7.

Storage Devices

In this chapter you will learn

Basic storage terms
About PATA, SATA, SSD, and SSHD technologies
How to install and configure storage devices including RAID
How to fix storage device problems
How to keep the hard drive healthy
How to create and troubleshoot a RAID
How to create and use Windows Storage Spaces
Effective phone communication

CompTIA Exam Objectives

What CompTIA A+ exam objectives are covered in this chapter?
901-1.1 Given a scenario, configure settings and use BIOS/UEFI tools on
a PC.
901-1.5 Install and configure storage devices and use appropriate media.
901-1.7 Compare and contrast various PC connection interfaces, their
characteristics, and purpose.
901-1.11 Identify common PC connector types and associated cables.
901-4.2 Given a scenario, troubleshoot hard drives and RAID arrays with
the appropriate tools.
902-1.2 Given a scenario, install Windows PC operating systems using
appropriate methods.
902-1.3 Given a scenario, apply the appropriate Microsoft command line
tools.
902-1.4 Given a scenario, use appropriate Microsoft operating system
features and tools.
902-1.7 Perform common preventive maintenance procedures using the
appropriate Windows OS tools.
902-3.6 Given a scenario, use appropriate data destruction and disposal
 methods.
902-4.1 Given a scenario, troubleshoot PC operating system problems
with appropriate tools.
902-4.2 Given a scenario, troubleshoot common PC security issues with
appropriate tools and best practices.
902-5.4 Demonstrate proper communication techniques and
professionalism.

Storage Devices Overview

Storage devices hold the data we are so fond of generating and keeping—photos,
PDFs, movies, word processing documents, spreadsheets, and whatever else we
can think to save. This data is stored on optical media, flash media, and magnetic
media such as hard drives, as shown in Figure 7.1.

FIGURE 7.1 Storage devices

Many folks, especially those who travel frequently, use data storage servers at
their company. Data can also be stored “in the cloud.” This means that there are
storage devices available through the Internet to store data. Some storage is
provided by an Internet provider or as a service for a mobile device. Some
companies, such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, SugarSync, Inc., and Dropbox
provide cloud storage that may be a limited amount for free with the option to
pay for more or they may charge for storage. The services of such a site include
backing up the data stored on their drives and having redundant hard drives in
their servers. This is known as cloud storage or offsite storage. Microsoft,
Google, Apple, and other companies have made it very easy to store data in the
cloud or to synchronize data to the cloud. More information on how to do this is
covered in Chapter 11 and Chapter 17. Figure 7.2 illustrates this concept, but
keep in mind that “in the cloud” is just a ton of hard drives, servers, and other
devices in a remote location somewhere.

FIGURE 7.2 Cloud storage

Hard Drive Overview

Hard drives are popular devices for storing data. The drives can be mounted
inside the computer case or attached externally to a USB, IEEE 1394 (FireWire),
eSATA, or eSATAp port. Hard drives store more data than flash drives and move
data faster than tape drives. Today’s hard drive capacities extend into the
terabytes. Hard drives are frequently upgraded in computers, so it is important
for you to understand all the technical issues. These issues include knowing the
parts of the hard drive subsystem, how the operating system and the BIOS/UEFI
work together with a hard drive, and how to configure and troubleshoot a hard
drive.
Hard drives come in different physical sizes (form factors). For desktop and
small server models, 5.25-inch (not very popular) and 3.5-inch drives are
available. The 2.5-inch form factor is designed for laptops and ultrabooks. A 1.8-
inch form factor is available for use and can be found in SSDs, ultrabooks, and
ultraportable devices such as MP3 players. Figure 7.3 shows two hard drive
sizes.

FIGURE 7.3 Desktop hard drive form factors

A hard drive can also be placed inside an external enclosure and attached
using a USB, eSATA, eSATAp (USB/SATA) combo port, or IEEE 1394
(FireWire). Figure 7.4 shows a 3.5-inch IDE PATA or SATA to USB or eSATA
Sabrent enclosure that includes a cooling fan. Notice that the cooling fan has a
filter that protects the fan from dust particles.
 FIGURE 7.4 Sabrent external hard drive enclosure

Magnetic Hard Drive Geometry

Traditional mechanical hard drives are magnetic hard drives. These hard drives
have multiple hard metal surfaces called platters. Each platter typically holds
data on both sides and has two read/write heads, one for the top and one for the
bottom. The read/write heads float on a cushion of air without touching the
platter surface. Data is written by using electromagnetism. A charge is applied to
the read/write head creating a magnetic field. Figure 7.5 shows the major
components found inside a mechanical hard drive. The metal hard drive platter
has magnetic particles that are affected by the read/write head’s magnetic field,
allowing 1s and 0s to be “placed” or “induced” onto the drive, as shown in
Figure 7.6.
FIGURE 7.5 Hard drive geometry
 FIGURE 7.6 Writing to a hard drive
Magnetic hard drives typically have two motors—one to turn the platters and
one to move the read/write heads. A hard drive spins at different rotational rates
called revolutions per minute (RPMs). Common speeds are 5400, 7200, 10,000,
and 15,000 RPM. The faster the drive RPM, the faster the transfer rate and
generally an increased cost. A 7200 RPM drive typically transfers data 33
percent faster than 5400 RPM drives.
If a read/write head touches the platter, a head crash occurs. This is
sometimes called HDI (head-to-disk interference), and it can damage the platters
or the read/write head, causing corrupt data. Another important concept is mean
time between failures (MTBF)—the average number of hours before a drive is
likely to fail. Mechanical hard drives do fail and that is why it is so important to
back up data. Figure 7.7 shows the inside of a hard drive. You can see the top
read/write head and the platters. Keep in mind that you should not remove the
cover from a hard drive because you could allow particles into the sealed drive
area.

FIGURE 7.7 Hard drive with cover removed

The magnetic hard drive surface is metallic and has concentric circles, each of
which is called a track. Tracks are numbered starting with the outermost track,
which is called track 0. One corresponding track on all surfaces of a hard drive is
a cylinder. For example, cylinder 0 consists of all track 0s; all of the track 1s
comprise cylinder 1, and so on. A track is a single circle on one platter. A
cylinder is the same track on all platters. Figure 7.8 shows the difference
between tracks and cylinders. Notice in Figure 7.8 that a concentric circle makes
an individual track. A single track on all the surfaces makes an individual
cylinder.

FIGURE 7.8 Cylinders versus tracks

Each track is separated into sectors, with the circle divided into smaller
pieces. Normally, each sector stores 512 bytes, as shown in Figure 7.9.
 FIGURE 7.9 Hard drive sectors

Solid State Drive (SSD) Overview

SSDs are storage devices that use DRAM (older ones) or nonvolatile flash
memory (newer ones) technologies instead of hard drive technologies. SSDs
eliminate the number one cause of hard drive failure: moving parts. SSDs
typically use flash memory and can therefore be low heat producing, reliable,
quiet, secure, long-lasting, and fast. SSDs are installed in laptops and desktop
models as internal and external units. SSDs are common in tablets and some
mobile devices. They are also used in environments such as temperature
extremes or where the drive might be jolted. SSDs can be used in conjunction
with mechanical hard drive storage. SSDs are used in the following industries:
Medical—CRT/MRI image storage, monitoring equipment, portable
devices
IT—Video surveillance, wireless base stations, security appliances
 Industrial—Robotic systems, test equipment, manufacturing devices
Automotive—Diagnostics, store safety information, store travel statistics
Another difference between mechanical hard drives and SSDs is how data is
actually written. Write amplification and wear leveling are two terms used with
SSDs that technicians should understand. To write data, an SSD may have to do
an erase operation, move data to another location, and then write the information
to memory. Still, overall performance is increased. Write amplification is the
minimum amount of memory storage space affected by a write request. For
example, if there is 4KB of information to be written and the SSD has a 128KB
erase block, 128KB must be erased before the 4KB of information can be
written. Some SSDs clean up data blocks when the SSD is not busy. Writing
takes longer than reading with SSDs.
Wear leveling is a technique used to erase and write data using all of the
memory blocks instead of the same memory blocks repeatedly. SSD
manufacturers use various technologies: (1) software to track usage and direct
write operations, (2) a certain amount of reserved memory blocks to use when a
memory block fails, and (3) a combination of the two techniques.
SSDs use a NAND structure where a 1 bit indicates that no data is stored in a
particular location and a 0 bit indicates the presence of data. NAND flash
memory retains data even when the device is powered off. Two types of
technologies used with SSDs are single-level memory cell (SLC) and multi-level
memory cell (MLC). SLCs store 1 bit in each memory cell and last longer than
MLCs, but they are more expensive. MLCs store more than 1 bit in each
memory cell and are cheaper to manufacture, but they have slower transfer
speeds.
The main drawback to SSDs is cost. SSDs are expensive compared to hard
drives. As with flash drives, each memory block of an SSD has a finite number
of reads and writes. An SSD that writes data across the entire memory capacity
will last longer. Some companies include software with the drive that tracks or
estimates end of life. Figure 7.10 shows inside an SSD.
 FIGURE 7.10 Solid state drive without a cover
Today, hybrid SSDs are available. A hybrid SSD or solid state hybrid drive
(SSHD) provides a combination of mechanical and flash technologies. The
SSHD has some flash memory integrated with a traditional mechanical drive, as
seen in Figure 7.11.
 FIGURE 7.11 SSHD operation
The flash memory in an SSHD typically contains the most frequently used
data that would be sent to the host interface. Advanced algorithms are used to
predict this data. Only if requested data was not in flash memory would data be
pulled from the slower mechanical drive. SSHDs provide the best of both worlds
—costs are lower per byte because you have a little bit of really fast memory
storage and there is a lot of storage space with the traditional mechanical drive.
You also do not require a faster RPM traditional drive with an SSHD.
A similar technology is the flash cache modules (FCM), which requires
software that predicts what data is going to be used and that puts data on an SSD
that is separate from the mechanical hard drive. At the time this book was going
to press, specific Intel chipsets were required in order to use this technology.

Hard Drive Interfaces Overview

A hard drive system must have a set of rules to operate. These rules specify the
number of heads on the drive, what commands the drive responds to, the cables
used with the drive, the number of devices supported, the number of data bits
transferred at one time, and so on. These rules make up a standard called an
interface that governs communication with the hard drive. There are two major
hard drive interfaces: integrated drive electronics (IDE)—also known as the AT
Attachment (ATA) or Enhanced IDE (EIDE) standard—and Small Computer
System Interface (SCSI). IDE is the most common in home and office
computers. SCSI is more commonly found in network servers.
Note that there are other interfaces used to attach external storage devices.
Most everyone has seen a flash drive or an external hard drive attached to a USB
port. Apple has the Thunderbolt interface that can be used to attach external
storage and display devices. Chapter 2 introduced the port and Chapter 9 has
more information about it. This chapter focuses more on the internal storage
interfaces.
Both IDE and SCSI started out as parallel architectures. This means that
multiple bits are sent over multiple paths. This architecture requires precise
timing as transfer rates increase. With both IDE and SCSI, multiple devices can
attach to the same bus. Parallel IDE or Parallel ATA (PATA) supports only two
devices; parallel SCSI supports more. However, the concept is the same. When
multiple devices share the same bus, they have to wait their turn to access the
bus and there are configuration issues with which to contend. Figure 7.12 shows
the concept of parallel transfer.
 FIGURE 7.12 Parallel transfer
Today, the trend is toward serial architectures. Both the IDE and SCSI
standards have a serial architecture available. The ATA serial device is known as
a Serial ATA (SATA) device, and the SCSI serial device is known as a Serial
Attached SCSI (SAS) device. A serial architecture is a point-to-point bus where
each device has a single connection back to the controller. Bits are sent one at a
time over a single link. More devices can attach to this type of architecture
because it scales easier and configuration is much easier. Figure 7.13 illustrates
the concept of serial data transfer.

FIGURE 7.13 Serial transfer

Figure 7.14 is a photo of a PATA cable and a SATA data cable.
 FIGURE 7.14 SATA and PATA data cables
SATA in laptops is being replaced by an interface known as M.2. The M.2
connector allows attaching modules of varying sizes. This serves well for mobile
devices and specifically for SSDs. Some desktop motherboards include the M.2
connector. More information and graphics of the M.2 connector are found in
Chapter 11.

Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE)

IDE is not only for traditional mechanical hard drives but for other internal
devices, such as tape, Zip, and optical drives. The original IDE standard was
developed only for hard drives and is officially known as ATA (AT Attachment).
Later, other devices were supported by the standard and the standard evolved to
ATA/ATAPI (AT Attachment Packet Interface). ATAPI increased support of
devices such as optical and tape drives. There are two types of ATA—PATA and
SATA.
PATA is the older IDE/EIDE type, which uses a 40-pin cable that connects the
hard drive to an adapter or the motherboard and transfers 16 bits of data at a
time. Each cable normally has either two or three connectors. Many
motherboards have both SATA and PATA IDE connectors. Figure 7.15 shows the
difference between a PATA and a SATA motherboard connection.
 FIGURE 7.15 PATA and SATA motherboard connectors
A motherboard that has two IDE connectors can have up to four PATA
devices, two per motherboard connection. Figure 7.16 shows PATA IDE hard
drive connectors. Notice the 40-pin connector on the left and the power
connector on the right.

FIGURE 7.16 PATA IDE hard drive connectors

The newer ATA standard is SATA (Serial ATA). The original specification
transfers data at 1.5Gb/s and is called SATA 1 or SATA I. The 3Gb/s version is
known as SATA 2 or SATA II, and the latest release is SATA 3 or SATA III,
which runs at a maximum of 6Gb/s. These devices are commonly seen marked
as SATA 1.5Gb/s, 3Gb/s, 6Gb/s.
SATA is a point-to-point interface, which means that (1) each device connects
to the host through a dedicated link (unlike the traditional parallel IDE where
two devices share the host link), and (2) each device has the entire interface
bandwidth. SATA uses a smaller, 7-pin cable that is more like a network cable
than the traditional IDE ribbon cable. SATA supports both internal and external
devices. Figure 7.17 shows an internal SATA drive with the cable attached. The
data connector is to the left of the power connector.

FIGURE 7.17 SATA hard drive and data cable

An internal SATA device commonly uses a 15-pin SATA power connector
rather than a Molex that the older hard drives used. However, some drives do
ship with Molex connectors. A Molex-to-SATA converter can be purchased, but
the connector can only provide 5 and 12 volts, not 3.3 volts. The good news is
that most SATA drives do not use the 3.3V line. Figure 7.18 shows the older
Molex power connector compared to the internal SATA power connector.
 FIGURE 7.18 Hard drive power connectors
Internal SATA data cables are limited to a maximum of 3.3 feet (1 meter). The
internal SATA data cable is more likely to be inadvertently unplugged or
partially unplugged than the PATA cable. Special cables with locking
mechanisms are in an L shape for hard-to-reach places, or low profile form
factor cases can be purchased. Figure 7.19 shows these 7-pin internal SATA
device cables.

FIGURE 7.19 Internal SATA data cables

External SATA (eSATA) provides external device connectivity using the
SATA standard. It allows shielded cable lengths up to 6.56 feet (2 meters), with
faster connections than USB 2.0, 3.0, or most IEEE 1394 types. However, the
standard eSATA connection does not provide power to external devices, but an
eSATAp combo USB/eSATA port can provide power. Figure 7.20 shows an
eSATA cable and eSATA port. An eSATA cable can be rated for 1.5, 3, or 6Gb/s.
eSATA cables are limited to 3.3 feet (1 meter) for 1.5Gb/s devices and 6.56 feet
(2 meters) for 3 or 6Gb/s transfers. The eSATA connector may be integrated
(especially in a laptop) as a combination USB/eSATA port.

