Chapter 8 - Set 1

cluster

A cluster is also called a file allocation unit. It is the smallest unit of space used for storing data. It is made up of one or more sectors.

hybrid hard drives

A drive that uses both solid state and magnetic technologies.

solid state device (SSD)

A drive with no moving parts. Also called a solid state drive.

New Technology file system (NTFS)

A file system designed to provide greater security and to support more storage capacity than the FAT32 file system.

primary partition

A hard disk partition that can contain only one volume. The primary partition or volume contains a file system. In Windows, a hard drive can have up to three primary partitions. Compare to extended partition.

magnetic hard drive

A hard drive consisting of one or more metal magnetic disks permanently sealed, with an access mechanism and read/write heads, inside its drive.

solid state drive (SSD)

A hard drive that has no moving parts. Also see solid state device (SSD).

logical drives

A portion or all of a hard drive extended partition that is treated by the operating system as though it were a physical drive. Each logical drive is assigned a drive letter, such as drive F, and contains a file system. Compare to volume.

low-level formatting

A process (usually performed at the factory) that electronically creates the hard drive tracks and sectors and tests for bad spots on the disk surface.

basic disk

A single hard drive that works independently of other hard drives.

head

Each side, or surface, of one hard drive platter is called a ____.

hard disk drive (HDD)

The main secondary storage device of a PC. Two technologies are currently used by hard drives: magnetic and solid state.

active partition

The one bootable partition.

extended partition

The only partition on a hard drive that can contain more than one logical drive. In Windows, a hard drive can have only a single extended partition. Compare to primary partition.

file system

The overall structure on OS uses to name, store, and organize files on a drive.

read/write head

The top and bottom of each disk of a magnetic hard drive have a(n) ____ that moves across the disk surface as all the disks rotate on a spindle.

ReadyDrive

Windows Vista technology that supports a hybrid drive is called ____.

high-level formatting

process that establishes the catalog that the computer uses to keep track of where each file is located on the hard drive

file allocation table (FAT)

the part of a floppy disk or hard disk where information is stored about the location of each piece of information on the disk (and about the location of unusable areas of the disk)