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Course: Computers and the Internet > Unit 2
Lesson 4: Computer componentsSecondary memory
When computers need to store data for long-term retrieval, they use secondary memory, also known as auxiliary storage or external memory.
Storage types
Personal computers come with a hard drive, a permanently attached secondary storage. Many computers have input ports for USB drives or SD cards, forms of portable secondary storage. That allows us to store lots on our computers, but also to easily transfer from one computer to another.
Secondary storage devices can be implemented using a variety of electronic technologies, like flash memory, optical discs, and magnetic disks.
Storage speed
To the computer, all secondary storage acts the same way. The CPU can write data into storage and it can read data from storage.
To the user, what matters is the speed of those read/write operations. Flash memory is faster than its predecessors, so most new computers come with that.
🔍 What secondary storage does your computer use? You can typically find that information if you poke around your system settings. I discovered that my Mac uses flash memory:
🙋🏽🙋🏻♀️🙋🏿♂️Do you have any questions about this topic? We'd love to answer— just ask in the questions area below!
Want to join the conversation?
What are some other types of hard drive?(5 votes)
There are two main types of hard drives. Solid State Drive (aka SSD) and a Hard Disk Drive (HDD). An SSD stores things digitally like in a phone while an HDD stores things on a physical disk.
Most hard drives have a SATA, M.2 or IDE(Commonly found in older devices) connector. Many laptops and high-end motherboards have an M.2 Slot because they are very fast and small.(17 votes)
what is flash storage(3 votes)- Flash storage is a form of storing information. Unlike an HDD where you store your data by magnetizing areas of a 'plate', in flash storage, you basically have millions of electrical switches that can be turned on and off (1 and 0).(9 votes)
so it should be possible to integrate a hard drive from one laptop to another without damaging the memory lets say laptop isn't working(1 vote)
It depends on the make and model of your laptop.
Generally speaking you should be able to remove the hard drive from the non-working laptop and transplant it to another compatible laptop and the computer should boot up as normal. Of course this is only if the hard drive has not been damaged or corrupted in any way and the hard drive type is compatible with the new laptop.
If you do a search on your model of laptop you might find there are lots of videos online showing how to do this so you can watch step-by-step and follow along.(7 votes)
How do you store the data about accounts, programs, comments, etc. on khanacademy?
Is there a room with a bunch of hard drives?
If so, what happens when one of them dies? Is the data lost forever?(2 votes)
The data is likely stored on servers. Multiple servers have the same data so if one of them breaks, the info is not lost.(3 votes)
Why is "System" about 200 GB?(2 votes)
what is the hardest part about computers(1 vote)
the hardest part would be programing and developing the software.(2 votes)
- what are some types of hard drive(1 vote)
- What are read/write operations?(1 vote)
- How to make a hard drive?(1 vote)
- An SSD is it also physical like HDD or is it invisible because it stores information digitally. It makes no sense?(1 vote)