hard drive
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hard drive
A magnetic or electronic storage medium in a computer on which the operating system, programs, and data are stored permanently.
Meine Festplatte ist fast voll, ich muss einige alte Dateien löschen.
My hard drive is almost full; I need to delete some old files.
The word is made up of 'fest' (fixed/solid) and 'Platte' (plate/disk). It literally describes a plate or disk that is built permanently into a device, unlike a removable medium such as a CD.
Die neue Festplatte hat eine Speicherkapazität von einem Terabyte.
The new hard drive has a storage capacity of one terabyte.
To indicate location, use 'auf der Festplatte' (on the hard drive; dative). To indicate direction, use 'auf die Festplatte' (onto the hard drive; accusative).
Alle wichtigen Dokumente liegen auf der Festplatte.
All important documents are on the hard drive.
In a computer context, 'Festplatte' is often combined with specific verbs: saving data on the hard drive, installing programs, formatting a hard drive, or deleting data from the hard drive.
Bevor du den Computer verkaufst, solltest du die Festplatte sicher formatieren.
Before you sell the computer, you should securely format the hard drive.
The metaphorical meaning for memory is used only colloquially and often humorously. It is uncommon in formal or written contexts.
Ich kann mich an seinen Namen nicht erinnern, meine Festplatte ist heute leer.
I can't remember his name; my hard drive is empty today.
mind / reason
'der Verstand' and 'die Festplatte' can both, in a figurative sense, have to do with thinking or storing information. 'Verstand' is the normal word for the ability to think, understand, and judge. 'Festplatte' actually refers to a part of a computer. When it is used for a person, it is colloquial and figurative: the head is seen as a storage device. 'Verstand' fits in neutral situations, while 'Festplatte' is more joking or casual when talking about memories or stored knowledge.
Nach dem langen Seminar ist meine innere Festplatte voll.
After the long seminar, my internal hard drive is full.
Omar verlässt sich bei wichtigen Entscheidungen nicht nur auf sein Gefühl, sondern auch auf seinen Verstand.
When making important decisions, Omar relies not only on his feelings but also on his reason.