Choosing a computer can prove to be a difficult task for even a tech savvy person. There are many components in the computer that are important when selecting one. But probably the most important is the computer's hard drive. Known also as the HDD or the hard disk, it is where your computer stores all files, programs and information to make it work. Hence, if you do not have a properly functioning HDD in your computer, you will not have a properly functioning computer.

Your hard drive works the same way that both video tapes and cassette tapes work, just on a larger scale. While tapes store information on long strips of tape, a hard disk utilizes round, mirror like disks that have the same recording medium.

The disks that are housed inside your computers hard disk are made from aluminum or glass typically with a magnetic coating that makes them shiny. It is important that these disks maintain an unmarred condition. A small scratch or piece of debris can render your HDD useless and you can lose any and all information stored. This damage is typically unrepairable as well, forcing you to buy a new one.

The HDD is also designed to work like a cassette tape due to the unit housed inside that reads the data on the disk. This also helps to write the information onto the tape. There is a small head that reads and records that passes back and forth over the disks, reading or writing the intended information.

The stacked disks have a small gap in between them where the arm passes over that contains the reading and recording head. This arm is like a fork laid on its side with each tine fitted in between a disk. These tines are what holds the head.

You will notice when you turn on your computer that you will hear a soft whirring noise. Part of this noise is the fan that cools your computer, however when the fan shuts off, you will still hear a noise. This is the sound of the disks spinning. These disks spin up to seventy-two thousand rotations per minute.

As long as your computer is turned on, these disks are spinning, even if you are doing nothing on your computer. However, the heads only begin to move across the surfaces only when you begin work, open a file or program or begin to record data. These arms move across the disks over fifty times a second.

Many of us have experienced a computer crash that resulted in a total loss of information. Often times this is due to the computers hard drive being damaged. While sudden jarring or shaking of the unit can result in damage, something as insignificant as a particle of dust or a scratch can also cause the damage. This is why it is so important to properly maintain your computer and handle its components carefully.