Computer Maintenance and Technical

Support
Mettu University, Department of
Information Technology
3rd Year
CHAPTER 6 – STORAGE
 Inside a Hard Drive
• The hard disk drive is a nonvolatile secondary
storage unit. That means that it does not loose its
stored data when turned off.
• Installed inside a drive bay and there is no access
to the HDD from the front panel as it is
unnecessary.
 Inside a Hard Drive
• Hard drives are different in :
– Hardware technologies inside the drive
• Solid state or magnetic or hybrid
– Hard disk drive (HDD) or hard drive sizes
• 2.5" size for laptop computers
• 3.5" size for desktops
• 1.8" size for low-end laptops, other
equipment
– Interface type
 Solid State, Magnetic, and Hybrid
Drives
• Solid state drive (SSD) or solid state device (SSD)
– No moving parts
– Built using nonvolatile flash memory
– Expensive technology
• Magnetic hard drive
– One, two, or more platters, or disks
• Stacked together, spinning in unison inside a
sealed metal housing
• Firmware controls data reading, writing and
motherboard communication
• Hybrid hard drives use both technologies
 Magnetic Drive Components
HDD components:
•Hard drives have two kinds of components:
internal and external.
•External components are located on a printed
circuit board called electronic circuit board.
•Internal components are located in a sealed
chamber called HDA or Hard Disk Assembly.
1.Electronic circuit board
•The electronic circuit board is located on the
hard drive it contains a micro controller, ROM
chip, Read/Write bus, cable connector
interface, drive select jumpers and DC power
supply connector.
 Magnetic Drive Components
2. Hard disk assembly
• The hard disk assembly is composed mainly of
disk platters, head arms, and the head actuator.
There are several head arms placed between the
disk platters reading data from above and below.
The head arms move in union, and the head
actuator is the motor that moves them. The heads
do not touch the platters when they are reading
data, but when the HD is turned off some types
of hard drives allow the heads to rest on the
platters.
How Data Is Organized On a Hard Drive
• Hard drive disk surface divided into concentric circles
(tracks)
– Track: a single ring of data on one side of a disk.
It is divided into 512-byte segments (sector,
record)
– Sector: the smallest individually-addressable unit
of information stored on a hard disk, and normally
holds 512 bytes of data.
– Cylinder
• All tracks are the same distance from platters
center
 How Data Is Organized On a Hard
Drive (cont’d.)
• Drive housing circuit board firmware
responsibilities
– Writing and reading data to tracks and sectors
– Keeping track of data storage on the drive
• BIOS and OS
– Use logical block addressing (LBA) to address
all hard drive sectors
Figure The bottom of a hard drive shows the circuit board that contains the
firmware that controls the drive
 How Data Is Organized On a Hard
Drive (cont’d.)
• Hard drive installation
– Windows initializes and identifies drive as a
basic disk
• Writes Master Boot Record (MBR)
– High-level formatting performed
• Specifies partition size and file system used
– Partition can be primary or extended
• Extended can be divided into one or more
logical drives
– File system
• Overall structure OS uses to name, store,
organize files on a drive
 How Data Is Organized On a Hard
Drive (cont’d.)
• Primary and extended partition creation
– When drive or OS is first installed
– After existing partition becomes corrupted
• Disk Management tool
• File system choices
– Windows XP
• FAT32, NTFS
• exFAT if Service Packs 2 & 3 installed with
download
– Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 or later
• FAT32, NTFS, exFAT
 The ATA Interface Standards
• Define how hard drives and other drives interface
with a computer system
• Standards
– Developed by Technical Committee T13
– Published by American National Standards
Institute (ANSI)
• Categorized into two groups
– PATA: older, slower standard
– SATA: faster, newer standard
 The ATA Interface Standards
(cont’d.)
• Parallel ATA or EIDE drive standards or Integrated
Drive Electronics (IDE)
– Allows one or two IDE connectors on a
motherboard
• Each use 40-pin data cable
– Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface
• Required by EIDE drives (e.g., CD or DVD)
• Types of PATA ribbon cables
– Older cable
• 40 pins and 40 wires
– 80-conductor IDE cable
• 40 pins and 80 wires
– Maximum recommended length of either is 18
inches
 The ATA Interface Standards
(cont’d.)
• Serial ATA standards
– Developed by a consortium of manufacturers
• Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-
IO)
– Uses serial data path rather than traditional
parallel data path
– Advantages
• Faster than PATA interfaces and used by all
drive types
• Multiple connectors are easy to configure
• Supports hot-swapping (hot-plugging)
• Internal cable length: up 1 meter
• Cable does not hinder airflow
Figure : A SATA hard drive subsystem uses an internal SATA data cable
 The ATA Interface Standards
(cont’d.)
• Serial ATA standards (cont’d.)
– Motherboard or expansion card can provide
external SATA (eSATA) ports for external drives
