Disk Disaster (PC Storage Configuration) PDF

Disk Disaster ============= ##### IN THIS CHAPTER PC Storage Overview ------------------- ### Understanding computer storage Just to confuse you, some sources refer to long-term storage as "memory," as in *permanent memory*. This term is accurate but confusing. Long-term st...

Disk Disaster ============= ##### IN THIS CHAPTER PC Storage Overview ------------------- ### Understanding computer storage Just to confuse you, some sources refer to long-term storage as "memory," as in *permanent memory*. This term is accurate but confusing. Long-term storage is necessary because RAM requires a constant flow of electricity to maintain its contents. When you transfer (save) information from memory to long-term storage, you create a permanent copy; unlike RAM, the contents of mass storage don't vanish when you turn off the computer's power. ### Exploring mass storage devices Primary / Secondary Internal / External Fixed / Removable Hard drive Solid-state drive (SSD) Optical drive Media cards and thumb drives (flash storage) The *disk* is the media on which information is recorded. I prefer using the term *storage media* rather than *disk* because computers are now bridging the gap between spinning disk storage and solid-state storage. Solid-state storage doesn't spin, unless you accidentally leave a thumb drive in your pants and put it through the wash. The *drive* is the part of the device that reads the storage media. A hard drive contains a hard disk; you insert an optical disc into an optical drive; a media card is placed into a media drive or media card reader or is connected directly to a USB port. Some mass storage devices offer a combination of sold-state electronics and traditional disk storage. These hybrid drives are a bit faster than traditional hard drives, but not as fast as pure SSDs. SSDs are more expensive than hard drives, so they're not as common. As far as your experience using the computer is concerned, the SSD is slightly faster. A computer with an SSD primary mass storage device starts quite quickly. Other differences between an SSD and a hard drive are noted throughout this chapter. Media card readers are USB devices. Even a media card reader in the PC's case is connected by an internal USB cable. ### Finding mass storage in Windows Press the Win+E keyboard shortcut. A File Explorer window appears. From the items on the left side of the window, choose This PC.  The number of storage devices available on your computer may be different from those shown in [[Figure 2-1]](#_bookmark42), and from other computers. In older versions of Windows, the window that displayed available storage was titled Computer. The title My Computer was also used. When you add external storage to the PC, a new drive icon appears in the This PC window. [Likewise, when the storage is removed, the icon disappears. See the later sections "[Adding] [media]" and "[Removing media and mass storage]."](#_bookmark39) []{#_bookmark43.anchor} ### Adding another mass storage device Traditional hard drives are cheapest, but slower than the more expensive SSDs. A hybrid drive is a good compromise. Ensure that you connect a USB 3.0 drive to a USB 3.0 port on the PC. This type of port is color- coded blue. You can use an older USB port, but the drive won't see the same data throughput as when a USB 3.0 port is used. Internal drives might require more preparation. It's rare to do so, because most drives are sold preformatted for use in Windows. Even so, you may need to follow the steps in the later section "[[Creating a new volume in unallocated space]](#_bookmark39)" to set up the drive.  Adding a new drive may shuffle drive letters for your PC's external storage media. If you prefer consistent drive letters, see the later section "[[Assigning drive letters]](#_bookmark39)." ### Adding media 1. **Windows recognizes the new media and assigns it a drive letter.** 2. **If required, software drivers are installed.** 3. **If an AutoPlay action is set for the media, that action is triggered. Otherwise, an AutoPlay** 4. **The media is available for use.**  When you attach a mobile device or digital camera to your PC, you're also adding storage. The best tool you can use to diagnose storage problems is the Disk Management console. See the later section "[[Opening the Disk Management console]](#_bookmark39)." When media isn't recognized, it's probably bad. If you insert a media card into a media slot and the computer doesn't recognize the card, it might be bad. You can try reformatting it --- if possible. See the later section "[[Formatting media]](#_bookmark39)." Most external storage uses a USB connection. If your PC features USB 3.0 ports (which are color- coded blue), use them to attach USB 3.0 thumb drives and other mass storage devices. Another media port is the eSATA, though not all PCs feature this port. It's basically the port used inside the PC case to attach internal mass storage devices. Also refer to the later section "[[Resolving AutoPlay issues]](#_bookmark39)" for information on how to handle newly mounted media in Windows.  