For writing, the surface of the disk or tape is moved past the read/write head. By discharging electrical impulses at the appropriate times, bits are recorded as tiny, magnetized spots of positive ...

A hard disk drive uses magnetism to store data on a rotating disk. A read/write head floats above the spinning disk reading and writing data. The faster the disk spins, the faster an HDD performs.

Misalignment, faulty parts, contamination with dust, as well as excessive jostling and temperatures, can cause the read/write head to collide with the disk's recording surface. The data are ...