I get a lot of questions about the hard drive. Questions about what slows them down. Questions about how they work, whether adding another hard drive will speed up the PC, and what is going on when a computer slows down every time the hard drive is accessed. I will address these questions in a question and answer format below.

What does the hard drive do?

The hard drive houses all the the long term data. All of the computer files that you save as well as the computer's operating system (Windows). It is much like long term memory in your mind. You can store information for a long time but never think about it.

Follow up:

How full should hard drives be?

I would never fill a hard drive beyond two thirds of its capacity. The reason hard drives should be not full is because it can interfere with the virtual memory. To understand this better, read through the other questions.

Can having a full hard drive slow down your PC?

Yes, this is because the data that is being taken up on the hard drive is replacing space that is needed for virtual memory. Virtual is memory on the hard drive that the computer uses when the RAM is full. Other reasons include the fact that the hard drive has to index more files, and the hard drive can become more fragmented.

Will replacing my hard drive make my computer faster?

Over time hard drives do wear out. They do slow their seek time because the hard drive is made of moving parts. Many people are turning to flash memory so that their computers do not slow down or stop working due to mechanical failure. Hard drives do fail at some point in their lives. Today people are switching over to solid state drives that use flash memory. They use less power, put out less heat, read data faster, and do not fail as often as hard drives. The only catch is that they are more expensive, at least 3 - 5 times more expensive today.

Why do computers slow down over time?

Computers slow down over time because of software and hard ware issues. Usually it is software. The hard drive has mechanical parts and can wear and slow down. The software issue is that many programs startup on the PC, the registry is cluttered, viruses may be present on your computer, and programs that didn't work well may have left their mark. The solution is to reload or reformat the hard drive and install Windows again. If their is still a problem, then it is likely your hard drive. If you have low computer RAM that is also an issue and can put stress on your hard drive because Windows need virtual memory. It may appear that your hard drive is slow because of this when the computer you use needs more RAM.

If you reformat your hard drive will it make it go faster?

Usually it does. There are many software problems that can occur in the Windows registry, files can be corrupt, and many programs are installed that you don't need.

Does increasing virtual memory slow down a computer?

It can sometimes speed it up. However, it is best to install more RAM and not virtual memory if you want your computer to go faster. The RAM is one of the most important parts of the computer. A computer with a good amount of RAM will last a lot longer because their is less stress on the hard drive to do its job. The hard drive should not need to use it's virtual memory because of a lack of computer memory. Computer memory is a lot faster than a hard drive.

How does the hard drive relate to RAM?

The hard drive relates to RAM because when Windows does not have enough RAM it resorts to using the hard drive as "virtual memory". The hard drive is accessed a lot more in computers with low amounts of RAM and load files a lot faster because the computer is under much more stress. You can also disable System Restore to cut down the stress on your computer.