FIGURE 7.20 eSATA port and cable

Storage Device Configuration Overview

Drive configuration sometimes includes setting jumpers on the drive and
sometimes on the associated adapter to ensure proper termination. Termination is
a method used to prevent signals from reflecting back up the cable. Each drive
type has a normal configuration method. However, individual drive
manufacturers may develop their own configuration steps. Always refer to the
documentation included with the drive, adapter, or motherboard for
configuration and installation information. The overall steps for installing a
storage device are as follows:
Step 1. Keep the drive in the protective anti-static container until you are
ready to install.
Step 2. Use proper anti-static handling procedures when installing the drive
and handle the drive by the edges; avoid touching the drive
electronics and connectors.
Step 3. Turn off and remove the computer power cord when installing the
drive.
Step 4. Physically mount and secure the device in the computer and attach
the proper cable.
Step 5. Configure the BIOS/UEFI, if necessary.
Step 6. Reconnect the power cord and power on the computer. If a hard
drive, prepare the drive for data as described later in the chapter.
PATA Physical Installation
A PATA cable allows two storage devices to connect to a single motherboard
connector. Each cable can have a master and a slave device. To distinguish
between the devices, the words master or slave are used. The two settings are
simply used to distinguish between the two devices because only one of the two
devices (master or slave) can transmit data at a time. Motherboards used to have
at least two PATA connectors, but now some may not have any. The first
motherboard connector was known as the primary connector. If a second one is
installed, it is called the secondary connector. To distinguish between the devices
that connect to each cable, the devices are called the primary master and primary
slave.

Tech Tip: Attach cable correctly or destroy devices and components

Devices, adapters, controlling circuits, and so on can be damaged if a
cable plugs into the connector the wrong way. Some cables are keyed so
they insert only one way into the connector.

PATA devices are configured using jumpers. The four options commonly
found are single, master, slave, and cable select. The single IDE setting is used
when only one device connects to the cable. The master IDE setting is used in
conjunction with the slave setting and both are used when two IDE devices
connect to the same cable. One device is set to the master setting while the other
device uses the slave setting. The cable select IDE option replaces the
master/slave setting. The device automatically configures itself to either the
master setting or the slave setting depending on the specific cable connector to
which the device attaches. To use the cable select option, a special 80-conductor,
40-pin cable is needed. Figure 7.21 shows the connections for an 80-conductor
cable.
 FIGURE 7.21 PATA cable connections
There are two methods of configuring PATA IDE devices: (1) configure one
device as master and the other device as slave or (2) configure both devices to
the cable select option. By doing this, the device that connects to the black
connector becomes the “master” and the device that connects to the gray
connector becomes the “slave.” Figure 7.22 illustrates how multiple PATA
devices connect to the motherboard.
 FIGURE 7.22 Two PATA devices configured with cable select

Tech Tip: Closed means jumpered or enabled

When documentation shows an option as closed, jumpered, or enabled,
this means to put a jumper over the two pins to configure the option.

Tech Tip: Adjusting to poorly written documentation

Technicians must learn to adjust to poorly written and sometimes
confusing documentation. Jumpers other than the master/slave jumpers
may be present, but you must refer to the documentation for the proper
settings.

SATA Physical Installation

SATA drives are easy to install. Most internal drives require a special host
adapter that supports one to four drives or an integrated motherboard connection.
Each drive is seen as a point-to-point connection with the host controller.
SATA drives do not have any master/slave or cable select jumpers/settings. A
serial 7-pin data connector attaches from the SATA controller to the internal
SATA drive. A 15-pin cable connects power to the drive. The internal SATA
power connector is unique, but could possibly be the older Molex connector. A
cable converter can be obtained if a Molex connector is the only one available
from the power supply. Figure 7.23 shows an internal SATA hard drive with
associated cabling. Notice the Molex-to-internal SATA cable converter in the
photo.

FIGURE 7.23 SATA hard drive and cables

There are also products available that allow a Serial ATA hard drive to connect
to a standard IDE controller. Figure 7.24 shows how the cables connect to the
internal SATA drive. Figure 7.25 shows how two SATA drives attach to a
motherboard that has two SATA connectors.
FIGURE 7.24 SATA data (left) and power (right) cabling
 FIGURE 7.25 SATA connectivity
Figure 7.26 shows a SATA adapter that has two internal ports on the far end
and one eSATA port. To install a SATA host adapter, power off the computer and
remove the computer power cord. Remove the computer cover and locate an
open expansion slot. Some adapters have jumpers for configurable options.
Some common options include 16- and 32-bit PCI operations, adapter BIOS
enabled/disabled, and Mode 0 enabled/ disabled. Some adapters may provide
master/slave emulation options. Most adapters’ default settings will work, but
always refer to the adapter’s documentation for details.
 FIGURE 7.26 eSATA connectivity

Tech Tip: Enable SATA port

Some manufacturers require that you enable the motherboard port through
the system BIOS/UEFI before any device connected to the port is
recognized.

To install an internal SATA hard drive, power off the computer, and remove
the computer’s power cord. Physically mount the drive into a drive bay. Connect
the SATA data cable between the drive and the host controller (usually on the
motherboard). Connect the SATA power cable. Figure 7.27 shows an installed
internal SATA hard drive.
 FIGURE 7.27 Installed SATA hard drive
An external (eSATA) drive normally has no jumpers, terminators, or switches
to be configured. However, when installing a faster drive to a slower port—such
as when installing a 3.0Gb/s drive to a 1.5Gb/s port—a jumper may need to be
configured so the drive is compatible with the port. Always refer to the drive
manufacturer’s documentation when installing a drive. Attach the power cord to
the drive, if applicable, and insert the other end of the power cord into a wall
outlet. Attach one end of the eSATA cable to the drive. Plug the other end of the
cable into an eSATA port on the computer. eSATA ports are sometimes disabled
in BIOS/UEFI. Figure 7.28 shows an external hard drive that supports IEEE
1394 (FireWire), eSATA, and USB as you can see from the ports on the back of
the unit.
 FIGURE 7.28 External hard drive
Before switching on eSATA drive power, ensure that the drive is positioned
where it will stay during operation and that all data and power cords are attached
securely. Switch on the drive power. The drive will mount. When a drive
mounts, a communications channel is opened between the drive and the
operating system. Whenever the drive is to be disconnected, it is to be
unmounted. Some drive manufacturers provide software for backing up data or
configuring the drive in a RAID configuration. Use the Windows Disk
Management tool to ensure that the drive is recognized. Both RAID and the Disk
Management tool are covered later in this chapter.

Tech Tip: Unmounting an eSATA drive

To unmount an eSATA drive, click the Safely Remove Hardware icon in
 the systray area. Select the appropriate drive letter. Remove the drive
when prompted by the operating system.

SSD Physical Installation

For a desktop computer, an SSD can be internally mounted (see Figure 7.29) and
connected to a SATA/PATA motherboard or an adapter port. An SSD can also
attach as an external device to a SATA, USB, or FireWire port. SSDs do not
normally require special drivers. Always refer to the SSD mounting directions
provided by the manufacturer. The following steps are generic ones:
Step 1. If installing an SSD internally into a desktop computer, power off
the computer and locate an empty drive bay, a power connector of the
appropriate type (or buy a converter), and an available SATA/PATA
port or free PATA connector on a PATA cable.
Step 2. Attach mounting brackets to the SSD. Mounting brackets may have
to be purchased separately, be provided with the drive, or be provided
as spares that came with the computer.
Step 3. Slide the SSD into the drive bay and secure it, if necessary.
Step 4. Connect the data cable from the motherboard or adapter to the drive.
Step 5. Attach a power cable to the SSD.
Step 6. Re-install the computer cover and power on the computer.
 FIGURE 7.29 Internal SSD

Tech Tip: Beware of static electricity

SSDs are flash memory and are susceptible to static electricity. Use proper
ESD handling procedures when installing an SSD.

If installing an external SSD, use the following steps:

Step 1. Attach the appropriate USB, SATA, or IEEE 1394 (FireWire) cable
from the drive to the computer.
Step 2. Power on the SSD. The system should recognize the new drive.

Tech Tip: Use only one technology

If an external drive supports more than one technology, such as eSATA,
FireWire, and USB, attach only one type of cable from the drive to the
computer.

System BIOS/UEFI Configuration for Hard Drives

A hard drive is configured through the system BIOS/UEFI Setup program. Setup
is accessed through keystrokes during the boot process. In today’s computers,
the BIOS/UEFI automatically detects the hard drive type. The drive type
information is saved in CMOS.

Tech Tip: Configure BIOS/UEFI according to the drive manufacturer’s

instructions
Drive manufacturers normally include documentation describing how to
configure the drive in BIOS/UEFI Setup. Also, they provide software for
any system that does not recognize the drive.

Hard drives are normally configured using the Auto-Detect feature included
with BIOS/UEFI. The Auto-Detect feature automatically determines the drive
type for the system. Table 7.1 shows the most commonly used PATA/SATA hard
drive settings. SATA drives can be set in different modes of operation: (1) legacy
mode, which is used in a system that does not have SATA drivers natively, (2)
Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) mode which, when enabled, allows
SATA drives to be inserted/removed when power is on and use commands that
allow the host circuits to communicate with attached devices to implement
advanced SATA features, and (3) RAID mode. RAID is discussed later in this
chapter. Note that the BIOS/UEFI is also where you select the drive that will
boot the system.

TABLE 7.1 Common hard drive BIOS/UEFI settings

Hard Drive Preparation Overview

Once a hard drive is installed and configured properly and the hard drive type is
entered into the Setup program, the drive must be prepared to accept data. The
two steps of hard drive preparation are as follows:
Step 1. Partition the drive.
Step 2. High-level format the hard drive.
 Tech Tip: Low-level formatting
There is such a thing as low-level formatting done at the hard drive
factory. Some manufacturers provide software that enables you to low-
level format the drive. This should be done only at the direction of the
manufacturer.

Partitioning a hard drive allows a drive letter to be assigned to one or more

parts of the hard drive. High-level formatting prepares the drive for use for a
particular file system. This allows the drive to accept data from the operating
system. For today’s computers, a drive cannot be used until it has been
partitioned and high-level formatted; thus, technicians must be very familiar
with these steps.

Partitioning
The first step in preparing a hard drive for use is partitioning. Partitioning a hard
drive divides the drive so the computer system sees the hard drive as more than
one drive. This is like slicing a pie into circular sections instead of triangle
sections, but it is still the same pie. The difference is that each section gets a
drive letter. Figure 7.30 shows a hard drive platter with some colored sections.
Each section between the colored lines can be a volume and receive a different
drive letter.
 FIGURE 7.30 Visualization of partitioning
Partitioning can be done during the Windows installation process. The
Windows Disk Management program is used after the operating system is
installed to manage disk partitions. Similarly, the diskpart utility can be used
from the command prompt. Disk Management is normally used to partition
additional hard drives and to manage all of them. The first hard drive in the
system is normally partitioned as part of the Windows installation process.
Additional partitions can be created using Disk Management once the operating
system is installed.
Partitioning provides advantages such as the following:
Dividing a hard drive into separate subunits that are then assigned drive
letters, such as C: or D:, by the operating system
Organizing the hard drive to separate multiple operating systems,
applications, and data
Providing data security by placing data in a different partition to allow ease
of backup as well as protection
Using the hard drive to its fullest capacity

Tech Tip: How to determine what file system is being used

Right-click any drive in Windows Explorer (Vista and 7) or File Explorer
(Windows 8 and 10) and select Properties. The General tab shows the
type of file system being used.

The original purpose of partitioning was to enable loading multiple operating

systems. This is still a good reason today because placing each operating system
in its own partition eliminates the crashes and headaches caused by multiple
operating systems and multiple applications coexisting in the same partition. The
type of partition and how big the partition can be depends on the file system
being used. A file system defines how data is stored on a drive. The most
common Windows file systems are FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS. The file
system that can be used depends on what operating system is installed, whether
the device is an internal device or external, and whether files are to be shared.
Table 7.2 lists file systems and explains a little about each one.
 TABLE 7.2 File systems
An even better reason for partitioning than loading multiple operating systems
or separating the operating system from data is to partition the hard drive for
more efficient use of space. The operating system sets aside one cluster as a
minimum for every file. A cluster is the smallest amount of space reserved for
one file and is made up of a specific number of sectors. Figure 7.31 illustrates
the concept of a cluster. Keep in mind that the number of hard drive sectors per
track varies. The outer tracks hold more information (have more sectors) than
the inner tracks.
 FIGURE 7.31 Cluster

Tech Tip: How to convert partitions

Use the convert program in Windows to convert a FAT16, FAT32, or
exFAT partition to NTFS without loss of data. Access a command prompt
window. Type the following command: convert x: /fs:ntfs
where x is the drive letter of the partition being converted to NTFS.
Press , and then press and press . You can add a /V switch
to the end of the command for a more verbose operation mode.

Any type of partition conversion requires free hard drive space. The amount
depends on the size of the partition. Table 7.3 shows that partitioning large
drives into one FAT partition wastes drive space. An efficiently partitioned hard
drive allows more files to be saved because less space on the hard drive is
wasted.
 TABLE 7.3 FAT16 partitions and cluster size
Applications should be in a separate partition from data files. The following
are some good reasons for partitioning the hard drive and separating data files
from application files:
Multiple partitions on the same hard drive divide the drive into smaller
subunits, which makes it easier and faster to back up the data (which
should be backed up more often than applications).
The data is protected from operating system failures, unstable software
applications, and any unusual software problems that occur between the
application and the operating system.
The data is in one location, which makes the files easier and faster to back
up, organize, and locate.
FAT32 partitions have been around a long time and are still used. Flash drives
are commonly formatted for FAT32 due to the NTFS “lazy write,” which
prolongs a write and might not release an external drive for some time. The
FAT32 file system makes more efficient use of the hard drive than FAT16. The
NTFS file system is an efficient one. Table 7.4 lists the default cluster sizes for
all versions of Windows Vista and higher.
 TABLE 7.4 NTFS partitions and cluster sizes
The Windows Setup installation program can be used to create a partition, and
the Disk Management tool or diskpart utility can be used when the operating
system is installed. Use the Disk Management tool to partition and manage any
drive that is installed after the first hard drive. The first hard drive is partitioned
initially through the Windows installation process. Figure 7.32 shows a screen
capture from Windows 7. Notice that the external drives and optical drives also
display in the Disk Management window. The file system is shown for each
drive, such as the FAT32 file system on an attached flash drive (G:).

FIGURE 7.32 Windows 7 Disk Management tool

 Tech Tip: Benefits of NTFS
NTFS supports disk quotas, which means that individual users can be
limited on the amount of hard drive space. It can also automatically repair
disk problems. For example, when a hard drive sector is going bad, the
entire cluster is moved to another cluster.

Partitions are defined as primary and extended. If there is only one hard drive
installed in a system and the entire hard drive is one partition, it is the primary
partition. The primary partition on the first detected hard drive is assigned the
drive letter C:.

Tech Tip: eSATAs already partitioned

Most eSATA drives are already partitioned and formatted. The drive can
be repartitioned and reformatted as necessary using the Disk Management
tool.

