program that is widely used for hard disk copying is Norton Ghost.

  • How to Reset a Hard Disk Password

    If you want to protect the information stored on the hard disk of your computer, you can set a password for the disk. However, if you forget that password, you are locked out of all of the applications that are stored on the disk. If you have forgotten the password of your hard disk, it cannot be easily reset, but you can reset the password on Windows-based systems with a specialty program.

  • How to Wipe Hard Disk Clean of G3 Power Mac

    G3 Macintosh computers were first released in 1997 and were officially discontinued in the mid 2000s, when all iMacs and iBooks switched over to the G4 processor. However, many old G3 Macs can still run Mac OS X, which means they can access Disk Utility. Disk Utility is a handy Mac OS X program that allows Mac users to repair disks by running first aid, partitioning the hard drive or erasing data from the computer. With Disk Utility you can wipe a G3 Power Mac hard drive clean.

  • How to Format a Vista Hard Disk

    Hard drive formatting is a process that prepares a hard disk for storing data. When you install a brand new hard drive on a computer, such as a secondary hard drive for the purpose of storing extra data such as media files, the drive will have to be formatted before you can use it. Formatting storage devices using a computer that runs on Windows Vista is a relatively simple process, and for certain storage devices--such as USB flash drives and external hard drives--your computer may recognize and be able to use the device without formatting.

  • How to Add an IDE Hard Disk to a SATA Setup

    With technological advances moving so quickly, we often try to salvage what we can from older computers. IDE drives, properly known as ATA drives or (P) ATA drives, are an older technology for hard drives, but if you want to be thrifty, you can also use it in a newer computer with an SATA setup. It can be the most convenient way to go if you just upgraded your motherboard and you want to copy your information from your old hard drive. This technique is also useful if you need to recover information from an older drive.

  • How to Format a Hard Disk in OS X

    Many of the Mac computers, including laptops and small desktop computers, are limited to only a single hard drive. However, if you have a Mac Pro or another desktop capable of supporting multiple hard drives, you may wonder how to initialize and format a new hard drive.

  • How to Format a Secondary Hard Disk

    When you first purchase a secondary hard drive to perform additional storage duties on your computer, you most likely need to format it to run properly. A secondary hard drive does not have the operating system on it, nor do system files save to it. However, you can use the drive to save content such as music, videos, and other data that ordinarily would take up too much space on your hard drive.

  • How to Format a Sata Hard Disk on a Laptop

    Formatting a SATA hard drive on a laptop is useful in many situations. This process is often needed when installing new operating systems or recovering from a system failure. Formatting utilities are built into the operating system directly for easy completion of the task. Formatting a SATA hard drive on a laptop is a basic computer operation that can be completed by virtually any computer user.

  • How to Format the Hard Disk

    Formatting the hard disk would delete all the files and folders present on it forever. Formatting is useful when there are corrupt files present on the system that you are not able to delete. The whole file system on the hard disk would be recreated. The Windows operating system has a built-in utility to format the hard disk.

  • How to Backup Seagate Hard Disk Firmware

    Seagate hard drives are managed by a software that runs the system known as Firmware. Traditionally, firmware was installed through a difficult process that could potentially damage the computer. Now companies like Seagate make programs that automatically update the firmware without worry. However, you may need to store a copy of this as a backup, in case your hard drive has a problem.

  • How to Partition a Hard Disk Using DM

    A computer hard disk can be separated into multiple partitions using a utility software such as Disk Management, also known as DM, which is included with the Windows operating system. Partitioning a hard drive is useful if you want to install more than one operating system on your computer or if you want to keep your data separated. After partitioning a hard disk with DM, the device will appear as two separate drives in the "My Computer" window.

  • How to Remove the Cover of a Thinkpad T20 Laptop

    The Thinkpad is an iconic laptop introduced by IBM in 1992. IBM had sold 20 million of them by 2003. Lenovo acquired IBM's Personal Computing Division in 2004, and the Thinkpad brand is still in use today. The T20 was released in 2001 and despite its age, the robust nature of this machine means there are still some around and in use. You can replace many parts, including the system board.

  • How to Restore a Hard Disk With Acronis

    Using Acronis to copy a hard disk byte by byte is a common procedure that fulfills many functions. Acronis is a hard drive duplication and recovery tool that is useful when moving operating systems between systems of disparate hardware. Duplicating a system hard drive also allows for excellent data backup options when restoring a hard drive from a previous backup. The process of using Acronis to clone a hard disk is an easy process that any computer user can accomplish.

  • What Is a SATA Hard Disk?

    SATA is an acronym for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment. It is an interface standard for connecting computer systems to mass storage devices such as a hard drive.

  • How to Partition a Hard Disk Using Disk Manager

    With the Disk Manager utility program, which is automatically included with the Windows XP operating system, computer users can partition any hard drive connected to their system. Partitioning a hard drive will separate the disk into multiple sectors, so that you can install more than one operating system on a single drive. Before partitioning a hard drive, you should back up all important data on disk.

  • How to Make a Hard Disk Bootable

    If you've bought a new hard drive but don't want to install a Windows operating system, you can still make the drive bootable. A bootable hard drive is one that has a partition and is formatted for the computer. The hard drive can be used as a simple backup device on your computer, so you can store files on it without having Windows installed.

  • Data Recovery for a Damaged Hard Disk

    Hard disk crashes are often fatal to the precious data contained within. Just because your drive stops working or has lost a significant amount of data does not mean you have to go to an expert or send your drive away to a pricey lab in order to recover. As long as the internal disc and drive hardware is not compromised you will be able to recover most if not all of your valuable data by yourself.

