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A type of digital storage device that is permanently installed in a computer. The hard disk, or hard drive, is the brains of the computer and stores all of the data necessary for the operating system and the various programs to function properly. It also stores all data that can be overwritten by the user. The capacity of hard disks/drives continues to increase while the cost continues to decrease. In order to increase the storage capacity of a computer, either an external or an internal hard disk can be added. By stacking and connecting a number of high capacity hard drives together in a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), an almost unlimited quantity of data storage can be obtained. All data that is written to one drive is automatically duplicated on the second drive, providing continuous data back-up in a process called mirroring.
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