If the drive is divided, only part of the drive is the primary partition. In older
operating systems, the rest of the cylinders can be designated as the extended
partitions. An extended partition allows a drive to be further divided into
logical drives. A logical drive is sometimes called a volume. A volume is
assigned a drive letter and can include a logical drive and removable media such
as a CD, DVD, BD, or flash drive. There can be only one extended partition per
drive. In operating systems older than Windows Vista, a single hard drive can be
divided into a maximum of four primary partitions. Remember that a partition is
a contiguous section of storage space that functions as if it is a separate drive.
See Figure 7.33 for an illustration of how one hard drive can be divided into
partitions.
 FIGURE 7.33 Hard drive partitioning
The first hard drive in a computer system must have a primary partition, but it
does not require an extended partition. If the drive has an extended partition, it
can be further subdivided or split into logical drives that appear as separate hard
drives to the computer system. Logical drives created in the extended partition
are assigned drive letters such as D:, E:, or others. The only limit for logical
drives is the number of drive letters. A second operating system can reside in a
logical drive. Figure 7.34 shows an illustration of a hard drive divided into a
primary partition and an extended partition further subdivided into two logical
drives.
 FIGURE 7.34 Two logical drives
If two hard drives are installed in a computer, the first hard drive must have a
primary partition. The second hard drive is not required to have a primary
partition and may simply have a single extended partition. If the second hard
drive does have a primary partition, it can have an extended partition, too. Today,
more than four primary partitions can exist, so the sections are simply called
volumes. This is demonstrated in the labs at the end of the chapter.
When a hard drive is first installed and partitioned, the outermost track on the
platter (cylinder 0, head 0, and physical sector 1) is reserved for the partition
table. The partition table holds information about the types of partitions created
and in what cylinders these partitions reside. The partition table is part of the
master boot record (MBR) that contains a program that reads the partition table,
looks for the primary partition marked as active, and goes to that partition to
boot the system. Figure 7.35 shows the location of important parts of the hard
drive that allows booting, reading partitions, and accessing files.

FIGURE 7.35 Hard drive structure

NTFS has two additional terms that you need to be aware of as a technician:
system partition and boot partition. A Windows system partition is the partition
on the hard drive that holds the hardware-specific files needed to load the
operating system. A Windows boot partition is the partition on the hard drive
that contains the operating system. The boot partition and the system partition
can be on the same partition with Windows.

Tech Tip: What happens when different types of partitions are deleted?
When a partition is deleted, all information in the partition is lost. When
logical drives in an extended partition are deleted, all data is lost. The
other logical drives within the extended partition retain their information.

The Host Protected Area (HPA) is a hidden area of the hard drive used to hold
a copy of the operating system; sometimes installed applications use the HPA
when the operating system becomes so corrupt that a re-installation is necessary.
Many manufacturers provide a BIOS/UEFI setting or a keystroke that can be
used when the system boots in order to access this area. The HPA is commonly
found on the hard drive beyond the normal data storage locations; it reduces the
amount of storage space available for data.
 Look back to Figure 7.32 at the first line of the center section. Under the
status you can see that this computer has a recovery partition used to reset the
computer to the way it was when it was purchased. Look down to the graphical
section in the center and locate Disk 1. The area to the left of OS (C:) is an
extensible firmware interface (EFI) partition. This type of partition is supported
by the UEFI specification and supports the running of specific applications
including diagnostics and potentially antivirus software in a graphical
environment before the operating system loads. The Disk Management tool also
shows external drives such as the FAT32 external flash drive (G:).
A partition type that is not shown is GPT, which is available with 64-bit
Windows operating systems. GUID, or globally unique identifier, partition table
(GPT) allows up to 128 partitions and volumes up to 9.4ZB. GPT partitioning is
accomplished using the Disk Management tool or using the diskpart
command-line utility. GPT supports having a backup partition table in case the
primary partition becomes corrupt. A GPT disk can also have more than the
MBR-based disk limit of four primary partitions.

Tech Tip: You lose data when converting to GPT

MBR-based partitions can be converted to GPT and vice versa, but data is
not preserved. This is seen only with systems that have a UEFI BIOS.
Back up data if you convert!

Special products can be used that partition the hard drive and allow
repartitioning without any data loss. Examples include Acronis’s Disk Director,
EaseUS’s Partition Master, and Avanquest’s Partition Commander.

How Drive Letters Are Assigned

An operating system assigns drive letters to hard drives during the partitioning
step. The order in which the partitions are assigned drive letters depends on three
factors: (1) the number of hard drives, (2) the type of volume on the hard drives
(primary or extended), and (3) the operating system.
Note that if a new drive is installed, drive letters for devices, volumes,
partitions, or logical drives are added afterward. Drive letters can be changed
through the Disk Management tool (right-click on the drive letter) or by using
the diskpart command-line utility. Be careful, though, because some
applications have pointers to specific files on a specific drive letter.
High-Level Formatting
The second step in preparing a hard drive for use is high-level formatting. A
high-level format must be performed on all primary partitions, logical drives
located within extended partitions, and GPT partitions before data can be written
to the hard drive. The high-level format sets up the file system so it can accept
data.
NTFS allows support for multiple data streams and support for every
character in the world. NTFS also automatically remaps bad clusters to other
sections of the hard drive without any additional time or utility. During the
installation process, Windows allows for a quick format (where you see the
word “(quick)” after the option) or a full format (sometimes called a standard
format). The full format scans for and marks bad sectors. This prevents the
operating system from being installed on a sector that may cause operating
system issues. The quick format simply prepares the drive for data and takes a
lot less time than a full format. Use the full format if you suspect the drive has
issues. Figure 7.36 shows the NTFS partition structure once it has been set up
and the high-level formatting is completed.

FIGURE 7.36 NTFS volume structure

The high-level format creates two file allocation tables (FATs): one primary
and one secondary. The formatting process also creates the root directory that
renumbers the sectors. The FAT keeps track of the hard disk’s file locations. It is
similar to a table of contents in a book as it lists where the files are located in the
partition. Table 7.5 shows the differences between the file systems.
 TABLE 7.5 Comparing file systems
High-level formatting can be performed using the format command or by
using the Windows Disk Management tool. The area of the disk that contains
information about the system files is the DOS boot record (DBR) and is located
on the hard drive’s cylinder 0, head 1, sector 1. The more common term for this
today (because DOS is no longer a major operating system) is boot sector or
volume boot record.
Additional drive partitions and drives installed after the first hard drive
partition is created use the Windows Disk Management tool to apply high-level
formatting to the drive. The first hard drive partition is normally high-level
formatted as part of the operating system installation process. Exercises at the
end of the chapter explain how to partition and high-level format a hard drive.

Windows Disk Management

In the Windows environment, storage devices are managed with a snap-in (an
installable module) called Disk Management. With Windows, there are two
types of storage: basic storage and dynamic storage. The big difference between
these two is that you can make partitions and resize changes with a dynamic
disk, but not with a basic disk. Table 7.6 explains these and other associated
terms.
 TABLE 7.6 Logical disk management terms

Tech Tip: Hibernation affects disk space

Whenever you put your computer in hibernate mode, information in RAM
is stored temporarily on the hard drive. This requires free hard drive
space.

A basic disk, simple volume, or spanned volume can be resized, shrunk, or

expanded without affecting data.

Tech Tip: Managing dynamic disks

Use the Disk Management tool (found in the Computer Management
console) to work with dynamic disks or to convert a basic disk to a
dynamic one. Once accomplished, the conversion process cannot be
reversed. Figure 7.37 shows some of these concepts.
 FIGURE 7.37 Disk management concepts

Tech Tip: Determining what type of partition you have

To determine what type of partition is on a computer, use the Disk
Management tool.

In order to extend (make larger), split (break into two sections), or shrink
(reduce the size of) a partition, use the following steps:
Step 1. Access Windows Disk Management tool.
Step 2. Right-click on the drive volume.
Step 3. Select the appropriate option (Shrink volume or Extend volume).
Figure 7.38 shows a hard drive partition and the steps to shrink it so that
another partition can be created.
 FIGURE 7.38 Resizing a partition

Fault Tolerance
A drive array is the use of two or more hard drives configured for speed,
redundancy, or both (see Figure 7.39). Redundant array of independent disks
(RAID) allows reading from and writing to multiple hard drives for larger
storage areas, better performance, and fault tolerance. Fault tolerance is the
ability to continue functioning after a hardware or software failure. A RAID
array can be implemented with hardware or software. Hardware RAID is
configured through the BIOS.
 FIGURE 7.39 RAID
Generic hardware RAID steps are as follows:
Step 1. Ensure that the motherboard ports that you want to use are enabled.
Step 2. Ensure that you have RAID drivers for the hard drives used in the
RAID.
Step 3. Physically install and cable the hard drives.
Step 4. Enter BIOS/UEFI and enable RAID.
Step 5. Configure RAID in BIOS/UEFI or through a special key sequence
to enter the RAID BIOS configuration.
Step 6. Install Windows on a RAID, using the Custom (Advanced)
Installation option.
Software RAID is configured through Windows or through software provided
by the RAID adapter manufacturer. If you want to be able to control the RAID
through Windows and resize the volumes or make adjustments, then use a
software RAID. A lab at the end of the chapter demonstrates how to do this.
RAID can also be implemented with flash cache modules (FCMs) and a
traditional mechanical hard drive. Intel has specific processors and chipsets that
support a RAID configuration. Software on the host device and/or device drivers
provides optimization and oversight.
RAID comes in many different levels, but the ones implemented in the
Windows environment are 0, 1, and 5. Some motherboards support “nested”
RAID, which means RAID levels are combined. This method also increases the
complexity of the hard drive setup. Table 7.7 explains these levels.

TABLE 7.7 RAID

Figure 7.40 shows the different types of RAID. With RAID 0, blocks of data
(B1, B2, B3, etc.) are placed on alternating drives. With RAID 1, the same block
of data is written to two drives. RAID 5 has one drive that contains parity
information (P) for particular blocks of data such as B1 and B2.

FIGURE 7.40 RAID concepts

 Windows Vista Business and higher support simple, spanned, and striped
volumes. Refer back to Table 7.6 to reacquaint yourself with these terms.
Windows 7/8/10 Professional and higher support simple, spanned, striped, and
mirrored volumes. Keep in mind that a spanned volume does not provide
redundancy or fault tolerance like most of the RAID levels do.
RAID drives are often hot swappable—they can be removed or installed
while power is applied to the computer. USB, SATA, and serial-attached SCSI
(SAS) all support hot swapping, but RAID is not required to be supported.
Always refer to the drive and computer manual before hot swapping any hard
drive. RAID rebuilds are time and input/output (I/O) intensive. Be prepared for
the system to be out of commission for a while depending on the size of the
drive and RAID type.
Hardware RAID for home or business computer used to require a separate
RAID adapter and software to perform the RAID. Now many motherboards
support RAID as well as the Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10 operating systems.
Many times, you must configure the motherboard BIOS/UEFI for RAID as part
of your initial configuration. Table 7.8 shows some common RAID BIOS
configuration parameters.

TABLE 7.8 RAID BIOS/UEFI configuration settings

Removable Drive Storage

PATA and SATA interfaces have been used for quite some time to connect hard
drives. PATA was used for internal devices. SATA has been used for both internal
and external storage devices such as optical drives and tape drives. Tape drives
can be attached using SATA or can attach to USB, eSATA, eSATAp, or IEEE
1394 ports if they are external devices. External drives might require two USB
ports (see Figure 7.41) when an external power source is not attached. Tape
drives are installed using similar methods of like devices that use these ports.
When tapes are used, the most common types of tapes used for backups are DAT
(digital audio tape) and Traven. Tape capacities tend to be lower than optical
storage (covered in Chapter 8), which typically has less storage than hard drives.
Tape capacities can be anywhere from 12GB to 10TB (but are typically less than
this). The most common types of removable storage are optical (CD/DVD/BD),
USB flash drives, or hard drive storage devices.

FIGURE 7.41 External hard drive with 2 USB connectors

Windows Storage Spaces

Microsoft Windows 8 and Windows 10 support something called Windows
Storage Spaces, which combines drives into a flexible data storage option. An
administrator first creates a storage pool, which is two or more physical disks
that can be different types, such as a SATA drive and a USB drive. A storage
space is a virtual disk created from available space in a storage pool. There are
three types of storage spaces:
Simple—No resiliency provided. Data is striped across physical disks.
Provides the highest performance, but there is a loss of data if one disk
fails.
Parity—Stripes data across the physical disks and includes parity
 information. Slows performance.
Mirror—Stripes data across multiple disks and copies the same data for the
highest level of resiliency.
Unlike RAID, if you add a drive to a storage space, the data will not be
rewritten to include the new drive. Instead, new data will use all of the drives. In
order to create a storage space, use the following steps:
Step 1. Access the Storage Spaces Windows Control Panel link.
Step 2. Select the drives to be used > select Create pool (see Figure 7.42).

FIGURE 7.42 Windows Storage Spaces—Creating a storage pool

Step 3. Name the storage space and select the drive letter, file system,
resiliency type, and pool size > Create storage space (see Figure
7.43).
 FIGURE 7.43 Windows Storage Spaces—Defining parameters
When created, the storage drive letter appears in File Explorer (see Figure
7.44).

FIGURE 7.44 Windows Storage Spaces, as shown in File Explorer

Disk Caching/Virtual Memory
A hard drive—RAM built into the hard drive—and motherboard RAM (see
Figure 7.45) are used as part of any computer’s storage system. An easy way to
speed up the hard drive is to create a disk cache. This puts data into RAM where
it can be retrieved much faster than if the data was still on the hard drive. When
data is read from the hard drive, the next requested data is frequently located in
the adjacent clusters. Disk caching reads more data from the hard drive than
requested. Cache on a hard drive controller, sometimes called a data buffer,
allows the read/write heads to read more than just one sector at a time. A hard
drive can read up to an entire track of information and hold this data until needed
without returning to the hard drive for each sector.

FIGURE 7.45 Computer storage system—hard drive and RAM

Both PATA and SATA drives can contain 2MB to 128MB or more of RAM
(cache memory). Because many drives are mechanical devices, they take time to
reorder write data to the platters. With cache memory installed, information can
be prefetched from the computer’s system RAM and stored in the hard drive’s
cache memory. This frees up the system RAM for other tasks and improves the
system and hard drive’s performance.
A different way of using a hard drive is with virtual memory. Virtual memory
is a method of using hard drive space as if it were RAM. The amount of RAM
installed in a system is not normally enough to handle all of the operating system
and the multiple applications that are opened and being used. Only the program
and data of the application that is currently being used is what is in RAM. The
rest of the open applications and data are stored in what is called a swap file or a
page file on the hard drive. When you click over to a different application that is
held in the swap/page file, data is moved from RAM into the swap file and the
data you need to look at is moved into RAM for faster access and data
manipulation.
Windows uses Virtual memory manager (VMM), as seen in Figure 7.46. The
disk cache is dynamic—it increases or decreases the cache size as needed. If the
system begins to page (constantly swap data from RAM to the hard drive), the
cache size automatically shrinks. In Windows, the virtual memory swap file/page
file is called PAGEFILE.SYS. Here is how to adjust it:
In Windows 7 Windows Explorer, right-click Computer > Properties. In
the left pane, select Advanced system settings > Advanced tab. In the
Virtual memory section, click Change. Then, to manually configure the
settings, clear the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives
checkbox and adjust the settings as needed.
In Windows 8, access the System and Security Control Panel > System >
Advanced system settings link > Advanced tab > the Performance section’s
Settings button > Advanced tab > Change button. Change the parameters
and click the OK button twice.
In Windows 10, access the Start button > Settings. In the Find a setting
search textbox, type performance. Select the Adjust the appearance
and performance of Windows link > Advanced tab > Change button.
Change the parameters and click the OK button twice.
 FIGURE 7.46 Windows virtual memory manager

Tech Tip: Where should you keep a swap/page file?

