Exam 7: Storage

Correct Answer:

Answered by Examlex AI Copilot

Before any data can be read from or written on a hard disk, several steps must occur.

First, the hard disk must be powered on and initialized by the computer's operating system. This involves the computer recognizing the presence of the hard disk and assigning it a drive letter or mount point.

Next, the computer's file system must be aware of the hard disk and have it included in its directory structure. This typically involves partitioning the hard disk into one or more logical drives and formatting them with a file system such as NTFS or FAT32.

Once the hard disk is recognized and formatted, the computer's operating system can then send read and write commands to the hard disk controller. The hard disk controller is a component of the computer's motherboard or a separate expansion card that manages the flow of data between the computer and the hard disk.

When a read command is issued, the hard disk controller positions the read/write head of the hard disk over the appropriate location on the disk platter and reads the data into its internal buffer. The data is then transferred to the computer's memory for processing.

Similarly, when a write command is issued, the hard disk controller positions the read/write head over the appropriate location on the disk platter and writes the data from the computer's memory onto the disk.

In summary, before any data can be read from or written on a hard disk, the hard disk must be powered on, initialized by the operating system, recognized by the file system, and managed by the hard disk controller. These steps ensure that the computer can effectively communicate with the hard disk and access its stored data.