CHFI: Hard Disks & File Systems
2025/2026 Exam Questions Marking
Scheme New Update | A+ Rated
HDD - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔(Hard Drive Disk)
non-volatile,
records data magnetically
SSD - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔(Solid State Drive)
solid-state memory,
uses microchips,
expensive,
supports a restricted number of writes over the life of the device
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
1
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
,Two memories:
- NAND-based flash memory;
(retains memory even w/o power)
- Volatile RAM
(faster access)
Disk drive types - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔- Magnetic storage devices
(e.g., floppy disks, magnetic tapes)
- Optical storage devices
(e.g., Blue-ray disks, CDs, DVDs)
- Flash memory devices
electronically erasable programmable read only memory
(e.g., USBs, MP3 players, digital cameras, SSDs)
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
2
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
,- HDDs
- SSDs
1. NAND-based SSDs
2. Volatile RAM-based SSDs
HDD:
Main components - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔- Platters
the disks of the HDD, stacked on each other
- Head
on the arm of the HDD
reads/writes on magnetic platters
- Actuator
moves the read/write head
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
3
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
, - Spindle
in the middle of the platters
keeps platters in a fixed position
- Cylinder
refers to the tracks (of all platters) of the same distance from the center
HDD:
Platters:
Components - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Platter --> Tracks --> Sectors
Track vs. Area vs. Bit (Density) - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔- Track density:
the number of tracks in a hard disk
- Area density:
the platters' storage capacity in bits per square inch
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
4
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2025/2026 Exam Questions Marking
Scheme New Update | A+ Rated
HDD - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔(Hard Drive Disk)
non-volatile,
records data magnetically
SSD - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔(Solid State Drive)
solid-state memory,
uses microchips,
expensive,
supports a restricted number of writes over the life of the device
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
1
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
,Two memories:
- NAND-based flash memory;
(retains memory even w/o power)
- Volatile RAM
(faster access)
Disk drive types - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔- Magnetic storage devices
(e.g., floppy disks, magnetic tapes)
- Optical storage devices
(e.g., Blue-ray disks, CDs, DVDs)
- Flash memory devices
electronically erasable programmable read only memory
(e.g., USBs, MP3 players, digital cameras, SSDs)
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
2
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
,- HDDs
- SSDs
1. NAND-based SSDs
2. Volatile RAM-based SSDs
HDD:
Main components - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔- Platters
the disks of the HDD, stacked on each other
- Head
on the arm of the HDD
reads/writes on magnetic platters
- Actuator
moves the read/write head
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
3
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
, - Spindle
in the middle of the platters
keeps platters in a fixed position
- Cylinder
refers to the tracks (of all platters) of the same distance from the center
HDD:
Platters:
Components - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Platter --> Tracks --> Sectors
Track vs. Area vs. Bit (Density) - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔- Track density:
the number of tracks in a hard disk
- Area density:
the platters' storage capacity in bits per square inch
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
4
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