If multiple hard drives are available, a technician might want to move the
swap/page file to a different drive. Always put the swap/page file on the
fastest hard drive, unless that hard drive lacks space. The swap/page file
can reside on multiple hard drives. It is best to keep the swap/page file on
a hard drive that does not contain the operating system.

32-bit Windows versions use 32-bit demand-paged virtual memory, and each
process gets 4GB of address space divided into two 2-GB sections. One 2-GB
section is shared with the rest of the system and the other 2-GB section is
reserved for the one application. All the memory space is divided into 4-KB
blocks of memory called “pages.” The operating system allocates as much
available RAM as possible to an application. Then, the operating system swaps
or pages the application to and from the temporary swap file as needed. The
operating system determines the optimum setting for this swap file; however, the
swap file size can be changed.
64-bit Windows can have 2 or 4GB for each 32-bit process. For 64-bit
software, 7 or 8TB is the maximum. The operating system kernel gets 8TB
maximum. Refer back to Figure 6.16 in Chapter 6 to review this concept.
The page file can get corrupted. If so, boot the system and press while
booting. Select the option to repair the computer. If this does not repair it, you
may have to make manual adjustments from the command prompt including
removing the attributes from the pagefile.sys file, and then manually
deleting it so it can be rebuilt when Windows boots. Search the Windows
website for more details on this harder and more detailed method.

Tech Tip: Adding more physical RAM helps with caching

One of the most effective ways to speed up a computer is to reduce the
amount of data that has to be swapped from the hard drive to RAM. This
is done by increasing the amount of motherboard RAM.

Troubleshooting Storage Devices Overview

Storage devices are critical to computer users because that is where their data is
located. Sadly, users do not back up their data or system frequently. Blackblaze
(www.blackblaze.com) did a study of over 25,000 mechanical drives and found
that over a four-year period, 78 percent of the drives lasted longer than four
years, but 22 percent of them failed during the first four years. Mechanical
drives have moving parts and moving parts fail. Expect it!
Tools that a technician needs to troubleshoot storage devices include hardware
and software. The list that follows is a good starting point:
Screwdriver to loosen or remove screws.
External hard drive enclosure to be able to check a drive from another
system or be able to determine whether the problem is the drive or the
motherboard port (look back to Figure 7.4 to see one).
Software such as the chkdsk, format, or bootrec commands, and
Windows tools such as Error-checking or Disk Management. Chkdsk
checks a drive for physical and file structure errors and can attempt to fix
them. The format command is used to format a disk. The bootrec
command is used from the System Recovery environment to repair and
 recover from hard drive issues.
File recovery software is something some companies own and a service
they provide. For technicians that do not have this software, they should at
least have the name of a company they recommend or use.
The specific hardware or software tool to use depends on the situation and
will be covered in the sections that follow. One thing to remember when
troubleshooting a storage device is the user. A technician is faced with angry
users most when storage devices are involved, especially if it holds their most
critical data. Stay calm and do the best you can. Just because a system will not
boot from the hard drive does not mean it is bad. There are things you can do as
you will soon see.

Slow Performance
Keeping a computer system in a clean and cool operating environment extends
the life of the hard drive. The most common hard drive failures are due to
moving parts (heads and motors), power fluctuations, and/or failures. Performing
preventive maintenance on the entire computer is good for all components found
inside the computer, including the hard drive subsystem.
Windows has three great tools to use in hard drive preventive maintenance
(see Figure 7.47): Error-checking (Check now or Check button), Disk Cleanup,
and Disk Defragmenter. In Windows, you can use Error-checking/Check now
(Vista/7) to locate lost clusters, which are clusters disassociated from data files.
These clusters occupy disk space. These tools are also good for intermittent
read/write errors. Locate the drive in Windows Explorer (Vista/7) or File
Explorer (8/10), right-click the drive, and then select Properties > Tool tab >
Check now (Vista/7) / Check (8/10).
 FIGURE 7.47 Disk maintenance
Windows also has a program called Disk Cleanup that removes temporary
files, removes offline Internet files, empties the Recycle Bin, compresses unused
files, removes unused programs, and prompts you before doing any of this. To
access Disk Cleanup, follow these steps:
Step 1. Access Windows Explorer (Vista/7)/File Explorer (8/10).
Step 2. Right-click on the drive letter (commonly C:) and select Properties.
Step 3. On the General tab, select Disk Cleanup button.
Step 4. In the Disk Cleanup window, click in the checkboxes for the options
desired and click OK (as shown in Figure 7.48). Table 7.9 contains the
types of files that can be removed with this tool.
FIGURE 7.48 Disk Cleanup window
 TABLE 7.9 Disk Cleanup file removal

Tech Tip: Running Disk Cleanup from a command prompt

To run Disk Cleanup from a command prompt, type cleanmgr and then
press .

Over time, as files are added to a hard drive, the files become fragmented,
which means the clusters that make up the file are not adjacent to one another.
Fragmentation slows down the hard drive in two ways: (1) the FAT has to keep
track of scattered clusters and (2) the hard drive read/write head assembly must
move to different locations on the drive’s surface to access a single file. Figure
7.49 illustrates fragmentation of three files (F1, F2, and F3) and the results after
defragmentation has been executed on the hard drive. Defragmentation is the
process of placing files in contiguous sectors. Notice the results of the
defragmentation process in Figure 7.49.
 FIGURE 7.49 Fragmented hard drive/defragmented hard drive
Defragmenting the hard drive makes for faster hard disk access. These
measures also extend the life of the hard drive because the drive’s mechanical
movements are reduced. The methods used in Windows to defragment are as
follows:
In Windows Vista/7, open Windows Explorer, locate a hard drive letter,
right-click it, and select Properties > Tools tab > Defragment Now button.
In Windows 8/10, open File Explorer, locate a hard drive letter, right-click
it, and select Properties > Tools tab > Optimize.
From a command prompt, use the defrag command.

Tech Tip: SSD defragmentation kills

Do not defragment an SSD as you would a magnetic hard drive.
Defragmentation causes more reads and writes, which reduces the life
span of the SSD.

You should periodically defragment files on a mechanical PATA or SATA hard

drive. Users who delete files often and have large files that are constantly revised
should especially make use of the defragmentation tool. You can use the Disk
Defragmenter tool to check whether a drive partition needs to be defragmented.

Tech Tip: Tool order matters

Use the Error-checking (Check now or Check) and Disk Cleanup tools
before running the Disk Defragmenter tool.

Note that Windows 7 automatically schedules your hard drive to be

defragmented every Wednesday at 1 a.m. if the computer is powered on.
Otherwise, defragmentation runs automatically the next time the computer is
powered on. Windows 8 and 10 schedule a weekly hard drive optimization. You
can adjust this scheduled time through the Disk Defragmenter tool.
Troubleshooting New Storage Device Installation
Most problems with new drive installation stem from improper configuration of
jumpers on PATA drives or problems with cabling. BIOS and the operating
system can display a multitude of symptoms including POST error codes, beeps,
and messages, such as the following:
Hard drive not found
No boot device available
Hard drive not present
Inaccessible boot device
Invalid boot disk
The following tips assist with checking possible problems when the drive is
not recognized by the system.
Check the physical settings, if necessary (power cable, jumper settings,
secure data cable, data cable pin 1 orientation, and device placement on
data cable).
Check the drive type setting in BIOS Setup and ensure that the ports are
enabled (especially SATA ports).
If after you have configured the drive, installed it, and powered it on, the
BIOS shows the drive type as “None,” “Not installed,” or displays all 0s in
the drive parameters even though you set it to automatically detect the
drive, then the BIOS is not able to detect it. Check the BIOS/UEFI SATA
mode and BIOS/UEFI version. Check all jumper settings, check cable
connection(s), and check the power connection. If two PATA drives
connect to the same cable, disconnect the slave drive. In Setup, reduce any
advanced features to their lowest values or disable them. Increase the
amount of time the computer takes to initialize the hard drive by going into
Setup and modifying such features as hard drive boot delay or set the boot
speed to the lowest value. This gives the hard drive more time to spin up
and reach its appropriate RPM before data is read from it. Make sure the
motherboard port is enabled.
Has the drive been partitioned and one partition marked as the active
partition? Has the drive been high-level formatted?
Verify that the mounting screw to hold the drive in the case is not too tight.
Loosen the screw and power up the computer. Figure 7.50 shows the
mounting screws for a hard drive installed in a tower case.
 FIGURE 7.50 Hard drive mounting screws
If the hard drive does not format to full capacity, (a) your BIOS may not
support the larger drive and/or the BIOS must be upgraded, (b) you have
selected a file system that does not support larger partitions, or (c) you
need an updated driver.
If during power-on the hard drive does not spin up or the hard drive spins
down after a few seconds, check the power connector, the data cable, the
drive recognized in BIOS, jumper settings, energy management jumpers or
settings in Setup, and any software that came with the drive that enables
power management. Disable power management in BIOS and/or the
operating system. Try installing the drive in another system.
If the system locks or you get a blue screen of death (BSOD), write down
the message or code, if any, and try a warm boot ( ). If
the drive is recognized after the warm boot, the Setup program may be
running too fast for the drive to initialize. Refer to the hard drive
documentation to see if the hard drive has a setting to help with this
problem.
Troubleshooting Previously Installed Storage Devices
Previously installed boot devices can have all of the symptoms that a newly
installed storage device can plus the following additional ones:
Loud clicking noise
Read/write errors
Slow to respond
Blue screen of death (BSOD) or pinwheel of death (Mac OS X)
Because many drives are mechanical devices, they make noises. Sometimes
these noises are because the hard drive is being used too much as virtual memory
due to a lack of physical RAM. Some noises are normal and some are an
indication of problems, as shown in Figure 7.51.

FIGURE 7.51 Hard drive noises

When a hard drive starts making that loud clicking, tapping sound, back up
the drive immediately and go ahead and purchase a replacement drive. The drive
is failing!
The following are generic guidelines for hard drives that have worked, but are
now having problems or the computer fails to boot:
Run a virus-checking program after booting from virus-free boot media.
Many viruses are specifically designed to attack the hard drive. If you have
to wipe the hard drive to ensure the virus is erased before re-installing the
operating system, applications, and data, ensure you do a full format and
not a quick one as part of the operating system installation process.
Has there been a recent cleaning of the computer or has someone recently
removed the top from the computer? If so, check all cables and verify that
 they correctly connect pin 1 to pin 1 of the adapter or motherboard. Check
the power connection to the hard drive.

Tech Tip: Does your hard drive stick?

Place a hand on top of the drive as you turn on the computer. Does the
drive spin at all? If not, the problem is probably a “sticky” drive or a bad
drive. A hard drive must spin at a certain RPM before the heads move over
the surface of the hard drive. To check to see whether the drive is sticking,
remove the drive and try spinning the spindle motor by hand. Otherwise,
remove the drive, hold the drive in your hand, and give a quick jerk with
your wrist. Another trick that works is to remove the hard drive from the
case, place the drive in a plastic bag, and put it in the freezer for a couple
of hours. Then, remove the drive and allow it to warm up to room
temperature. Then, re-install the drive into the system and try it.

If the hard drive flashes quickly on bootup, the controller is trying to read
the partition table in the master boot record. If this information is not
found, various symptoms can be shown, such as the error messages
“Invalid boot disk,” “Inaccessible boot device,” “Invalid partition table,”
“Error loading operating system,” “Missing operating system,” or “No
operating system found.” Use the diskpart command from the
Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to see whether the hard drive
partition table is okay. Here are a couple of commands to help within this
utility: list disk, list volume, list partition, detail
disk, detail volume, and detail partition. Try running
bootrec /fixmbr or use a hard drive utility to repair the partition
table.
Do you receive a message such as “Disk Boot Failure,” “Non-System
Disk,” or “Disk Error”? These errors may indicate a boot record problem.
The solution is to boot from a bootable disc or USB flash drive to see if
drive C: is available. When doing so, change the BIOS/UEFI boot order
settings to boot to your removable media. The operating system may have
to be reloaded. Also, verify that the primary partition is marked as active
and that there is not nonbootable media such as a disc or USB flash drive
inserted into or attached to the system. Check the first boot option setting
in BIOS/UEFI and make sure it is set to the appropriate drive.
If you receive a message “Hard drive not found,” “No boot device
 available,” “Fixed disk error,” or “Disk boot failure,” the BIOS cannot find
the hard drive. Check cabling. Place the drive in an external enclosure and
attach to a working computer.
If a self-monitoring, analysis and reporting technology (S.M.A.R.T.) error
appears, back up data and research the error to take immediate action.
S.M.A.R.T. is used to monitor both mechanical hard drives and SSDs.
S.M.A.R.T. errors sometimes appear immediately before a failure. Table
7.10 has a few of the S.M.A.R.T. error codes, but remember that drive
manufacturers may have their own.

TABLE 7.10 S.M.A.R.T. error codes

When Windows has startup problems, the Windows Recovery
Environment (WinRE) and Advanced Options menu (press on
startup) are used. With Windows 8 or 10 devices, the system may boot too
fast to access this. Hold down the while restarting the system. Then
select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > either Automatic Repair (in
Windows 8)/Startup Repair (in Windows 10) or Command Prompt. Many
times, startup problems are due to a virus. Other utilities that help with
MBR, boot sector, and system files are the System File Checker (SFC),
and the Advanced Boot Options menu. Use bootrec /fixmbr or
bootrec /fixboot from the Windows Recovery Environment
(WinRE).

Tech Tip: Use System File Checker

You can run the System File Checker program from the command prompt
by typing sfc /scannow. The System File Checker is also needed after
removing some viruses.

