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| Thread ID: 27141 | 2002-11-14 23:36:00 | hard drive ? memory? huh? | dammit (303) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 98664 | 2002-11-14 23:36:00 | hehe pardon my ignorance ( I have no excuse what so ever) but whats the difference between hard drive and memory and how do I access them or even know that I am.And to think my mum thought she raised no idiots hmm.thanks for your help. :-( | dammit (303) | ||
| 98665 | 2002-11-14 23:43:00 | I think the Hard Drive is what stores all your programs and OS, and the memory allows you to access the stuff you have on the hard drive..... If you haven't got enough memory, you can hardly open anything up. I know bugger all about computers, so I might be wrong |
Guest (0) | ||
| 98666 | 2002-11-14 23:46:00 | MMmm... Yeah. Hard drive is where eveyrthing is stored permanently, even when the er is powered down. the OS (Windows) and all your documents, Games and other things. RAM is temporary storage, used when a Program is opened for direct access. everything in RAM is lost when the PC is powered down (eg. that document you were working on but forgot to sav to your Hard Drive). Hope this helps Chilling_Silence |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 98667 | 2002-11-14 23:48:00 | Perhaps this could be a FAQ candidate (Although its not asked frequently..), summarising what Hardware does what and things like that. Unless its in a FAQ somewhere already |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 98668 | 2002-11-14 23:48:00 | A hard drive is an elecro-mechanical device that records data on magnetic material. Its permanent until you overwrite it, just like a tape recorder, but its slow. You access it all the time from your desktop. It is quite large and is fitted into the computer case with screws, and needs cables connected to it. It has moving parts inside. RAM, random access memory is evanescent, ie the data stored in it vanishes when the power is removed, but it is so very much faster, and it works in the background, you dont normally know when it is being accessed. Its in the form of a strip circuit board with memory chips soldered on. It plugs into memory sockets, there are no moving parts. |
Terry Porritt (14) | ||
| 98669 | 2002-11-14 23:58:00 | I'll try a real layman's plain english attempt at explaining (Experts, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) :D The HardDrive is where pretty much everything is stored on your computer . Think of it as a filing cabinet if you like . When you turn the computer off, the information remains in the filing cabinet . Anytime you run a program, the computer needs to access stuff about that program (it needs to do this on an ongoing basis, not just when you first start the program up) . If it had to go back to the filing cabinet to look for it each time, things would go very slowly . So, what we have is memory (RAM or Random Access Memory) . These are little sticks that plug into the motherboard of your computer . If the hard drive is the filing cabinet, then RAM is the corkboard by your desk . Now when you open a program, it decides what it needs from the filing cabinet and pins it up on the corkboard . This way, it can quickly look straight at the information it needs as and when necessary to run the program . When the program is closed the computer should take the things off the corkboard (freeing up memory) - note that it doesn't have to refile them in the filing cabinet as it actually only copied them in the first place . Unfortunately, some operating systems are not very good at clearing the corkboard . This means that closed programs are stuill taking up space that you need for the next program . An example is that when I have Windows98SE running and the kids have played Age of Empires and then Pearl Harbour on it, the thing runs like a dog (very slowly) afterwards . I simply turn the computer off, and then on again . This frees up my corkboard for more important thing (Freecell :D :D :D ) |
Shroeder (492) | ||
| 98670 | 2002-11-15 00:30:00 | This sort of question could be considered too basic for a FAQ, where would you start/stop? It would be enormous. A basic book from the library would be a good place to start, or, online, the How Stuff Works site is very good. www.howstuffworks.com Cheers |
Terry Porritt (14) | ||
| 98671 | 2002-11-15 00:39:00 | > I think the Hard Drive is what stores all your > programs and OS, and the memory allows you to access > the stuff you have on the hard drive Not necessarily. You'll find that although the relevant data for the OS and other app's are stored on the hard drive, they are transferred to the RAM on startup. Kind of like going and getting a drink out of the fridge (long term storage) and leaving it beside you to save you the trip back to get it every time you want a drink. I suck at analogies. I think I might leave now. |
honeylaser (814) | ||
| 98672 | 2002-11-15 00:43:00 | That's actually quite accurate I'd say. Hmm.. reminds me... I want some cola :p |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
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