A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk[a] is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magnetic material.
HDD is a common abbreviation that stands for Hard Disk Drive. HDDs are non-volatile storage devices, meaning they retain stored data even when power isn't being supplied.
A Hard Disk Drive (sometimes abbreviated as a hard drive, HD, or HDD) is a non-volatile data storage device. It is usually installed internally in a computer, attached directly to the disk controller of the computer's motherboard.
University of Babylon - Compare the hard disk with floppy disk IBM - Hard disk drive (HDD) versus Solid-state drive (SSD): What�s the difference? Britannica Editors. "solid-state device". Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Jul. 2011, https://www.britannica.com/technology/solid-state-device. Accessed 8 December 2025./what-is-a-hard-disk-drive-2618152-6baa983ee974468383c6b392d4e4375d.png)
A hard disk drive (HDD) is a hardware device used to store information like software and files. The primary hard disk in a PC is often the C drive.