When Windows has startup problems due to incompatible hardware or

software or a corrupted installation process, the Advanced Boot Options
menu can help.
If an insufficient disk space error appears or slow performance (takes a
long time to respond), delete unnecessary files, including .tmp files, from
the hard drive, empty the Recycle Bin, and save files to an optical disc, a
flash drive, or an external hard drive and remove the moved files from the
hard drive. Use the Disk Cleanup and Defragmenter tool. Another option is
to add another hard drive and move some (or all) data files to it.
For eSATA drives, check the power cabling and data cabling. Ensure that
the data cable is the correct type for the port and device being used.
Partition and format the drive before data is written to it. Ensure that the
port is enabled through BIOS. The BIOS may require an update, or a
device driver may be required (especially if the drive is listed under “other
devices” in Device Manager). BIOS incompatibilities are the most
common issue with installations. Note that some operating systems report
SATA drives as SCSI drives.
If the computer reports that the hard drive may have a defective area or if
you start getting read/write failure notices, right-click on the hard drive
volume > Properties > Tools tab > Check now (Vista/7) /Check (8/10). The
drive may need to be replaced soon.
If drives fail frequently in a particular computer, check for heat problems,
power fluctuations, vibrations, improper mounting screws or hardware that
might cause vibrations, and environmental issues such as dust, heat,
magnetic fields, smoke, and nearby motors. Consider an SSD if the
computer is in a harsh environment.
If a USB drive is the boot device and the system will not boot, unplug the
drive, reattach it, and restart the system.
If a proprietary crash screen appears, note the message and/or code and
research from another computer.
If a spinning pinwheel, ball, hourglass, or other application-specific icon
appears, a message that an application is not responding (sometimes asking
you if you want to wait or kill the application) appears, or a drive takes
forever to respond within an application, use the Disk Management tool to
view the status of the drive. Note that a colored spinning pinwheel that
occurs on a Mac is covered in Chapter 17. Table 7.11 shows some of the
normal and problem drive status messages seen in the Windows Disk
Management tool. These status messages can help with drive management,
troubleshooting, and recovery.
 TABLE 7.11 Disk Management status states

RAID Issues
When you add a RAID to a computer, you increase the complexity of the disk
management. When two hard drives are configured in a RAID, they are seen as
one volume and managed as one volume. Multiply that by the different types of
RAID and the number of hard drives involved in the RAID, and you have a real
opportunity for some fun issues. Symptoms of RAID problems follow along the
same lines of a hard drive failure (read/write failure, slow system performance,
loud clicking noise, failure to boot, drive not recognized, operating system not
found, or a BSOD). The following issues can help you with RAID
configurations:
If you have done RAID through the BIOS/UEFI, you cannot manage the
RAID through Windows (it is grayed out and shows as no fault tolerance).
If you want to manage the RAID through Windows, you will have to break
the RAID in BIOS/UEFI (remove the RAID) and then re-create the RAID
in Windows. Back up your data before doing this.
Sometimes as part of the RAID configuration, you need driver media for
the Windows installation or RAID failure troubleshooting process. Follow
the motherboard or RAID adapter’s manufacturing directions on how to
create this media (usually a USB drive or optical disc, even though the
directions on the screen may say floppy disk).
If Windows won’t allow you or give you the option to do a RAID, check
the BIOS/UEFI settings and ensure that AHCI has been enabled for the
drives.
If disk mirroring is not an option in Windows Disk Management, check
your Windows version. You must have Windows Professional or a higher
edition to do the RAID.
If Windows no longer boots, a BSOD appears, and the Windows boot drive
is part of a RAID, re-install Windows if you want to keep the RAID. You
may have to get drivers before doing this. If you do not care about the
RAID and just want Windows to boot again, remove the hardware RAID.
You can also use the BSOD code shown to research the error.
If a RAID partition suddenly goes missing, check for a virus.
If you receive a message such as RAID not found, check the hardware or
software configuration (depending on which type of RAID was
configured). A power surge can corrupt a hardware RAID configuration
 done through BIOS Setup. A system upgrade, application upgrade, or new
application can affect a software RAID.
If the RAID stops working, use the Windows Disk Management tool to
check the status of the drives. Then check the RAID configuration if the
drives are okay.

SSD Issues
The BIOS should recognize an internally installed SSD. If it does not, go into the
system BIOS/UEFI Setup and ensure that the connector to which the SSD
attaches is enabled. Be especially careful with SATA ports and port numbering.
Configure the system to automatically detect the new drive, save the settings,
and reboot the system. Here are some things to try, but remember that other hard
drive tips still apply, such as those relating to the computer not booting or the
operating system not found:
Restart the PC.
Try another SATA port or cable.
Uninstall/re-install the driver.
Turn off the Wake on LAN BIOS option.

Soft Skills—Phone Skills

Technicians must frequently use the phone in the normal course of business. This
includes speaking with customers who call in, those you must call, vendors, and
technical support staff. Many technicians’ full-time jobs involve communication
via the telephone.
Phone communication skills are different from in-person communication
because on the phone, you have only your words and voice intonation to convey
concepts, professionalism, and technical assistance (see Figure 7.52).
 FIGURE 7.52 Telephone communication skills
When dealing with someone in person, you can use some of the following
techniques that are not allowed during normal phone conversations:
Gesture to emphasize points.
Draw a graphic to illustrate a concept.
Perform steps needed for troubleshooting faster because you can do them
rather than step someone through them.
Show empathy more easily with your body language, actions, and voice.
When dealing with someone on the phone, the following pointers can help.
Some of the tips apply to everyday technical support as well:
Identify yourself clearly and pleasantly.
Avoid using a condescending tone.
Be patient and speak slowly when giving directions.
Use active listening skills (covered in Chapter 2); avoid doing other tasks
when on a call with someone.
Avoid using acronyms and technical jargon.
Avoid being accusatory or threatening.
If the customer is irate, try to calm the customer down and help him or her;
however, if the customer continues to be belligerent, turn the call over to
your supervisor.
Escalate the problem if it is beyond your skill level; do not waste the
customer’s time.
 Do not leave people on hold for extended periods without checking back
with them and updating them.
Speak clearly and loud enough to be heard easily.
Avoid having a headset microphone pulled away so it is hard to hear you;
if you are asked to repeat something, speak louder or adjust the
microphone or handset.
Avoid eating, drinking, or chewing gum when on the phone.
Good interpersonal skills are even more important when on the phone than
with face-to-face interactions. Before getting on the phone, take a deep breath
and check your attitude. Every customer deserves your best game, no matter
what type of day you have had or what type of customer you have previously
spoken to.

Chapter Summary
Hard drive form factors include 5.25-, 3.5-, 2.5-, and 1.8-inch drives. Hard
drives come in different speeds: 5400, 7200, 10,000, and 15,000 RPM. The
faster the RPM, the more money the drive generally costs, but the drive
transfers data faster.
Common drives today are PATA, SATA, and SSD for desktop and mobile
computers.
PATA drives are internal only and connect to a 40-pin ribbon cable that can
have two devices per motherboard connector/cable.
SATA drives can be internal or external and connect using a 9-pin 3.3-foot
(1 meter) maximum internal connector, an external eSATA connector (3.3-
foot [1-meter] maximum for 1.5-Gb/s devices and 6.56-foot [2-meter]
maximum for 3- or 6-Gb/s devices), or an eSATAp combo eSATA/USB
port. SATA 1 (I) drives operate at a maximum of 1.5Gb/s, SATA 2 (II)
drives at 3Gb/s, and SATA 3 (III) drives at 6Gb/s. SATA internal drives use
a unique SATA power connector. A Molex-to-SATA converter can be
purchased, but 3.3 volts is not supplied to the drive; most drives do not use
the 3.3-volt line. External drives use an external power source unless
plugged into an eSATAp combo port, which can provide power.
SATA drives require no jumper, and only one device can connect to a
SATA motherboard/adapter port.
SSD drives have become more common in desktops, laptops, and
ultrabooks. They are often used in harsh environments, dirty environments,
 heavy movement environments, and harsh temperature environments.
They are extremely fast, but expensive and they connect using PATA,
SATA, USB, eSATA, or IEEE 1394 (FireWire) connections.
SSD drives erase data in blocks instead of by marking available clusters in
the FAT with traditional drives. SSD drives should not be defragmented.
SSD drives use various technologies to ensure functionality, such as all of
the memory being used evenly (wear leveling) and reserved spare memory
blocks.
SSHD is a combination of a mechanical hard drive with flash memory
holding the most frequently used data.
Hard drives must be partitioned and high-level formatted before they can
be used to store data.
Partitioning separates the drive into smaller sections (volumes) that can
receive drive letters. The smaller the volume, the smaller the cluster size. A
cluster is the smallest space for a single file to reside. A cluster consists of
four or more sectors. Each sector contains 512 bytes.
Partitioning can be done through the Windows installation process or using
the Disk Management tool.
A simple volume is the most common type of partition volume created.
To create a spanned volume (otherwise known as JBOD), space from two
or more hard drives is seen as one drive letter. One drive is filled before
any other hard drives are used.
A striped volume writes data to two or more drives, but does not provide
redundancy.
The system volume holds files needed to boot the operating system
(usually C:).
The boot volume holds the majority of the operating system files (usually
C:).
An HPA or protected partition can be used for system recovery by
computer manufacturers.
Multiple drives can be configured in a hardware or software RAID
implementation. Hardware RAID is done using the BIOS/UEFI or a RAID
adapter. Software RAID is done using the Windows Disk Management
tool.
RAID 0 or disk striping does not provide fault tolerance, but it does
provide fast, efficient use of two or more drives.
 RAID 1 is disk mirroring and this method does provide fault tolerance by
having an exact copy of a drive in case one drive fails.
RAID 5 is disk striping with parity where parity data is kept on one of the
three minimum drives. This parity data can be used to rebuild one drive if
one of three or more drives fails.
RAID 10 is a mirrored set and a striped set combined with four hard drives
as a minimum. This mode can read from the drive quickly, but a slight
degradation when writing.
Windows Storage Spaces can use a variety of drive types to create a single
storage space that can have RAID-like qualities.
File systems in use are FAT16 (FAT), FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, CDFS, NFS,
ext3, and ext4. FAT32 and exFAT are used for external drives, such as flash
thumb drives. NTFS is used for internal drives and provides features such
as better cluster management, security, compression, and encryption.
CDFS is used for optical media. NFS, ext3, and ext4 are used in Linux-
based systems.
Two ways of changing from one file system to another is by using the
convert command or by formatting the drive. The convert command
preserves existing data. High-level formatting does not preserve any saved
data.
If a drive fails to be recognized as a new installation, check cabling and
BIOS/UEFI settings, especially for a disabled SATA port.
Normal mechanical drive noises include a clicking when going into sleep
mode or being powered down due to self-parking heads.
Abnormal drive noises include a couple of clicks with a POST beep and/or
error, repeated clicking noises, high-frequency vibration due to improper
or poor mounting hardware, and a high-pitched, whining sound.
If a drive fails after operating for a while, check for a virus. See if the
BIOS has a virus checker. Try a warm boot to see whether the drive has
not spun up to speed yet. Check cabling, especially on SATA. Review any
recent changes. Use the Windows Advanced Boot Options menu, Windows
Recovery Environment (Windows RE), System File Checker (SFC), and
the bootrec /fixmbr and bootrec /fixboot commands. Boot
from an alternate source and check Disk Management for status messages
related to the hard drive.
Hard drive space is used as RAM. Ensure enough storage space is
 available for the operating system.
When speaking on the phone to anyone, be clear in your statements, don’t
use technical jargon, keep your tone professional, and do not do other
tasks, including eating or drinking.

A+ Certification Exam Tips

Know everything about how to configure SATA and SSDs.
Know the purposes of the Error-checking (Check now/Check), Disk
Cleanup, and Defragmenter tools.
Use a computer to review the disk tools and how to get to them.
Review all the troubleshooting tips right before taking the exam.
Be familiar with the following Disk Management concepts: drive status
and what to do if the status is not in a healthy state, mounting, extending
partitions, splitting partitions, assigning drive letters, adding drives, adding
arrays.
Know what a normal hard drive sounds like and what sounds a hard drive
in trouble makes.
Know the various file systems including exFAT, FAT32, NTFS, CDFS,
NFS, ext3, and ext4.
Know the difference between a quick and a full format.
Know the differences between basic and dynamic disks and understand
primary, extended, and logical partitions and volumes.
Be able to troubleshoot common symptoms such as read/write failures,
slow performance, loud noises, failure to boot, drive not recognized, OS
not found, as well as RAID not found or stops working.
Be familiar with BSOD and spinning pinwheel proprietary crash screens.
Know how and when to use Microsoft command-line tools such as
bootrec, format, diskpart, SFC, and chkdsk.
Install a couple of practice drives for the exam. Misconfigure the BIOS
and leave a cable unplugged or the power removed so you see the POST
errors and symptoms.
Know the common BIOS/UEFI configurations required for storage
devices.
Know how and when to configure a RAID and the differences between the
various RAID levels.
 Be able to configure a drive for Storage Spaces.
Know how to speak professionally.

Key Terms
AHCI 303
basic disk 313
basic storage 313
boot partition 310
boot sector 312
boot volume 313
bootrec 321
BSOD 326
cable select 297
CDFS 305
chkdsk 321
cluster 306
convert 306
DBR 312
defrag 324
defragmentation 324
disk cache 319
Disk Cleanup 322
Disk Management 305
disk mirroring 316
diskpart 305
disk striping 316
drive array 315
drive not recognized 325
drive status 329
dynamic disk 313
dynamic storage 313
EIDE 292
eSATA 296
exFAT 305
ext3 306
ext4 306
extend (partition) 314
extended partition 308
external enclosure 287
fail to boot 326
FAT (file system type) 311
FAT (file allocation table) 305
FAT32 305
FCM 291
file recovery software 321
file system 305
format 312
full format 311
GPT 311
head crash 289
high-level format 204
hot swappable 316
HPA 310
hybrid SSD 291
IDE 292
initialize disk 329
JBOD 313
logical drives 308
lost clusters 322
loud clicking noise 326
M.2 294
master 297
MBR 310
MLCs 291
mount 302
MTBF 289
NAND flash memory 291
NFS 306
NTFS 305
partition 304
PATA 293
phone communication skills 331
primary partition 308
proprietary crash screen 328
quick format 311
RAID 315
RAID 0 316
RAID 1 316
RAID 5 316
RAID 10 316
RAID not found 330
RAID stops working 330
RAW volume 313
read/write failure 328
SAS 293
SATA 293
SATA 1 294
SATA 2 294
SATA 3 295
sectors 290
sfc /scannow 320
shrink (partition) 314
simple volume 313
 slave 297
SLCs 291
slow performance 328
S.M.A.R.T. 327
spanned volume 313
spinning pinwheel 329
split (partition) 314
SSD 290
SSHD 291
storage pool 317
storage space 318
striped volume 313
system partition 310
system volume 313
tape drive 317
volume 308
wear leveling 270
Windows Storage Spaces 317
write amplification 290

Review Questions
Consider the following internal hard drive specifications when answering
Questions 1–7:
SATA 6Gb/s transfer rate
1TB capacity
Minimizes noise to levels near the threshold of human hearing
3.5-inch 7200 RPM
32MB buffer size
1. Which SATA version is being used?
[ 1 | 2 | 3 | Cannot be determined from the information given ]
2. Which Windows file system is best to be placed on this drive if encryption
will be used?
 _______________________________________________________________________
3. Which drive preparation steps are required to be done if this drive is added
as a new drive? (Select all that apply.) [ defragmentation | low-level format
| high-level format | error checking | RAID | virus checking | partitioning |
striping | duplexing ]
4. This drive is meant to be quiet. List two noises that the drive could make
that would indicate issues to you.
______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Is this drive internal or external? Explain your
reasoning._______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
6. What is this drive’s form factor? [ 6Gb/s | 1TB | 3.5-inch | 7500RPM |
32MB ]
7. How many other devices could be on the same cable that connects this
device to the motherboard?
[ 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | cannot be determined ]
8. If only two drives are available, which RAID levels can be used? (Select
all that apply.)
[ 0 | 1 | 5 | 10 ]
9. A technician has been called to a problem where a S.M.A.R.T. error
displays and the user reports the system has been running slow for several
months now. Which two tools or actions should the technician use
immediately? [ chkdsk | partition the drive | high-level format the drive |
convert | diskpart | backup the data | attach external drives and
configure Storage Spaces ]
10. What is the difference between spanning and striping?
a. Spanning is done in hardware, and striping is done in software.
b. Spanning is done within RAID, and striping is done in Windows or
through BIOS.
c. Spanning takes two drives, and striping takes three drives.
d. Spanning fills one drive before moving to the next drive, whereas
striping alternates between the drives.
 e. Spanning is RAID 0, and striping is RAID 1.
11. A tile and carpet warehouse use several computers for the inventory
process. The computers in the warehouse area have a higher hard drive
failure rate than those in the office area. Which solution will help this
company?
a. Replace the hard drives with SSDs.
b. Place anti-static mats under the computers and on the floor where
people stand or sit to use the computer.
c. Install more powerful power supplies.
d. Install additional CPU fans.
e. Replace the drives with higher-RPM drives.
12. Which of the following can provide the fastest transfer rate for an internal
hard drive?
[ PATA | IEEE 1394 | SATA | USB 3.0 ]
13. Which of the following can provide the fastest transfer rate for an external
hard drive?
[ PATA | IEEE 1294 | eSATA | USB 2.0 ]
14. Which Windows 8/10 feature allows space on an external USB and
eSATA hard drive to be seen as one drive letter and provide resiliency? [
Storage Spaces | RAID 10 | RAID 5 | Disk Management ]
15. What is a drawback of SSDs?
[ installation time | MTBF | maintenance requirements | cost | speed |
reliability ]
16. You are installing an older PATA optical drive. Which cable connector
attaches to the motherboard?
[ gray | black | white | blue ] Which cable connector attaches to the drive if
it is the only device on the cable? [ gray | black | white | blue ]
17. Which tool do most Windows users use to check for lost clusters?
[ Error-checking (Check/Check now) | diskpart | Disk Defragmenter |
Disk Cleanup ]
18. [ T | F ] By default, Windows 7 automatically defragments all attached
hard drives at 1 a.m. on Wednesday or the next time that the computer is
powered on after that time.
19. [ T | F ] If you have enough RAM installed, the hard drive will not be used
 as cache memory.
20. You are speaking to a customer on the phone who is upset. The customer
curses and starts yelling. What should you do?
a. Hang up on the caller.
b. Ask the caller if you can put her on hold while she calms down.
c. Speak to the user using a calm, professional tone.
d. Stay calm, but raise your voice level a little to show the importance and
professionalism of your technical question.

