Drives And External Devices; Drives; Identifying Installed Drives; Handling Drives - HP ENVY 13 User Manual

7

Drives and external devices

Drives

Identifying installed drives

Your computer includes a hard drive (with a rotating disc) or a solid-state drive (SSD) with solid-state
memory. Because it has no moving parts, an SSD does not generate as much heat as a hard drive.
To view the drives installed on the computer, select Start > Computer.
NOTE: Windows® includes the User Account Control feature to improve the security of your computer.
You may be prompted for your permission or password for tasks such as installing applications, running
utilities, or changing Windows settings. Refer to Help and Support for more information.

Handling drives

Drives are fragile computer components that must be handled with care. Refer to the following cautions
before handling drives. Additional cautions are included with the procedures to which they apply.
CAUTION:
observe these precautions:
Before you move a computer that is connected to an external hard drive, initiate Sleep and allow the
screen to clear, or properly disconnect the external hard drive.
Handle a drive carefully; do not drop a drive or place items on it.
When the battery is the only source of power, be sure that the battery is sufficiently charged before
writing to media.
Avoid exposing a drive to temperature or humidity extremes.
Avoid exposing a drive to liquids. Do not spray the drive with cleaning products.
Avoid exposing a drive to magnetic fields. Security devices with magnetic fields include airport walk-
through devices and security wands. The airport security devices that check carry-on luggage, such as
conveyor belts, use X-rays instead of magnetism and will not damage a drive.

Improving hard drive performance

Using Disk Defragmenter

As you use the computer, files on the hard drive become fragmented. Disk Defragmenter consolidates
the fragmented files and folders on the hard drive so that the system can run more efficiently.
To reduce the risk of damage to the computer, damage to a drive, or loss of information,
Drives 55