– External SATA (eSATA)
• Up to six times faster than USB or FireWire
• eSATA drives use special external shielded
serial ATA cable up to 2 meters long
– Purchasing considerations
• SATA standards for the drive and motherboard
need to match for optimum speed
• If no match, system runs at the slower speed
 About Floppy Drives
• Floppy disk drive (FDD)
– Holds only 1.44 MB of data
– Some still used today
– Advantages
• Useful when recovering from a failed BIOS
update
• Inexpensive and easy for transferring small
amounts of data
 Floppy Drive Hardware
• Past floppy drives sizes: 5 ¼” and 3 ½”
– 3 ½” floppy disk format
• High density (1.44 MB), extra-high density
(2.88 MB), double density (720 K)
– Floppy drive subsystem
• Floppy drive, ribbon cable, power cable,
connections
• Today’s floppy drive cables have a connector
at each end to accommodate a single drive
• Older cables have an extra connector or two in
the middle of the cable for a second floppy
drive
Figure Floppy drive subsystem: floppy drive, 34-pin data cable, and
power connector
 Floppy Drive File System
• Similar to hard drive file system
– Tracks and sectors are written to blank surface
 Floppy Drive File System (cont’d.)
• 80 tracks on top side, 80 tracks on bottom
(numbered 0 to 79)
– Track has 18 sectors (1-18)
• Total of 1440 sectors on each side
• Each sector holds 512 bytes of data
• 3 ½” high-density floppy disk: 2880 x 512 =
1,474,560 bytes
• Divide 1,474,560 bytes by 1024 to get 1440 KB
• Divide 1440 KB by 1000 get 1.44 MB
• Format with format command or Windows Explorer
– Add tracks, sectors, boot record, two FATs, root
director
 How to Select and Install Hard
Drives and Floppy Drives
• Topics covered
– Selecting a hard drive
– Installation details for serial ATA drive,
parallel ATA drive
– How to install hard drive in a bay too wide for
drive
– How to install a floppy drive
 Selecting a Hard Drive
• Hard drive must match OS and motherboard
• BIOS uses autodetection to prepare the device
– Drive capacity and configuration selected
– Best possible ATA standard becomes part of
configuration
• Selected device may not be supported by BIOS
– Troubleshooting tasks (if device not recognized)
• Flash the BIOS
• Replace controller card
• Replace motherboard
 Steps to Install a Serial ATA Drive
• Step 1: Prepare for installation
• Step 2: Install the drive
– Turn off the computer and unplug it
– Decide which bay will hold the drive
– Slide drive in the bay and secure it (both
sides)
– Use correct motherboard serial ATA connector
– Connect a SATA or 4-pin power connector from the
power supply to the drive
– Check all connections and power up the system
– Verify drive recognized correctly
 Steps to Install a Serial ATA Drive
(cont’d.)
• Step 3: Use Windows to partition and format the
drive
– Boot from Windows setup CD or DVD
• Follow directions on the screen to install
Windows on the new drive
– If installing a second hard drive with Windows
installed on first drive use Windows to
partition and format the second drive
 Steps to Install a Serial ATA Drive
(cont’d.)
• Installing a SATA drive in a removable bay
– Turn handle on each locking device
counterclockwise to remove it
– Slide the bay to the front and out of the case
– Insert hard drive in the bay
• Use two screws on each side to anchor the
drive in the bay
– Slide the bay back into the case
– Reinstall the locking pins
Figure Install the hard drive in the bay using two screws on each side of the drive
 Steps to Install a Floppy Drive
• Turn off the computer, unplug power cord, press
power button, and remove cover
• Unplug power cable and data cable from old drive
• Unscrew and dismount drive
• Slide new drive into the bay
– Screw new drive down with the same screws
• Connect floppy drive data cable to motherboard
• Connect data cable and power cord to the drive
• Replace cover, turn on computer, and enter BIOS
setup to verify installation
 Troubleshooting Hard Drives
• Problems:
– With hard drive installations
– Occurring after the installation with hard
drives and floppy drives
– With booting the PC
• Caused by hard drive hardware
 Problems with Hard Drive
Installations
• BIOS setup does not reflect new hard drive
– Enable autodetection and reboot system
• “Hard drive not found”
– Reseat data cable and reboot PC
• POST beeped three times and stopped
– Reseat memory modules and boot again
• “No boot device available”
– Insert bootable disk and reboot PC
• “Hard drive not present”
– Restore jumpers to original state
 Problems with Hard Drive
Installations (cont’d.)
• If BIOS setup does not recognize newly installed
hard drive:
– Has BIOS setup been correctly configured for
autodetection?
– Are jumpers on the drive set correctly?
– Power cord and data cable properly connected?
• Verify solid connection both ends
– Check drive manufacturer web site for
suggestions
• Look for diagnostic software downloadable from
manufacturer web site
 How to Approach a Hard Drive
Problem after the Installation
• Some post-installation problems
– Corrupted data files
– Corrupted Windows installation
– Hardware issue preventing system from booting
• Preparation steps