Exercises

Exercise 7.1 Configuring a PATA IDE Hard Drive on Paper

Objective:
To be able to configure a PATA IDE hard drive
Procedure:
Refer to the following figures and answer the accompanying
questions.
Questions:
See Figure 7.53 to answer Question 1.

FIGURE 7.53 Exercise 7.1 documentation

1. Using Figure 7.53, circle the jumpers to be enabled (set) to configure IDE
Hard Drive #1 as if it is the only drive connected to an IDE port.
2. Now pretend that you have two hard drives that use the same jumpers as
in Step 1. Draw the drive jumpers. Circle the jumpers to be enabled (set) to
configure IDE Hard Drive #1 as the master drive connected to an IDE port.
 Keep in mind that IDE Hard Drive #2 shares the same cable with Hard
Drive #1.
3. Draw the drive jumpers. Circle the jumpers to be enabled (set) to
configure IDE Hard Drive #2 as the slave drive. Keep in mind that IDE
Hard Drive #2 shares the same cable with Hard Drive #1.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
See Figure 7.54 to answer Questions 4 and 5.

FIGURE 7.54 Exercise 7.1 documentation #2

 4. List the jumpers that will be enabled (set) to configure IDE Hard Drive #1
as the master drive connected to a PATA IDE port. Keep in mind that IDE
Hard Drive #2 shares the same cable with Hard Drive #1.
_________________________________________________________
5. List the jumpers that will be enabled (set) to configure IDE Hard Drive #2
as the slave drive. Keep in mind that IDE Hard Drive #2 shares the same
cable with Hard Drive #1.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Exercise 7.2 Configuring a SATA Hard Drive on Paper

Objective:
To be able to configure SATA hard drive jumpers
Parts:
Internet access is needed for one question
Procedure:
Refer to the following figures and answer the accompanying
questions
Questions:
See Figure 7.55 to answer Questions 1–3.
 FIGURE 7.55 Exercise 7.2 documentation
1. Considering the information provided, when would you change the
jumpers on this drive?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Considering the information provided, what version of SATA does this
drive use natively?
[ SATA 1 | SATA 2 | SATA 3]
3. If this hard drive was to be installed in a desktop model, what form factor
would this drive most likely be?
4. Refer to Figure 7.56. The information provided is from a laptop computer
used in a business environment. What do you think would be the effects of
installing a jumper on pins 1 and 2 on this drive?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
 _______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

FIGURE 7.56 Exercise 7.2 documentation #2

5. Use the Internet to determine SATA jumper settings for a particular
vendor’s laptop replacement hard drive. Write the jumper settings and
explanation for the jumpers. Write the URL where you found this
information.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
6. What is the form factor for the hard drive referenced in Question 5?
_______________________________________________________________________

Activities

Internet Discovery
Objective:
To obtain specific information on the Internet regarding a
computer or its associated parts
Parts:
Computer with Internet access
Questions:
Use the Internet to answer the following questions. Write the
answers and the URL of the site where you found the
information. Assume you have just purchased a Seagate
Barracuda 3TB 7200 RPM 6Gb/s hard drive in answering
Questions 1–3.
1. What types of cables are needed for this drive? Do they come with the
drive? Write the answers and the URL where you found this information.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. How much cache does this drive have?
__________________________________________
3. If the computer does not have an available SATA connector, what one
recommendation could you make?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4. A customer has a Western Digital WD3200AAKB Caviar Blue PATA hard
drive. What are the possible jumper settings for this drive? Write the
answer and the URL where you found this information.
[ Single | Master | Slave | Cable Select | Dual (Master) | Dual (Slave) |
Slave Present ]
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Based on the same drive as in Question 4 and information you learned in
this chapter, if a customer had a drive already configured to cable select
and wanted you to install the Western Digital drive, what setting must be
set on the new drive? [ Single | Master | Slave | Cable Select | Dual
(Master) | Dual (Slave) | Slave Present ]
6. Find an eSATA and an internal SATA hard drive that are equal or close to
equal in capacity. What is the price difference between the two? Write the
answer and the URL where you found this information.
 _______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Watch the How to Fully Use Your 3TB Hard Drive on Windows 7 (MBR to
GPT) YouTube video, found at the following URL to answer Questions 7–
10 (if this link does not work, find a video that shows how to install a GPT
partition): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KwNaR170mg
7. How many hard disk drives did the presenter have installed as shown in
the Disk Management window?
____________________________________________________________________
8. Even though the Disk 1 drive was originally unpartitioned, before the
author did anything to the drive, the drive showed as [ 1 | 2 | 3 ]
unallocated sections.
9. If the drive has already been partitioned (but doesn’t have data on it), what
must you do before converting the drive to a GPT disk?
_______________________________________________
10. List one comment that you found interesting and informative.
__________________________

Soft Skills

Objective:
To enhance and fine-tune a technician’s ability to listen,
communicate in both written and oral form, and support people
who use computers in a professional manner
Activities:
1. In groups of two, pretend one of you has a hard drive problem. The other
student pretends to help you on the phone. Share your phone conversation
with two other groups. Select the best group and scenario.
__________________________________________________________
2. With two other classmates, come up with 10 additional tips for good
phone support that were not listed in the chapter. Share your ideas with the
class.
_______________________________________________________________________
 _______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. As a team, plan the installation of three storage devices. Two devices are
internal SATA drives and an external USB drive. In your plan, detail what
drives you are using for the plan, what things you will check for, how you
obtain the documentation, and what obstacles could appear as part of the
installation process. The user also would like some type of redundancy.
What choices might you present to the user? Share your plan with other
teams.

Critical Thinking Skills

Objective:
To analyze and evaluate information as well as apply learned
information to new or different situations
Activities:
1. List three things that could cause a computer to lock up periodically that
relate to the hard drive. What could you do to fix, check, or verify these
three things?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. A customer wants to either upgrade or replace his hard drive. Go through
the steps you would take from start to finish to accomplish this task.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
 _______________________________________________________________________
3. Your team supports a department of 20 workstations. Some people store
very important information on their local hard drives. Use the Internet to
research redundancy options as well as those presented in the chapter.
Develop a list of possible redundancy plans for the department.

Labs

Lab 7.1 Installing a Second PATA Hard Drive and Creating Two
Volumes
Objective:
To be able to install, configure, and manage a second hard drive
using Windows 7, 8, or 10 Disk Management console
Parts:
Windows 7, 8, or 10 computer with an available PATA connection
on the motherboard, or an available PATA cable connection on an
existing PATA connection to the motherboard
Available power connector
Procedure:
Complete the following procedure and answer the accompanying
questions.
Notes:
Use proper anti-static and gentle handling procedures when
dealing with hard drives.
You must be a user who has administrator rights to configure hard
drives.
If an optical drive is installed, one can be replaced by the new
hard drive to perform this lab.
1. Power on the computer and log in.
2. There are several ways to get to the window used to manage hard drives.
Practice using all methods.
(a) Click the Start button, type compmgmt.msc in the Search box, and
press .
(b) In Windows Explorer/File Explorer, right-click Computer (Windows
7)/This PC (8/10) and select Manage.
 (c) Access the Administrative Tools Control Panel > Computer
Management.
3. In the console tree shown in the left pane, select the Disk Management
option. Note that the Disk Management tool can also be directly accessed
using the diskmgmt.msc command. The disks and volumes already
installed in the computer display in a graphical manner on the right.
4. Right-click the drive partition labeled C: and select Properties.
Which type of file system is being used? [ FAT16 | FAT32 | exFAT | NTFS
]
What is the drive number shown in the right panel? [ 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 ]
What is the amount of free space?
_______________________________________________
5. Shut down the computer and remove the power cord.
6. Access the interior of the computer. Locate an available PATA port on the
motherboard or an available PATA cable connector. Determine which port
this is by looking at the motherboard’s labeling or by using documentation.
Are you using a PATA port that has nothing attached or an available PATA
cable connector that has another device attached?
________________________________________________
7. If another device is installed on the same cable, remove the drive and
determine whether it uses cable select or master/slave jumpers. Handle the
drive carefully. If you removed a PATA device to check the drive settings,
re-install it into the machine and reconnect the power and data cables.
If this is the only device that will connect to a motherboard PATA port,
connect the PATA cable to the motherboard.
If another device is present, does the device use the cable select, master, or
slave jumper? If you are not using a cable that has another device present,
choose not applicable as the answer. [ cable select | master | slave |
______________ (different setting) | not applicable ]
If a PATA port that has nothing attached is being used, which motherboard
PATA port is being used? If you are installing the drive as a second device
on the same cable, choose not applicable as the answer. [ primary |
secondary | tertiary | quaternary | not applicable ]
8. On the hard drive given to you by the instructor, configure the drive to the
appropriate setting: cable select, master, or slave. Mount the drive, attach
 the data cable, and attach a power cable.
Which drive setting did you choose? [ cable select | master | slave |
______________ (different setting) | not applicable ]
9. Re-install the computer power cord and power on the computer.
10. Using previously described procedures, open the Disk Management tool.
Locate the drive in the bottom section of the window. If you are unsure
about which drive is to be partitioned, contact the instructor or lab
assistant.
Note that the drive you were given may have been partitioned already and
assigned a drive letter. If the drive was already partitioned and a drive
letter has been assigned, locate the drive in the bottom window and right-
click the partition. Select Delete Volume and click Yes. Also note that you
may have to delete multiple partitions.
Note that if the drive shows the status of Invalid in the bottom section (left
side), right-click the drive in that left section, and select the Convert to
basic disk option.
At this point, the drive should show all space as unallocated.
Was the drive already partitioned? [ Yes | No ]
Was the drive already assigned a drive letter? [ Yes | No ]
11. Right-click the new drive you just installed and select New Simple volume.
The New Simple Volume Wizard appears. Click Next.
What is the difference between a simple volume and a spanned volume?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
What is the minimum number of drives required to create a striped
volume?______________
12. Enter a partition size that is less than 32GB and still leaves room on the
hard drive. Notice that the partition size is shown in megabytes. Click
Next.
Which partition size did you choose?
_____________________________________________
13. Select a drive letter (normally, this will be the next drive letter available;
take note of your options so you can answer the first question), and then
click Next.
How many drive letters are available as an option?
 ___________________________________
Which file systems are supported when you use this tool?
_______________________________________________________________________
Are any file systems supported by Windows that are not shown? If so,
what are they?
_______________________________________________________________________
14. Select the NTFS option. Assign the volume label as a couple letters from
each lab partner’s last name. Note that there is a 32-character maximum for
NTFS partitions. Select (enable) the Perform a quick format checkbox and
click Next. Click the Finish button.
How can you tell from the information in the Disk Management window
whether a partition is NTFS or another file system?
________________________________________________
15. In the Disk Management window, right-click the free space for the drive
you installed. Using the same process, create an NTFS simple volume, add
a unique volume label, and perform a quick format.
Instructor initials: __________________

Lab 7.2 Installing a Second SATA Hard Drive and Creating Two
Volumes
Objective:
To be able to install, configure, and manage a second hard drive
using Windows 7, 8, or 10 Disk Management console
Parts:
Windows 7, 8, or 10 computer with an available SATA connection
on the motherboard
Available power connector
Procedure:
Complete the following procedure and answer the accompanying
questions.
Notes:
Use proper anti-static and gentle handling procedures when
dealing with hard drives.
You must be a user who has administrator rights to configure hard
 drives.
1. Power on the computer and log in.
2. There are several ways to get to the window used to manage hard drives.
Practice using all methods.
(a) Click the Start button, type compmgmt.msc in the Search box, and
press .
(b) In Windows Explorer/File Explorer, right-click Computer (Windows
7)/This PC (8/10) and select Manage.
(c) Access the Administrative Tools Control Panel > Computer
Management.
3. In the console tree shown in the left pane, select the Disk Management
option. Note that the Disk Management tool can also be directly accessed
using the diskmgmt.msc command. The disks and volumes already
installed in the computer display in a graphical manner on the right.
4. Right-click the drive partition labeled C: and select Properties.
Which type of file system is being used? [ FAT16 | FAT32 | exFAT | NTFS
]
What is the drive number shown in the right panel? [ 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 ]
What is the amount of free space? _______________________________
5. Shut down the computer and remove the power cord.
6. Access the interior of the computer. Locate an available SATA port on the
motherboard. Determine which port this is by looking at motherboard
labeling or by using documentation.
Which SATA port should you use to install the second hard drive?
_______________________
7. Power off the computer and access System BIOS/UEFI. If you do not
know what keystroke is used to access BIOS/UEFI, watch the boot screen.
If you still cannot tell, research the computer model on the Internet.
Which keystroke did you use to access BIOS/UEFI?
_________________________________
8. Access the section of BIOS that controls the SATA port. The section you
must enter varies from computer to computer. Make notes as to where you
went to get there in the question below. Ensure the SATA port you located
and identified in Step 6 is enabled.
 Was the port enabled in BIOS already or did you have to enable it? [
already enabled | I had to enable it ]
Document the BIOS steps you took to ensure the SATA port was enabled.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
9. Save the BIOS/UEFI settings if changes were made.
10. Note that if you power on the computer with nothing attached to the SATA
port, you may get an error message. That is okay because the drive has not
been installed yet. Power down the computer, remove the power cord, and
access the interior of the computer.
11. Mount the SATA hard drive in an available drive bay, attach the SATA
data cable, and attach the hard drive power connector to the drive.
12. Re-install the computer power cord and power on the computer.
13. Using previously described procedures, open the Disk Management tool.
Locate the drive in the bottom section of the window. If you are unsure
which drive is to be partitioned, contact the instructor or lab assistant.
Note that the drive you were given may have been partitioned already and
assigned a drive letter. If the drive was already partitioned and a drive
letter has been assigned, locate the drive in the bottom window and right-
click the volume. Select Delete Volume and click Yes. Also note that you
may have to delete multiple volumes.
Note that if the drive shows the status of Invalid in the bottom section (left
side), right-click the drive in that left section, and select the Convert to
basic disk option.
At this point, the drive should show all space as unallocated.
Was the drive already partitioned? [ Yes | No ]
Was the drive already assigned a drive letter? [ Yes | No ]
14. Right-click the new drive you just installed and select New Simple
Volume. The New Simple Volume Wizard appears. Click Next.
What is the difference between a simple volume and a spanned volume?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
What is the minimum number of drives required to create a striped
volume? ________________
 _______________________________________________________________________
15. Enter a partition size that is less than 32GB and still leaves room on the
hard drive. Notice that the partition size is shown in megabytes. Click
Next.
Which partition size did you choose?
___________________________________________
16. Select a drive letter (normally the next drive letter available and taking
note of your options so you can answer the first question) and click Next.
How many drive letters are available as an option?
___________________________________
Which file systems are supported when you use this tool?
_______________________________________________________________________
Are there any file systems supported by Windows that are not shown? If
so, what are they?
_______________________________________________________________________
17. Select the NTFS option. Assign the volume label as a couple letters from
each lab partner’s last name. Note that there is a 32-character maximum for
NTFS partitions. Select (enable) the Perform a quick format checkbox and
click Next. Click the Finish button.
How can you tell from the information in the Disk Management window
whether a partition is NTFS or another file system?
________________________________________________
18. In the Disk Management window, right-click the free space for the drive
you installed. Using the same process, create an NTFS simple volume, add
a unique volume label, and perform a quick format.
Instructor initials: __________________

