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How disk store data, How disks store data – Epson Endeavor User Manual

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How Disks Store Data

Diskettes are made of flexible plastic coated with magnetic

material. This plastic is enclosed in a square jacket that is either

hard (M-inch diskette) or slightly flexible (5.25-inch diskette).

Unlike a diskette, a hard disk is rigid and fixed in place. It is

sealed in a protective case to keep it free of dust and dirt. A

hard disk stores data the same way that a diskette does, but it

works much faster and has a much larger storage capacity.

All disks are divided into data storage compartments by sides,

tracks, and sectors. Double-sided diskettes store data on both

sides. On each side are concentric rings, called tracks, on which

a disk can store data.

A disk is further divided by sectors, which can be visualized as

pie slices. The illustration below provides a simple

representation of tracks and sectors.

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