– Start with end user: conduct an interview
– Prioritize what has been learned
• Example: make data backup a first priority
– Be aware of available resources
• Documentation, Internet, software tools,
technical support
 Boot Problems Caused By Hard
Drive Hardware
• Causes of problems present during boot:
– Hard drive subsystem
– Partition table
– File system on the drive
– Files required for the OS to boot
• Problems at POST
– Caused by drive, data cable, electrical system,
motherboard, controller card (if one is
present), or loose connection
 Boot Problems Caused By Hard
Drive Hardware (cont’d.)
• Problems at POST, checks:
– BIOS manufacturer website for error code
explanation
– BIOS setup: ability to disable block mode
– Remove and reattach all drive cables
• Check for correct pin-1 orientation
– Remove and reseat controller card
– Check drive jumper settings
– Inspect drive for damage
– Determine if the hard drive is spinning
 Boot Problems Caused By Hard
Drive Hardware (cont’d.)
• Problems at POST, checks (cont’d.):
– Check cable for frayed edges or other damage
– Check the installation manual
– Be sure power cable, drive data cable
connections are good
– Check BIOS setup for errors in the hard drive
configuration
– Try booting from another media
– Check drive manufacturer Web site for diagnostic
software
– Create a boot CD with hard drive diagnostic
software
 Boot Problems Caused By Hard
Drive Hardware (cont’d.)
• Problems at POST, checks (cont’d.):
– Exchange three field replaceable units
• Data cable, adapter card (optional), hard
drive
– If hard drive refuses to work but its light
stays
• Problem might be a faulty controller
– Sometimes older drives refuse to spin at POST
 Boot Problems Caused By Hard
Drive Hardware (cont’d.)
• Bumps are bad
– A scratched surface may cause a hard drive crash
– Data may be recovered, even if drive is
inaccessible
• Invalid drive or drive specification
– System BIOS cannot read partition table
information
– Boot from recovery CD and check partition table
• Bad sector errors
– Problem due to fading tracks and sectors
• Replace the drive
 Periodic Maintenance of HDD
ScanDisk:
• ScanDisk is a Windows®9x utility that checks your hard
drive for physical damage and also fixes file system
errors, such as cross-linked folders, damaged or
invalid file names and disassociated file names. In
Windows®XP®, the utility is called Check Disk.
Accessing ScanDisk
• To access ScanDisk, click Start > Programs >
Accessories >System Tools > ScanDisk. Select the drive
that you want to scan (usually C:) and choose the type
of test.
 Periodic Maintenance of HDD
The test types are:
• Standard - inspects the drive for lost chains/clusters
(The drive's map, which tells it where to find files
can't find the pointer (directions) to the file.) This
test typically takes only a few mintues.
• Thorough - does the same test as the Standard test, and,
in addition, checks the drive for bad sectors. When
ScanDisk finds a bad sector, it will mark the sector as
bad, avoid using it and move data to a good spot on the
drive. You will have to observe the process and follow
the instructions on the screen. The Thorough test takes
considerably longer to complete than the Standard test.
 Periodic Maintenance of HDD
• Frequency
• It is recommended that you run ScanDisk/Check Disk
every 30 days.
• Using ScanDisk/Check Disk and Disk Defragmenter
• Run ScanDisk/Check Disk first, followed by Disk
Defragmenter.
 Periodic Maintenance of HDD
Disk Defragmenter:
• Disk Defragmenter is a utility included in all versions of
Windows® after Windows® 95®. Data is written to open spaces
on the hard disk. If the open space is not sufficient to
contain all the data, another open space will be found and
the balance of the data will be written there. If the
contents of a file are written to several sectors on the hard
drive, it will take longer to open the file. Since data is
constantly being written to and deleted from the hard drive,
gaps that impair performance develop. Disk Defragmenter is
designed to reorganize the data on your hard drive so that
your computer runs faster and more efficiently.
 Periodic Maintenance of HDD
Accessing Disk Defragmenter:
• To access Disk Defragmeter, click Start > Programs >
Accessories >System Tools > Disk Defragmenter.
Before running Disk Defragmeter
• Before running Disk Defragmenter, follow the procedures
listed in the 'Before running ScanDisk' instructions.
• Free space
• You must have at least 15% free space on you hard drive
to successfully run Disk Defragmenter. If you have
insufficient free space, try running the Disk Cleanup
utility.
 Periodic Maintenance of HDD
Time to complete process
• While the time depends on the size of your hard disk
and speed of your processor, it will typically take
several hours (or more) for the hard disk to be
defragmented. During the defragmentaion process, you
cannot use your computer for any other applications.
Frequency
• It is recommended that you run Disk Defragmenter every
30 days.
OPTICAL STORAGE
 Optical Storage Devices –
How Optical Storage Works
• An optical disk is a high-capacity storage medium.
An optical drive uses reflected light to read data.

