Fujitsu Siemens Computers Fujitsu-Siemens PC - Manual (Page 55)

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2.10.2 Hard disk
The hard disk is a rigid disc, which is coated with a magnetic
substance and protected by a metal housing (hard disk drive). A
hard disk drive essentially consists of several discs, a spindle
motor, read/write heads and a device for positioning the head. The
hard disk is located inside your computer, but it can be exchanged.
Hard disks work in accordance with ATA (Advanced Technology
Attachment). This describes the protocol in accordance with which
the data is transported via the cables. ATA is a drive specification
for hard disk connections defined by ANSI (American National
Standard Institute).
There are two types in our PCs:
• For hard disks, the widely used IDE (Integrated Drive
Electronics) connection standard (40-pin) is used on the
motherboard. The IDE connection is also called PATA (Parallel
ATA). This standard PC interface is primarily used for optical
drives and hard disks.
• Another connection option for hard disks is the use of the
SATA (Serial ATA) interface (4-ping), if this is available on the
motherboard.
The hard disk is your computer’s main storage medium and you
can make your work easier and more productive by copying your
applications and files onto your hard disk. You can copy files to the
hard disk or delete them from it as often as you want.
The hard disk drive should be handled with great care, as it is very
sensitive.