Lab 7.3 Installing an External Hard Drive and Creating Two

Volumes
Objective:
To be able to install, configure, and manage a second hard drive
using Windows 7, 8, or 10 Disk Management console
Parts:
Windows 7, 8, or 10 computer with an available external
connection
Procedure:
Complete the following procedure and answer the accompanying
questions.
Notes:
Use proper anti-static and gentle handling procedures when
dealing with hard drives.
You must be a user who has administrator rights to configure hard
drives.
1. Power on the computer and log in.
2. There are several ways to get to the window used to manage hard drives.
Practice using all methods.
(a) Click the Start button, type compmgmt.msc in the Search box, and
press .
(b) In Windows Explorer/File Explorer, right-click Computer (Windows
7)/This PC (8/10) and select Manage.
(c) Access the Administrative Tools Control Panel > Computer
Management.
3. In the console tree shown in the left pane, select the Disk Management
option. Note that the Disk Management tool can also be directly accessed
using the diskmgmt.msc command. The disks and volumes already
installed in the computer display in a graphical manner on the right.
4. Right-click the drive partition labeled C: and select Properties.
What type of file system is being used? [ FAT16 | FAT32 | exFAT | NTFS ]
Which is the drive number shown in the right panel? [ 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 ]
What is the amount of free space?
______________________________________________
5. Locate an available external port that can be used for the hard drive
provided.
Which type of external port did you identify? [ USB | eSATA | IEEE 1394 |
Other (please identify _________) ]
6. Attach the external drive to the identified external port. Attach external
power brick/cord if necessary. Turn on power to the drive if necessary. The
system should install the proper drivers and allow the drive to be
recognized by the operating system.
 7. Using previously described procedures, open the Disk Management tool.
Locate the drive in the bottom section of the window. If you are unsure
which drive is to be partitioned, contact the instructor or lab assistant.
8. Note that the drive you were given may have been partitioned already and
assigned a drive letter. If the drive was already partitioned and a drive
letter assigned, locate the drive in the bottom window and right-click the
volume. Select Delete Volume and click Yes. Also note that you may have
to delete multiple volumes.
9. Note that if the drive shows the status of Invalid in the bottom section (left
side), right-click the drive in that left section, and select the Convert to
basic disk option.
At this point, the drive should show all space as unallocated.
Was the drive already partitioned? [ Yes | No ]
Was the drive already assigned a drive letter? [ Yes | No ]
10. Right-click the new drive you just installed and select New Simple
volume. The New Simple Volume Wizard appears. Click Next.
What is the difference between a simple volume and a spanned volume?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
What is the minimum number of drives required to create a striped
volume?________________
11. Enter a partition size that is less than 32GB and still leaves room on the
hard drive. Notice that the partition size is shown in megabytes. Click
Next.
What partition size did you choose?
____________________________________________
12. Select a drive letter (normally the next drive letter available and taking
note of your options so you can answer the first question) and click Next.
How many drive letters are available as an option?
_________________________________
Which file systems are supported when you use this tool?
_______________________________________________________________________
Are there any file systems supported by Windows that are not shown? If
so, what are they?
 _______________________________________________________________________
13. Select the NTFS option. Assign the volume label as a couple letters from
each lab partner’s last name. Note that there is a 32-character maximum for
NTFS partitions. Select (enable) the Perform a quick format checkbox and
click Next. Click the Finish button.
How can you tell from the information in the Disk Management window
whether a partition is NTFS or another file system?
_______________________________________________________________________
14. In the Disk Management window, right-click the free space for the drive
you installed. Using the same process, create an NTFS simple volume, add
a unique volume label, and perform a quick format.
Instructor initials: __________________

Lab 7.4 Installing a PATA/SATA Hard Drive with the Windows

7/8/10 Disk Management Tool, diskpart, and convert
Objective:
To be able to configure and manage a hard drive using Windows
7, 8, or 10 Disk Management console
Parts:
Windows 7, 8, or 10 computer with an available PATA connection
on the motherboard, an available PATA cable connection,
motherboard SATA port, USB port, or eSATA port
Internal or external PATA or SATA hard drive
Available power connector for an internal hard drive
Procedure:
Complete the following procedure and answer the accompanying
questions.
Notes:
Use proper anti-static and gentle handling procedures when
dealing with hard drives.
You must be a user who has administrator rights to configure hard
drives.
If an optical drive is installed, it can be replaced by the new hard
drive to perform this lab.
1. Power on the computer and log in.
2. There are several ways to get to the window used to manage hard drives.
Practice using all methods.
(a) Click the Start button, type compmgmt.msc in the Search box, and
press .
(b) In Windows Explorer/File Explorer, right-click Computer (Windows
7)/This PC (8/10) and select Manage.
(c) Access the Administrative Tools Control Panel > Computer
Management.
3. In the console tree shown in the left pane, select the Disk Management
option. Note that the Disk Management tool can also be directly accessed
using the diskmgmt.msc command. The disks and volumes already
installed in the computer display in a graphical manner on the right.
4. Right-click the drive partition labeled C: and select Properties.
What type of file system is being used? [ FAT16 | FAT32 | exFAT | NTFS ]
What is the total capacity of the drive?
__________________________________________
What is the amount of free space?
______________________________________________
5. Shut down the computer and remove the power cord.
Note: Three sections follow. Use the appropriate section depending on
whether you are installing an internal PATA, internal SATA, or external
drive. Proceed to Step 6 when you are finished with your respective
section.
PATA Installation (Only Use This Section if a PATA Drive Is Being
Installed)
1. Access the interior of the computer. Locate an available IDE PATA port on
the motherboard or an available PATA cable connector. Determine which
port this is by looking at motherboard labeling or by using documentation.
2. Determine whether the other device on the same cable (if installed) uses
cable select or master/slave jumpers by removing the drive and examining
it. Handle the drive carefully. If you removed a PATA device to check the
drive settings, re-install it into the machine and reconnect the power and
data cables.
If a PATA drive is being installed, is there a second device on the same
 cable? [Yes | No ]
If so, does the device use the cable select, master, or slave jumper?
_______________________________________________________________________
3. On the hard drive given to you by the instructor, configure the drive to the
appropriate setting: cable select, master, or slave. Mount the drive, attach
the data cable, and attach a power cable. Re-install the computer power
cord and power on the computer.
SATA Installation (Only Use This Section if a SATA Drive Is Being
Installed)
1. Access the interior of the computer. Locate an available motherboard
SATA port. Determine which port this is by looking at motherboard
labeling or by using documentation.
If a SATA drive is being installed, which SATA port will be used for the
new drive?
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Mount the hard drive (provided by the instructor or lab assistant). Attach
the data cable and attach a power cable.
3. Re-install the computer power cord and power on the computer. Enter
BIOS/UEFI Setup and ensure that the SATA port is enabled and the drive
is recognized.
External Drive Installation (Only Use This Section if an External
Hard Drive Is Being Installed)
1. Locate an available port to be
used._____________________________________________
2. Attach the power cord to the drive, if necessary. Attach the drive to the
appropriate port. Optionally, power on the drive. If the drive does not have
a power switch, it is powered by the port.
Which type of port is being used for the new drive?
________________________________
3. Power on the computer. Install device drivers if required.
For All Drive Types
6. Using previously described procedures, open the Disk Management tool.
Locate the drive in the bottom section of the window. If you are unsure
about which drive is to be partitioned, contact the instructor or lab
assistant.
 Note that the drive you were given may have been partitioned already and
assigned a drive letter. If the drive was already partitioned and a drive
letter assigned, locate the drive in the bottom window and right-click the
partition. Select Delete Volume and click Yes. Also note that you may have
to delete multiple partitions.
Note that if the drive shows the status of Invalid in the bottom section (left
side), right-click the drive in that left section, and select the Convert to
basic disk option. At this point, the drive should show all space as
unallocated.
Was the drive already partitioned? [Yes | No ]
Was the drive already assigned a drive letter? [Yes | No ]
7. Right-click the new drive you just installed and select New Simple volume.
The New Simple Volume Wizard appears. Click Next.
What is the difference between a simple volume and a spanned volume?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
What is the minimum number of drives required to create a striped
volume?______________
8. Enter a partition size that is less than 32GB and still leaves room on the
hard drive. Notice that the partition size is shown in megabytes. Click
Next.
What partition size did you choose?
______________________________________________
9. Select a drive letter (normally the next drive letter available and taking
note of your options so you can answer the first question) and click Next.
How many drive letters are available as an option?
___________________________________
What file systems are supported when you use this tool?
_______________________________________________________________________
Are there any file systems supported by Windows that are not shown? If
so, what are they?
_______________________________________________________________________
10. Select the FAT32 option. Assign the volume label as a couple letters from
each lab partner’s last name. Note that there is an 11-character maximum
for FAT32 partitions and a 32-character maximum for NTFS partitions.
 Select (enable) the Perform a quick format checkbox and click Next. Click
the Finish button.
How can you tell from the information in the Disk Management window
whether a partition is FAT32 or NTFS?
_______________________________________________________________________
11. In the Disk Management window, right-click in the unallocated drive
space on the drive you just installed and select New Simple Volume. The
New Simple Volume Wizard appears. Click Next.
12. Select a partition size less than 32GB, but still leave some space on the
drive. Click Next.
What amount of space did you choose for the logical drive size?
_______________________
13. Accept the drive letter default assignment and click Next.
14. Change the file system type to FAT32.
15. Make the volume label a unique name.
Write the volume label
chosen._________________________________________________
16. Select (enable) the Perform a quick format checkbox. Click Next, review
the settings, and click Finish.
17. In the Disk Management window, right-click the free space for the drive
you installed. Using the same process, create an NTFS simple volume (but
still leave some space on the drive), add a unique volume label, and
perform a quick format.
Instructor initials: __________________
18. You can change a FAT16 or FAT32 partition to the NTFS file system by
using the convert command at a command prompt. Once a partition is
changed, you cannot go back to a previous file system type. Also, data is
preserved (but should be backed up before the conversion, just in case of
problems). Look to the left of the colored sections to see the disk number
assigned (Disk 0, Disk 1, etc.).
In the Disk Management console, which disk number is used for the newly
installed drive? [ 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 ]
Write the drive letter of the first FAT32 primary partition on the newly
installed drive. Note that this drive letter will be used in the coming
steps._______________________________
 Write the volume label used for the first FAT32 partition. This label is case
sensitive, so write it
carefully._______________________________________________________________
19. Windows 7: Click the Start button. Locate the Command Prompt menu
option. Normally, it is located in Accessories. Right-click the Command
Prompt menu option and select Run as administrator. Click Yes.
Windows 8/10: Type command in the Search textbox and press .
20. Type convert /? to see a list of options. These options tell you what to
type as an option after the convert command.
Which option is used to run convert in verbose mode?
_______________________________
Which option is used to convert a volume to the NTFS file system?
______________________
21. Type convert x: /fs:ntfs (where x: is the drive letter you wrote in
Step 18). For example, if the drive letter written in Step 18 is d:, type
convert d: /fs:ntfs. Notice the space between the drive letter and
/fs:ntfs. /fs:ntfs is used to convert the existing file system
(exFAT, FAT16, or FAT32) to NTFS. You are prompted for the volume
label for the drive. Enter the volume label you documented in Step 18 and
press . Do not forget that the volume label is case sensitive. The
partition is converted and can never be returned to a previous type of file
system such as FAT32 unless the drive is reformatted.
22. Use the same process to convert the second FAT32 partition to NTFS.
Look up the volume label and the drive letter before starting. Close the
command prompt window. Have the Disk Management Window open to
verify the file system.
Instructor initials: __________________
23. Close the command prompt window. In the Disk Management window,
right-click the last partition on the newly installed hard drive.
24. Select the Shrink Volume option. Reduce the amount of hard drive space
and click Shrink.
What was the result in the Disk Management console?
_______________________________________________________________________
25. Right-click the second partition on the newly installed drive. Select
Extend Volume. A wizard appears. Click Next. Use the maximum space
 available on the same drive and click Next and then Finish.
What message appears?
_______________________________________________________________________
According to the information in the dialog box, do you think changing this
volume to a dynamic disk will matter?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
26. Click No and return to the Disk Management console. Review the disks
and determine the disk number and drive letter of the boot volume.
Write the disk number of the boot volume. [ 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 ]
Write the drive letter of the partition that holds the boot
volume._______________________
27. Right-click the second partition of the newly installed drive and select
Delete Volume. Click Yes.
28. Partitions can be created from the Disk Management console, and they
can also be created using the diskpart command utility. Open another
command prompt window.
29. At the command prompt, type diskpart and press . You may
have to click Yes to allow access to the tool.
How does the prompt change?
__________________________________________________
30. Type help and press . Use the help command to determine which
commands are available.
Which command is used to make a new volume?
____________________________________
Which command can be used to give a drive partition a drive letter?
_____________________
31. Type create ? and press .
Which two options can be used with create?
________________________________________
32. Type create partition ? and press .
What types of partitions can be created?
___________________________________________
33. Press the key once. The same command appears. Backspace and
 replace the question mark with the word primary so the command reads
create partition primary. Press .
What does the feedback say?
_______________________________________________________________________
What command do you think (based on Help) would be used to select a
drive?_
34. Type select disk x (where x is the disk number documented in Step
18) and press . A prompt says the disk is selected.
35. Retype the create partition primary command or press the
key until that command appears and press .
36. Look back to the Disk Management console and notice that the part of the
drive previously marked as free space is now a partition.
37. At the command prompt, type detail disk and press to see the
partition you just created.
Based on the command output, what drive letters are currently used?
_______________________________________________________________________
38. At the command prompt, type assign and press .
Look in the Disk Management console window to determine what drive
letter was assigned. Write the drive
letter._________________________________________________________
What volume label, if any, was assigned?
_________________________________________
39. On a Windows 8/10 machine, you will be prompted to high-level format
the drive. Click Cancel and then OK. Skip this step if on a Windows 7
computer.
40. On all versions of Windows computers, at the command prompt type
exit and press to leave the diskpart utility.
41. Type help at the command prompt and press to look for a
command to help with the high-level formatting of the drive. The
commands scroll too quickly, so type help | more and press .
(The keystroke is made by holding down the key and pressing the
key above the key.) One page at a time is shown. Press the Space
bar once to see the next page of commands.
42. The next command requires filling in some parameters to perform this
 step correctly. The parameters are as follows:
x:—the drive letter documented in Step 38.
/v:name—where name is a unique volume name with up to 32
characters.
/fs:ntfs—which tells the system to use the NTFS file system. (Other
options could be /fs:fat, /fs:fat32, or /fs:exfat, but this lab
is using NTFS.)
/q—which does a quick format.
Type the command format x: /fs:ntfs /v:name /q and press
. An example of this command is format x: /fs:ntfs
/v:Goofy /q. Remember that x is the drive letter documented in Step
38.
Note: If you get a message that the arguments are not valid, you did not
exit the diskpart utility and did not do Steps 39, 40, and 42. Go back
and do them. When asked to proceed, press and press .
43. View the results in the Disk Management console. The last partition
should be a partition that has a drive letter, a volume name assigned, and
uses the NTFS file system.
44. Using whatever method you would like, copy one file to each of the three
partitions you have created. Call the instructor over and show the instructor
the three files and the Disk Management console. Do not proceed unless
you have these parameters done.
Instructor initials: __________________
45. Close the command prompt window.
46. Starting with the partition on the far right in the Disk Management
console for the newly installed drive, right-click each partition and delete
each volume. Call the instructor over when the drive shows as one block
(black) of unpartitioned hard drive space.
Instructor initials: __________________
47. Shut down the computer. Remove the computer power cord. Remove the
data cable from the newly installed hard drive. Remove the power cord
from the newly installed hard drive (optional on the external drive).
Remove the hard drive. If necessary, re-install the optical drive, data cable,
and power cord. Re-install the computer cover and power cord.
48. Boot the computer. Open Windows Explorer (Windows 7)/File Explorer
 (Windows 8/10) and select Computer (Windows 7)/This PC (8/10). Ensure
that the optical drive is recognized. If it is not, redo Step 47.
49. Show the instructor the optical drive in the Windows Explorer/File
Explorer window and give the hard drive and any cable back to the
instructor/lab assistant.
Instructor initials: _____________

