The heart of the computer is the hard disk. Operating System, Software, files created using these software, audio files, video files everything is stored in the hard disk. If the hard disk is corrupted then your computer is useless. Now a days hard disks with high capacity is available in the market. If you are considering to upgrade your hard disk or you have planned to buy a new hard disk then hear are some of the buying tips for hard disk.

1. Get hard disks with high storage capacity. You can buy 40GB, 80GB, 120GB or higher hard disks. If you are one of those who download many mp3 songs from internet to your computer or transfer photos from your digital camera or transfer video from your camcorder then it is advisable to go for more than 80GB harddisks. If you are a gaming addict and install many games from CDs then you can go for even higher capacity.
   
2. You should get a harddisk with a faster interface. For example and IDE/ATA interface is available at 100 MHz or 133 MHz speed. These hard disks are named Ultra ATA/100 and Ultra ATA/133 respectively based on the speed of their interface.
   
3. Buy a hard disk with a suitable interface. Between SCSI and IDE/ATA, SCSI interface is faster and better. But SCSI hard disks are expensive. If you buy a SCSI hard disk then you also need a SCSI host adapter.
   
4. See that the hard disk has high RPM (Rotation Per Minute). There are hard disks with 5400, 7200 and 10,000 RPM. Higher the RPM the better. 7200 RPM hard disks are OK for general home use.
   
5. Check the form factor of the hard disk. 3.5 form factor is suitable for desktop computer and d2.5 form factor is suitable for notebook computer.
   
6. Check and see that 'Seek Time' is very low. Seek time is the time taken to read and write to the hard disk. This is measured in milli seconds.
   
7. 'Access time' should be shorter.
   
8. Also check the support and warranty provided before choosing the brand.
   
9. 'Cache buffer' should be high. It is better to buy a hard disk with at least 2MB cache buffer.
   
10. Check and see whether the hard disk comes with 'Quiet Drive Technology' and 'Shock Protection' features. These features fill increase the life of the hard disk.
    
11. If you are price sensitive then buy the IDE interface hard disks. If price is not an issue then it is better to get a hard disk with SCSI.
    
12. 'Data buffer size' should be at least 2MB.

Some tips on maintaining your computer

1. If you install or remove the hard disk, never touch the PCB portion of the hard disk
   
2. When you fix the hard disk to your computer, use all the screws provided and secure it tightly. Do not use long screws.
   
3. When your computer is ON, do not move or shake your computer. If you need to move then shut down your computer before moving.
   
4. Do not OFF and ON your computer frequently. It is Ok to keep your computer ON for long hours. Shut down only if you are not going to use it for a long time.
   
5. If you do not have a UPS, buy UPS immediately.
   
6. If you suspect that your hard disk is faulty, then do not open it yourself, call your support engineer.