The drive letter doesn't change when you stick new media into a drive. For example, if the media card reader is known as drive G, all media you insert into the reader is accessed by using drive G. Thumb drives are assigned drive letters in the order the drive is attached. Just because the thumb drive was the letter *K* the last time you used it doesn't mean that it will be drive K the next time. ### Replacing drive C Once the drive is replaced, you use the Windows Recovery Environment to restore Windows. See Book 3, [[Chapter 1]](#_bookmark220).  I recommend replacing the old drive C with a new one of a higher capacity. If you can afford an SSD instead of a hard drive, buy it. See Book 5, [[Chapter 2]](#_bookmark376) for information on replacing your existing (and still working) drive C with a drive of a higher capacity. The process is called *cloning,* and it's how you can keep all your drive C data but swap in a larger storage device. ### Assigning drive letters Drive letters are followed by a colon, as in C: or D:. A single physical hard drive can be divided into multiple *logical* hard drives. Each logical drive is then assigned a letter. For example, if the primary mass storage device has two partitions, they [might show up in the This Computer window as drives C and D. See the section "[Fun with] [Partitions]," later in this chapter, for more information.](#_bookmark39) Icons shown for drives can be either generic, such as those used in [[Figure 2-1]](#_bookmark42), or specific, sometimes even looking like the drive itself or the media read by the drive. The boot drive shows the Windows logo. Refer to [[Figure 2-1]](#_bookmark42). Optical disc icons change depending on the disc's contents. For example, a musical CD uses a custom music icon.  The name associated with a drive is called the *volume label*. You can change the name, just as you can rename any file. Especially for removable media, the name may help you recognize the device's contents. The name is not, however, used by Windows to identify the drive; the drive letter is used instead. ### Resolving AutoPlay issues 1. **Press Win+I to open the Settings app.** 2. **Choose Devices.** 3. **On the left side of the window, choose AutoPlay.** You see various types of media and options for that media, as shown in [[Figure 2-3]](%5Cl). ### Removing media and mass storage Open the This PC window. Press Win+E to summon a File Explorer window, and then choose This PC from the locations on the left side of the window. Refer to the earlier section "[[Exploring mass storage devices]](#_bookmark39)." 2. Right-click the drive icon. 3. **Choose Eject.**  Locate the Safely Remove and Eject Media notification on the taskbar. The icon is shown in the margin, though you may have to click the notification triangle on the left end of the taskbar to see the icon. Choose the device to remove from the list. Two names are used to reference the device --- a technical name and the drive label --- as illustrated in [[Figure 2-4]](%5Cl). When you see the notification appear, informing you that it's safe to remove the device, remove the device. 1. **Press Win+I to open the Settings app.** 2. **Choose Devices.** 3. **From the left side of the window, choose Connected Devices.** 4. **Select the drive from the list on the right side of the window.** Refer to [[Figure 2-5]](%5Cl). 5. Click the Remove button. 6. **Disconnect the device when you're directed that it's safe to do so.**  When you have trouble removing media, close any open windows. Then try ejecting the media again. If that fails, sign out of Windows, and then sign back in again. At that point, you can try removing the media again. It's always safe to remove any media when the computer is turned off. Mass Storage Tools and Utilities -------------------------------- ### Opening the Disk Management console Tap the Windows key. The Start menu pops up, but you're going to use a shortcut. 2. **Type** Computer Management You need only type the first part of the text. What you're looking for is the Computer Management desktop app, which appears atop the search list. Choose the Computer Management desktop app. The Computer Management console opens. From the list of items on the left side of the window, Choose Storage and then Disk Management. The Disk Management console appears, as shown in [[Figure 2-6]](%5Cl). ### Finding mere mortal storage media tools Press Win+E. A File Explorer window appears. 2. Choose This PC from the list of locations on the left side of the window. 3. **Right-click a storage device icon.