  • Hard Disk Storage Vs. Magnetic Tape

    Hard disk storage is quite different from magnetic tape, though both are often used for backup solutions. Both technologies operate on the same basic principles, which have been in use for over 60 years. The benefits and pitfalls of each make them best suited to different situations, however.

  • Ghost 14 Instructions

    Norton Ghost 14 from Symantec is a software program that allows you to back up your computer drives, folders and files. With Ghost, you can establish a backup process to make copies of anything you want on the computer in case something important gets damaged or lost. Ghost 14 supports works with Windows Vista or XP Service Pack 2.

  • How to Detect a SATA Hard Disk

    If you have connected a SATA (serial ATA) hard drive to your computer but are not able to access the files on it, then your system may not be detecting the drive correctly. On either a PC or Mac computer, you can manually detect and mount a hard drive that is locally connected. Once properly detected, the drive will become available for file transfer.

  • Use of External Hard Disks

    Computer external hard drives are an excellent way to quickly add large amounts of storage to personal, laptop, and network computer equipment. In addition to their use as static storage devices, though, external hard drives also provide additional benefits. From allowing users to access data in a mobile environment to facilitating data backups, external hard drives provide users with a number of benefits.

  • How to Remove a Hard Disk From the Sony Vaio PCG-TR2

    The Sony Vaio PCG-TR2 laptop computer comes standard with a 40-gigabyte hard drive. While that may have seemed like a lot of space when you first got the laptop, it inevitably doesn't take long for the hard drive to reach capacity from all those software programs and music files. If you have run out of space and need more room, upgrade the hard drive with a larger version. In order to remove the old hard drive from your Sony Vaio, you must remove a few other parts first.

  • How to Replace an Internal Hard Disk

    Replacing an internal hard drive within a computing solution is an important skill for any computer owner to have. Whether upgrading or replacing a failed drive, replacing an internal hard drive is a quick process which anyone can accomplish with just a little time and knowledge.

  • How to Partition Hard Disks

    In order to use a new hard disk, you must first partition the drive. This properly prepares the free space on the drive for installing a new operating system or simply formatting it for storage use. A hard drive can have one partition or multiple, depending on its size and ultimate purpose. These instructions will show you how to partition a hard disk using the Windows operating system.

  • Hard Disk Data Recovery

    Whether you have accidentally formatted a hard drive with an important file on it or deleted something you did not mean to, hard disk drive recovery tools can be a lifesaver. By carefully scanning the surface structure of a hard disk, these utilities can find data that have been hidden from your computer by a deletion.

  • How Does a Hard Disk Sector Become Damaged?

    A hard drive is a collection of disks known as platters and one or more moving read/write head that stores and retrieves data. The platters have concentric rings called tracks that each have a small bit of information on them. Each track is further subdivided into sectors. The platters themselves have a thin protective coating that is meant to protect the data from accidentally being scratched by the read/write head or dust or other contaminants.

  • What Is DHT P2P?

    DHT P2P or distributed hash table peer to peer systems allow for data file sharing on a large scale and without being controlled by a centralized organization. These networks use nodes or electronic devices attached to networks to send, receive, retrieve and forward information over a channel of communication. The node is the point of connection at which the information can be distributed from peer to peer.

  • About Hard Disk Defragmentation

    Hard drives are cheap, immensely useful and becoming more essential every day. Will all kinds of data from files to songs to photos to movies and TV shows being digitized, having more hard drive space available is necessary for most computer users. To get the most out of them, however, some maintenance is necessary from time to time. This includes defragmentation, the "cleaning up" of the media.

  • How Does Chkdsk Check a Hard Disk?

    Chkdsk is a utility command for Windows, DOS and OS/2. Chkdsk is used to find and fix errors on the hard drive. Chkdsk can also check the integrity status of the disk drives or just display the file system. The command is usually run from the command prompt or Windows shell. The power of the Chkdsk command is its ability to look for bad sectors on the hard disk. Part of the hard disk has round magnetic disks that store the data. On each disk is a track. The track is then divided into sectors and data is stored. If…

  • How to use USB interface IDE hard disk enclosure

    USB Enclosure like this is very cheap these days, sometime you can get one for free after rebates. And now a day, a lot of people have gone through more than one generation of computers. I found it to be great convenient to plug the hard disk from old computer into enclosure and make the external hard disk out of it. The real beauty is you can have the data from the old computer available to you pretty much anytime you want.

  • How to Clean a Computer Hard Disk

    Sometimes you need to clean your computer's hard disk to keep things running smoothly. Adware, Spyware, viruses and clutter can make your hard drive run sluggish and unstable. If you are experiencing slow down or lagging programs, there are a few ways to clean your computer's hard disk to make it run smoothly once again. In a few simple steps, you will learn how to have your computer running like brand new.

  • How to Prepare a Hard Disk for O/S Installation

    Before you can use a hard disk, it must be formatted and/or partitioned. The operating system needs to reside on a partition. You can use Microsoft's Fdisk tool to complete this procedure.

  • How to Install a New Hard Disk on a PC

    At some point in your computer's life, you may need to install a new hard drive. This could be to extend storage capabilities or to replace a defective unit. Replacing a dead hard drive is actually easier, because all the required cables are already in place; you just need to move them to the new one. Installing a secondary hard drive is marginally more difficult, because you have to locate the appropriate connectors and find a place to mount it. However, new drives will almost certainly be SATA, which means you don't need to worry about special settings on the…

  • How to Defragment a Mac Hard Disk

    When files get saved, changed, and erased, file attributes can get split up, or "fragmented," in your computer's disk space, slowing down your system. You can defragment your hard disk to get things up to speed again. The article refers to Mac OS 9 and earlier. If you are interested in Fixing File Permissions in OS X, please visit see related eHow in the Resources field.

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