Disk organisation

• File transfer


  Ability to transfer data from one location to another. This can be done by simply copying a file from one folder to another, or from one storage medium to another.
• Formatting


  The process of preparing a disk for use. During this process, a new file system is installed on a disk and all data may be erased in readiness for new data to be stored.
• Compression


  Process of making a file size smaller. Advantageous as it allows more data to be stored on the disk, and files may also be transferred more quickly.
• Hardware disk compression


  Requires specialist hardware, which can be expensive. However, it does not affect the speed of access as much as software based disk compression.
• Software based disk compression


  Often included as a facility of an operating system and so it is readily available on most computer systems. The disadvantage of this is that it slows down the process of reading and writing to disk.