** In [[Figure 2-7]](#_bookmark56), I clicked on the PC's primary mass storage device, drive C. Drive Management and Maintenance -------------------------------- ### Understanding fragmentation  File defragmentation utilities first appeared back in the early 1990s. Their effect was so drastic, because hard drives in those days were so badly fragmented, that these utilities became overnight bestsellers. A file defragmentation utility ships with Windows 10. It's called the Microsoft Drive Optimizer. The original Microsoft disk defragmentation utility was called *defrag*. That term is still used today by ancient and grizzled nerds. A defragmentation utility reorganizes media in two steps: First, files are reassembled into nonfragmented chunks. Second, the files are moved so that they lie on the media with no spaces between them.  One type of media you do not defragment is flash memory. This type of media includes SSDs, media cards, and thumb drives. One reason not to defragment SSDs, media cards, and thumb drives is that current technology allows for the information stored on the media to be accessed only a given number of times. The number is huge, so the device will be useable for years and years. Yet, by defragmenting a media drive, you decrease its life span dramatically. ### Defragmenting a hard drive 1. Tap the Windows key. 2. **Type** defrag 3. From the Best Match list, choose the item Defragment and Optimize Drives. The Optimize Drives program window appears, as shown in [[Figure 2-9]](%5Cl). The title of this section refers to a "hard drive." Other types of storage media may be listed in the Optimize Drives window, but only hard drives benefit from optimization or defragmentation.  Do not attempt to defragment an SSD. Even if the drive is shown in the Optimize Drives window and the text *Optimization not available* doesn't appear, do not optimize the drive. You cannot defragment a network drive. If you truly want to defrag a hard drive, choose it from the list (refer to [[Figure 2-9]](#_bookmark61)) and click the Analyze button. Then click Optimize if you really, really want to defragment the drive. It's possible to disable automatic optimization. If you don't see On listed as the current status (refer to [[Figure 2-9]](#_bookmark61)), click the Change Settings button to reactivate this useful utility. You can also access the Optimize Drives window from the Tools tab in any storage device's Properties dialog box. Refer to [[Figure 2-7]](#_bookmark56). Even when a drive is badly fragmented, you may not notice any drastic improvement in performance after optimization. That's because today's hard drives are relatively fast. Further, Windows optimizes storage access, which helps improve overall drive performance. Optical drives cannot be defragmented. Though, honestly, I don't believe that optical drives ever become fragmented in the first place. Also see Book 5, [[Chapter 3]](#_bookmark392) for information on speeding up a slow PC. ### Checking storage media for errors 1. **Press Win+E.** 2. **Choose This PC from the list of locations on the left side of the File Explorer window.** 3. **Right-click the icon for the media storage gizmo you want to check.** For example, drive C. 4. **Choose Properties.** 5. **In the Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab.** 6. **Click the Check button.** You may see a User Account Control. If so, type the administrator's password or click the Continue button. The best thing you can do about storage media errors is back up your computer! See Book 4, [[Chapter 3]](#_bookmark355). Having a fresh backup doesn't prevent errors, but it helps you recover from them. Windows may check storage when it first starts. For example, if the PC was improperly shut down, a disk check takes place automatically the next time you turn on the system. That's because: The number-one cause of storage issues is an improper shutdown. In fact, the reason you must properly remove storage is to prevent storage errors and other issues. Refer to the earlier section "[[Removing media and mass storage]](#_bookmark39)."  The original name for the disk checking utility was Check Disk, or chkdsk (the program's filename). Later, the name was changed to ScanDisk. Back in the old days, computer nerds would run Check Disk or ScanDisk as a type of witch doctor fix for all sorts of computer ailments. That's because the display was interesting and the final message, "No errors found," made people feel better about using their computers. ### Formatting media To completely erase the media, removing all previous contents To reset the media's file system to something compatible ###### [[TABLE 2-1]](%5Cl) File Systems and Formats ------------------- -- ------------------- ***File System*** ***Description*** ------------------- -- ------------------- 1. **Press Win+E to bring up a File Explorer window.** 2. **Choose This PC from the left side of the window.** 3. **Right-click the media you want to format.