• To store data, the disk's metal surface is covered with

tiny dents (pits) and flat spots (lands), which cause
light to be reflected differently.

• When an optical drive shines light into a pit, the

light cannot be reflected back. This represents a bit
value of 0 (off). A land reflects light back to its
source, representing a bit value of 1 (on).
1 0
 Optical Storage Devices – CD-ROM

• In PCs, the most commonly used optical storage

technology is called Compact Disk Read-Only Memory
(CD-ROM).

• A standard CD-ROM disk can store up to 650 MB of

data, or about 70 minutes of audio.

• Once data is written to a standard CD-ROM disk, the

data cannot be altered or overwritten.
 Optical Storage Devices – CD-ROM
Speeds and Uses
• Early CD-ROM drives were called single speed, and read
data at a rate of 150 KBps. (Hard disks transfer data at
rates of 5 – 15 MBps).

• CD-ROM drives now can transfer data at speeds of up to

7800 KBps. Data transfer speeds are getting faster.

• CD-ROM is typically used to store software programs. CDs

can store audio and video data, as well as text and
program instructions.
 Optical Storage Devices - DVD-ROM
• A variation of CD-ROM is called Digital Video Disk Read-
Only Memory (DVD-ROM), and is being used in place of CD-
ROM in many newer PCs.

• Standard DVD disks store up to 9.4 GB of data—enough to

store an entire movie. Dual-layer DVD disks can store up
to 17 GB.

• DVD disks can store so much data because both sides of

the disk are used, along with sophisticated data
compression technologies.
 Optical Storage Devices -
Other Optical Storage Devices
• A CD-Recordable (CD-R) drive lets you record your own CDs,
but data cannot be overwritten once it is recorded to the
disk.

• A CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) drive lets you record a CD, then

write new data over the already recorded data.

• PhotoCD technology is used to store digital photographs.

Drive mechanical Operation
Drive mechanical Operation
 Tracks & Sectors
• The disk is divided into six main areas, they are
Tracks & Sectors …
DVD Tracks & Sectors
DVD Tracks & Sectors…
DVD Tracks & Sectors…
Thank You