Hi

How are data stored in hard drives and floopy disks? Okay, I've heard that the data are stored in the form of 'something magnetic' (sorry, loss of terms), but how do they look like? Oh, and does the same apply to zip disks?

just open up a floppy disk and see what's inside.

Data is stored on platters. These platters (or, as they are referred to, disks) are much like the old record that music was traditionally stored one (before cassette tapes came out). They are circular.

The platters do have a magnetic finish yes. And just like a record player, an arm with a head on the end reads the platter. However with a harddrive, here is no physical contact between the head and platter (unlike the needle on a record player which actually touches the record)

Data is stored on the platter in the form of sectors (512 bytes). Today the data density of platters just keeps increasing....

It is a bit more complicated than this, if you want to know more ask some specific questions and I'll answer them or direct you to a website that explains it.

Heres a website that explains it a bit more indepth and has one of those diagrams that gives you a visual aid.

http://www.active-undelete.com/3tracks.htm


This site has a nice picture of some real heads and some other stuff.

http://www.dansdata.com/io012.htm


It's a pity I can't find a site with some of the diagrams I have in an IT book I have since it contains info/diagrams on Harddrives, CD-roms, Cable, Telephone connects etc.

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/hard-disk.htm

DON'T open up your HDD; its just like an enormous floppy anyway