** For example, a thumb drive. Choose Format from the shortcut menu. The Format command is dimmed for media you cannot format, such as an optical disc. You also cannot format the media that's running Windows, such as drive C. The Format dialog box appears, as shown in [[Figure 2-11]](%5Cl). The media's current format is shown in the File System menu, such as FAT (Default) shown in the figure. Choose a file system for the drive. This step is required only if your purpose is to apply a new file system to the media. For example, you must reformat a thumb drive to exFAT so that it's compatible with a Macintosh. If you don't choose a new file system, the one currently shown is used. Ensure that Quick Format is selected. You don't need to fully format media that already has a format. And, if security is your concern, refer to the nearby sidebar, "[[Wipe out your data]](#_bookmark68)." The rest of the options in the Format dialog box don't need to be adjusted, unless you're directed to do so by a higher authority. Click the Start button. A suitable warning appears, reminding you that formatting media is a drastic step and erases any data stored on the media. 8. Click the OK button to begin the formatting process. 9. **If Windows detects that the volume is being used, click the No button to cancel.** Media is used when files are open, folder windows are open, or programs are accessing the drive or media card. If you're certain that nothing is accessing the card, click the Yes button to proceed with the format. Click the OK button to acknowledge that formatting is complete. You can now use the media. You cannot unformat a drive.  Formatting erases the media! If your purpose is to apply another format to the media, the process erases the media's current contents. Format first, and then copy over the information you want to share. If you're in the habit of applying volume labels to media, you can do so in the Format dialog box. Refer to [[Figure 2-11]](#_bookmark67). You can also format media when using the Disk Management console. The Quick Format option is best for erasing media and applying a new file system. The only time you use a full format (uncheck the Quick Format box) is to prepare new media. This process is best done when using the Disk Management console. Recordable optical discs must also be formatted, though after the initialization process, the media []{#_bookmark68.anchor}is formatted as information is written. Further, rewritable discs can be reformatted. I don't specifically cover optical discs in this book, because of their waning popularity. Information stored on the media isn't destroyed when you apply a format. Computer experts can [recover information from media that's been reformatted. See the nearby sidebar, "[Wipe out your] [data]."](#_bookmark68) ### Changing drive letters Ensure that you're not using the drive. No files on the drive are open, and no programs from the drive are active. This admonition includes folder windows. If any of these conditions isn't met, the procedure won't go smoothly. Open the Disk Management console. Tap the Windows key and type **computer management**. Open the Computer Management program, and then choose Disk Management from the list of items on the left side of the window. Refer to the earlier section "[[Opening the Disk Management console]](#_bookmark39)." Right-click the storage media you want to modify. Storage media are listed by drive letter in the upper center part of the window.  I do not recommend that you change drive C, the Windows boot drive. Choose the Change Drive Letter or Paths command. The Change Drive Letter or Paths dialog box appears, as shown in [[Figure 2-12]](%5Cl). It sports the icon and letter for the drive you selected and lists any associated drive letters and pathnames. Click the Change button. The Change Drive Letter or Path dialog box appears. Choose a new drive letter from the drop-down list. Only drive letters not currently used by other devices or network drives are available. Click OK. An important warning appears. Windows and various programs rely on consistent drive letters. Files become "lost" when you change the drive letter. When that happens, you must help Windows or specific programs to relocate the files. If you want to proceed, click Yes to confirm that you've read the warning. The drive is instantly assigned a new letter. An AutoPlay notification might appear. Close any windows that remain opened. ### Joining storage media to a folder Create an empty folder in your user account area. Press Win+E to open a File Explorer window. Choose your account name from the address bar's menu. Within your account's folders, create a new folder: On the File Explorer's Home tab, in the New group, click the New Folder button. This folder is the location where the storage media is mounted. For example, create a folder named Projects in the Documents folder. The folder must be empty; it cannot contain any files or subfolders. Open the Disk Management console. Specific steps are provided in the section "[[Opening the Disk Management console]](#_bookmark39)," earlier in this chapter. 