Lab 7.5 Striping and Spanning Using Windows

Objective:
To be able to configure and manage a striped volume or a
spanned volume on a hard drive using the Windows Disk
Management console
Parts:
Windows computer
Motherboard or adapter that supports RAID 0
Two IDE PATA or SATA hard drives
Procedure:
Complete the following procedure and answer the accompanying
questions.
Notes:
Use proper anti-static and gentle handling procedures when
dealing with hard drives.
You must be a user who has administrator rights to configure hard
drives.
This lab assumes that you can install and configure two or more
SATA or PATA hard drives and have them recognizable in the
Disk Management console.
1. Power on the computer and log in. Select the Disk Management option
from the Computer Management console. The two newly installed hard
drives should be visible in the Disk Management console. Initialize the
drives, if necessary, by right-clicking them and selecting Initialize Disk.
Which disk numbers are assigned to the newly installed hard drives?
____________________
2. In the Disk Management console, right-click in the unallocated space of
the newly installed drive with the lowest numbered disk. Select New
 Spanned Volume. A wizard appears. Click Next.
3. Select the second drive number written as the answer in Step 1 in the
Available: pane and click Add to move the drive to the Selected: pane. At
least two drives should be listed in the Selected: pane. Click Next.
4. Select a drive letter to assign to the spanned volume. Click Next.
5. Select NTFS using the drop-down menu and add a volume label. Select
(enable) the Perform a quick format checkbox. Click Next. Click Finish.
6. When a message appears to convert a basic disk to a dynamic disk, click
Yes. Verify that the spanned volume appears.
When using the Disk Management tool, how can you tell which two drives
are a spanned volume?
_______________________________________________________________________
7. Show the instructor the spanned volume.
Instructor initials: _______________
_______________________________________________________________________
8. Use Windows Explorer/File Explorer to view the drive letters assigned
and total capacity of each of the two drives.
What drive letter was assigned to the spanned volume?
______________________________
What is the total capacity of the spanned volume?
__________________________________
Which RAID level is spanning, if any?
___________________________________________
9. In the Disk Management console, right-click in the newly created spanned
volume space and select Shrink Volume. Select a smaller amount of space
in the Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB: textbox.
How does the Disk Management tool change?
_______________________________________________________________________
10. Show the instructor the shrunken volume.
Instructor initials: _____________
11. In the Disk Management Console, right-click in the spanned volume and
select Delete Volume. When asked if you are sure, click Yes.
12. To create a striped volume from within the Disk Management Console,
right-click the lowest-numbered disk of the two newly installed drives and
 select New Striped Volume.
13. In the Available: pane, select the second newly installed disk and click the
Add button to move the drive to the Selected: pane. Click Next.
14. Select a drive letter or leave the default. Click Next.
15. Leave the default system as NTFS and select (enable) the Perform a quick
format checkbox. Click Next. Click Finish. Click Yes.
How do the disks appear differently than the spanned volumes in the Disk
Management console?
_______________________________________________________________________
16. Open Windows Explorer or File Explorer.
How many drive letters are assigned to a RAID 0 configuration?
_______________________
17. Copy a file to the RAID 0 drive. Show the instructor the file and the Disk
Management Console.
Instructor initials: _____________
18. Right-click in the healthy volume space of either RAID 0 drive.
Can a RAID 0 volume be shrunk? [Yes | No ]
19. Select the Delete Volume option. Click Yes. Show the instructor the
unallocated space.
Instructor initials: _____________
20. Power down the computer, remove the power cord, and remove the two
newly installed drives.
21. Power on the computer and, if necessary, return the BIOS settings to the
original configuration. Ensure that the computer boots normally. Show the
instructor that the computer boots normally.
Instructor initials: _____________

Lab 7.6 Windows Vista Hard Disk Tools

Objective:
To be able to use the tools provided with Windows Vista to
manage the hard disk drive
Parts:
A computer with Windows Vista loaded and administrator
rights/password
 Procedure:
Complete the following procedure and answer the accompanying
questions.
Note:
The defragmentation and Error-checking (Check now) process
can take more than 60 minutes on larger hard drives.
1. Power on the computer and log on using a user ID and password provided
by the instructor or lab assistant that has administrator rights.
2. Click the Start button, select All Programs, select Accessories, select
System Tools, and click Disk Cleanup.
3. Select the My files only link. The drive selection window appears. Using
, select a drive letter and click the OK button.
4. The Disk Cleanup window appears. Ensure that only the following
checkboxes are checked (enabled) for lab purposes:
Temporary Internet files
Recycle Bin
Temporary Files
Click the OK button.
5. When prompted, if you are sure, click the Delete Files button. Enter the
administrator password, if necessary.
List at least two related topics that are available from the Help and Support
Center when getting help on the topic of disk cleanup.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Instructor initials: _____________
6. Click the Start button, select All Programs, select Accessories, select
System Tools, and click Disk Defragmenter.
7. Click on Select volumes. Select a particular drive to use.
What percentage of free space is shown for the drive?
_______________________________
8. Select the How does Disk Defragmenter help? link.
What does help say about using the computer during defragmentation?
 _______________________________________________________________________
9. Click the Defragment now button and the OK button.
What would be the determining factor for you in recommending how often
a particular computer user should make use of this tool?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
List one more recommendation that you would make to a user regarding
this tool.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
10. Click on the Close button and close the Disk Defragmenter window.
11. Open Windows Explorer. Locate and right-click the hard drive (C:) and
select Properties. Select the Tools tab and the Check now button. If the
User Account Control window appears, click Continue.
12. In the window that appears, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of
bad sectors checkbox and ensure that the automatically fix file system
errors checkbox is not checked (not enabled). Click Start. Click the View
details link to answer these questions:
How many files were processed?
________________________________________________
How much space does the system take?
___________________________________________
13. Call the instructor over when the utility is finished (before you click OK).
Click OK again and close the utility window.
Instructor initials: _____________

Lab 7.7 Windows 7 Hard Disk Tools

Objective:
To be able to use the tools provided with Windows 7 to manage
the hard disk drive
Parts:
Windows 7 computer and administrator rights
Procedure:
Complete the following procedure and answer the accompanying
 questions.
Notes:
The defragmentation and Error-checking (Check now) process
can take more than 60 minutes on larger hard drives.
1. Power on the computer and log on using a user ID and password that has
administrator rights.
2. Click the Start button, select All Programs, select Accessories, select
System Tools, and click Disk Cleanup.
3. The Disk Cleanup window appears. Ensure that only the following
checkboxes are checked (enabled) for lab purposes:
Temporary Internet Files
Recycle Bin
Temporary Files
Game Statistics Files (if available)
Click the OK button.
4. When prompted if you are sure, click the Delete Files button.
List at least two related topics that are available from the Help and Support
Center when getting help on the topic of disk cleanup.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Using Windows Explorer, right-click on the hard disk drive letter to check
for errors. Select Properties.
6. Click the Tools tab. In the Error-checking section, click the Check now
button.
7. Any files and folders that have problems, you can either select
Automatically fix file system errors or you can just have the check
performed with a generated report at the end. A more thorough disk check
can be done using the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. This
disk check locates and attempts repair on physical hard disk sections and
can take a very long time. The most comprehensive check is to check for
both file errors and physical problems on the hard disk surface with the
Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of
bad sectors.
 For this exercise, just deselect (disable) the Automatically fix file system
errors. Note that the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors
checkbox is automatically disabled (not checked). Click Start.
What message appeared when the scan was complete?
_______________________________________________________________________
Instructor initials: _____________
8. Click the Close button.
9. Either return to the hard drive Properties window and select Defragment
now or click the Start button, select All Programs, select Accessories,
select System Tools, and click Disk Defragmenter.
10. Select a particular drive to use. Select the Analyze disk button.
In the Windows Explorer Properties window General tab, what percentage
of free space is shown for the drive?
_________________________________________________________
From the Disk Defragmenter window, select the Tell me more about Disk
Defragmenter link. What does Windows 7 help say about using the
computer during the defragmentation routine?
_______________________________________________________________________
11. From the Disk Defragmenter window, click the Defragment disk button.
What would be the determining factor for you in recommending how often
a particular computer user should make use of this tool?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
List one more recommendation that you would make to a user regarding
this tool.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
12. If class time is an issue, click the Stop Operation button. Click the Close
button. Close the hard drive Properties window.

Lab 7.8 Windows 8/10 Hard Disk Tools

Objective:
To be able to use the tools provided with Windows 8 or 10 to
manage the hard disk drive
Parts:
Windows 8 or 10 computer and administrator rights
Procedure:
Complete the following procedure and answer the accompanying
questions.
Notes:
The defragmentation and Error-checking (Check now) process
can take more than 60 minutes on larger hard drives.
1. Power on the computer and log on using a user ID and password that has
administrator rights.
2. Open Windows File Explorer. Locate the C: drive in the left pane. You
may have to expand This PC. Right-click on the C: drive and select
Properties.
On the General tab, what is the name of the volume?
________________________________
What is the drive capacity?
____________________________________________________
What does the option Allow files on this drive to have contents Indexed in
addition to file properties do?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. Click Disk Cleanup. The Disk Cleanup window appears. Ensure that only
the following checkboxes are checked (enabled) for lab purposes:
Temporary Internet Files
Recycle Bin
Temporary Files
Game Statistics Files (if available)
Click the OK button. When prompted if you are sure, click the Delete
Files button.
What message, if any, was given to you at the end of the process?
_______________________________________________________________________
4. Access the Disk Cleanup window again. Select the Clean up system files
option. The Disk Cleanup window appears and the related file sections are
automatically checked. Click any one of the options that has an enabled
 (checked) checkbox. Click on the option itself (not the checkbox). Click
View files.
If no files appear, then (1) you might be viewing an option that takes up no
hard drive space. If you think this the case, return to the View files
window, select another checked option, and click View Files again; or (2)
enable the viewing of files by clicking on the View menu option > Options
down arrow > Change folder and search options > View tab > enable
(click on) Show hidden files, folders, and drives > disable (ensure the
option is unchecked) Hide protected operating system files
(Recommended) > Yes (to the warning prompt) > OK. The files that are to
be deleted appear.
5. Close the window. Return to the Disk Cleanup window. Click OK to delete
unused system files. Click Delete Files. When finished, access the Disk
Cleanup window again by clicking on Disk Cleanup.
6. Select the More Options tab. You may have to click on the Clean up
system files option again to access this tab.
What are the two sections shown in the window that allow for more disk
cleanup?
_______________________________________________________________________
What do you think would be a disadvantage to using the Clean up button
for Programs and Features?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
7. Click Cancel. Click the Tools tab. The Tools tab contains two tools: Error-
checking and Optimize and defragment drive.
8. Click Check. Click Scan drive.
What message appeared?
_______________________________________________________________________
9. Click Close. Click on Optimize.
What percentage of the C: drive is fragmented? ____%
Is scheduled optimization turned on or off so that drives are automatically
optimized? [ on | off ]
10. Click on Analyze.
Did the percentage of fragmented drive space change? [ yes | no ]
 _______________________________________________________________________
11. Click on Optimize. Click on Close when the process is done.
In the corporate environment, do you think that any of these processes will
be done on a regular basis? Explain your answer.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Lab 7.9 Windows 8/10 Storage Spaces

Objective:
To be able to use the tools provided with Windows 8 or 10 to
manage the hard disk drive
Parts:
Windows 8 or 10 computer and administrator rights
One or more internal, external hard drive, SSD, or SSHD already
installed and accessible through Windows Disk Management tool
Procedure:
Complete the following procedure and answer the accompanying
questions.
1. Power on the computer and log on using a user ID and password that has
administrator rights.
2. Access the Storage Spaces Control Panel.
3. Select the Create a new pool and storage space link > click Yes if asked
permission to continue.
4. Enable (click in the checkbox to select) the drive(s) to be used > Create
pool button.
5. In the resulting window, name the storage space, optionally select a drive
letter and file system, and select the resiliency type.
What resiliency types are available? (Choose all that apply.) [ simple |
complex | extended | parity | no parity | two-way mirror | three-way mirror
]
What resiliency type is the default? [ simple | complex | extended | parity |
no parity | two-way mirror | three-way mirror ]
What file systems are available?
_______________________________________________________________________
 6. Select the pool size.
7. Select Create Storage Space. The storage space appears in File Explorer.
Which drive letter did you choose?
______________________________________________
Instructor initials: _____________
8. To remove a storage space, access the Storage Spaces Control Panel again.
9. Locate the Storage Space > Change settings > Delete pool link located on
the right side > Delete storage space button.