3. Right-click on the storage media's icon and choose the Change Drive Letter or Path command. 4. **Click the Add button.** The Add Drive Letter or Path dialog box appears. 5. Click the Browse button. 6. **Use the Browse for Drive Path dialog box to locate the empty folder you created in Step 1.** The empty folder becomes the media's mounting point.  Your account folder is found on drive C in the Users folder. Click OK to set the folder you selected. Back in the Add Drive Letter or Paths dialog box, you see the full pathname to the folder that's listed. Click OK. You can add multiple mounting points for a single drive letter. To do so, repeat the steps in this section and choose another folder. A single drive can be mapped into several locations. To disassociate a drive from a folder, repeat Steps 1 through 3. In the Change Drive Letter and Paths dialog box, select a pathname and click the Remove button. Click the Yes button to confirm. Removing a disk drive's mounting point from a folder doesn't delete the folder. In fact, you can use that empty folder again to reattach the media, or to attach other media. Fun with Partitions ------------------- Partitioning applies only to hard disk drives and SSDs. You cannot partition media cards or thumb drives. All drives are partitioned. A single hard drive has at least one partition. The whole drive doesn't need to be partitioned. Any unused space is considered unallocated. The initialization process for a mass storage media involves partitioning first. After that, the partitions are formatted. The partitions can then be assigned a drive letter. The term for such partitions is a *logical drive.* For the Windows operating system, partitions are either primary or extended. Only one *primary* partition is required, which is the Windows boot drive. *Extended* partitions become other drives in the system, also known as *logical* drives. Non-Windows partitions can also exist on a mass storage device --- for example, for other operating systems or data recovery partitions. These non-extended partitions are not mounted in the Windows operating system as logical drives. ### Examining disk partitions 1. Tap the Windows key. 2. **Type** Computer Management A list of matching programs appears on the Start menu. You want the one titled Computer Management Desktop App. Choose the Computer Management desktop app. The Computer Management window appears. From the list of consoles on the left side of the window, choose Disk Management. The center of the window is populated with available mass storage devices. Internally, Windows labels mass storage devices starting with Disk 0 (zero). See Book 3, [[Chapter 1]](#_bookmark220) for information on the Windows Recovery Environment. Disk 0 is the first physical hard drive inside your computer. Any additional hard drives, internal or external, are numbered Disk 1, Disk 2, and so on. Each partition has a format type or method, such as NTFS or FAT32, as shown in [[Figure 2-13]](#_bookmark73). Another name for a partition, or logical drive, is *volume*. This isn't a loudness thing; instead, think of a volume in a book. ### Shrinking a volume First, clean up some of the crap. To get the most space available, consider removing some unused files from the drive. Empty the Recycle Bin. And, perform other actions to ensure that you're not wasting space on the drive. See Book 5, [[Chapter 2]](#_bookmark376) for more tips and suggestions on cleaning up storage. Open the Disk Management console. [Directions are found earlier in this chapter, in the section aptly titled "[Opening the Disk] [Management console]."](#_bookmark39) Right-click a volume. It cannot be the system volume, such as drive C, or a media card, a flash drive, or an optical drive. It must be a hard drive or SSD. Choose Shrink Volume. Windows examines the media to see how well it can be shrunk. Then it displays the Shrink dialog box, shown in [[Figure 2-14]](%5Cl), where you can set the size of the new partition. Set the amount of disk space to release. Use the text box by the item Enter the Amount of Space to Shrink in MB to set the new volume size. In [[Figure 2-14]](#_bookmark76), the amount listed is 1420572MB, or just over 142GB of storage. That's also the maximum amount that can be shrunk; you can set the value lower, but not higher.  Set the size to whatever amount you need. Don't restrict the existing volume too much, or else it may fill up and cause other problems. Click the Shrink button to reduce the drive's size. The computer busies itself with shrinking the volume. When the operation is complete, you see the new, unallocated volume appear in the same slot as the current drive in the Disk Management console. [[Figure 2-15]](%5Cl) shows a before-and-after comparison of my test drive E, which I shrunk by 100,000MB (or 100GB). ### Creating a new volume in unallocated space **Simple:** This typical hard drive is the type that most PC users have in Windows. If you're shrinking a volume to create a new logical drive, this option is the one you want. **Spanned:** A spanned volume combines two or more unallocated volumes, even on separate physical hard drives, creating a new drive. The new drive combines all the space of the various unallocated areas into a single volume. **Striped:** Striped volumes are used to improve disk performance by spreading information between multiple disks. The net result is that several drives are used to quickly access information, which makes all disk operations faster. You need two or more unallocated chunks of disk space to set up a striped volume. **Mirrored:** A mirrored volume is a duplicate; information is written to and read from two disks. Mirroring is done primarily to avoid errors. It requires two disks to work. **RAID-5:** A RAID-5 volume is used in conjunction with at least two other volumes to create a redundant storage system. This option works best when separate physical hard drives are part of the RAID-5 system. 1. Right-click the unallocated space in the Disk Management console. 2. **Choose New Simple Volume.** The New Simple Volume Wizard appears. If this item is dimmed, you've maxed out the number of partitions allowed by Windows. See the nearby sidebar, "[[No more partitions!]](#click-the-finish-button-to-create-the-new-volume.)" 3. Click the Next button. 4. **Set the size of the new volume in the MB text box.** The size is already preset to equal the entire disk capacity. I recommend using that preset size, unless you have some master scheme for partitioning the media, and you don't fall over the partition limit, described in the nearby sidebar, "[[No more partitions!]](#click-the-finish-button-to-create-the-new-volume.)" Click the Next button. Windows lets you assign the drive a letter, or you can use the suggested letter. That suggested letter is the one Windows would assign to the drive when the PC first starts. Refer to the earlier sections "[[Changing drive letters]](#_bookmark39)" and "[[Joining storage media to a folder]](#_bookmark39)" for information on changing drive letters or mounting a drive as a folder. Otherwise, proceed with Step 6: Click the Next button. A partition requires a file system. Otherwise, Windows cannot access the media. 7. **Ensure that NTFS is chosen as the file system.** 8. **Type a new volume label for the drive (optional).** 9. **Ensure that the Perform a Quick Format option is chosen.**  And, while you're at it, leave the option Enable File and Folder Compression unchecked. I do not recommend compressing media. See Book 5, [[Chapter 2]](#_bookmark376) for my reasons. Click the Next button. A summary screen appears. Looks good. If not, click the Back button and fix stuff. Click the Finish button to create the new volume. Windows prepares the disk partition, formats the media, and assigns the drive letter. ### Extending a partition 1. Open the Disk Management console. 2. **Right-click the volume you want to extend.** The volume can be extended only when it dwells on a storage device with unallocated space and the volume is not in use. Choose the Extend Volume command. The Extend Volume Wizard opens. Click the Next button. The next screen of the wizard allows you to select chunks of unallocated space on your PC's mass storage system. Choose the chunks of unallocated space to add to the existing drive. Any unallocated space on the current drive (the one you're extending) already shows up in the Selected column (on the right side of the window). Any additional unallocated space on other drives shows up in the Available column. Use the Add or Remove buttons to choose which unallocated volumes to use. If the Next button isn't available, the value specified by Select the Amount of Space in MB is too high. Set it to a lower value. 6. Click the Next button. 7. **Click the Finish button.** As if by magic, the size of the drive instantly increases, by grabbing up all unallocated portions. Close the Disk Management console window. ### Deleting a partition 1. Open the Disk Management console window. 2. **Right-click the volume you want to annihilate.** The volume cannot be the system volume, from which Windows was started, or any volume that is in use. Choose the Delete Volume command. The Delete Volume command removes the partition's reference from the media's master boot record (MBR). The media's data isn't wiped clean, but it cannot be easily recovered, which is why a warning appears on the screen. If prompted, click the Yes button in the suitable warning dialog box. Another warning may appear if Windows believes the volume to still be in use. Otherwise, the partition is banished.