How does a laptop with HDD function when it's moving?

If a Hard Disk Drive has a head that depends on complete accuracy to read, how can a laptop function if it is moving? Is the HDD head strong enough to stay stable and read while the entire laptop is moving? Is it possible for the head to impact the disk? If so, what would happen?

Basically, I'm just curious if it's bad to have a laptop running while you move it around

Any answers, insight or corrections are appreciated, thanks!

Solution 1:

It isn't dangerous at all. HDD's are made to be really resilient. This being said, look around the Internet first, there is a lot of information regarding this.

This article on TechARP debunks a lot of common HDD myths.

This might fully explain your question. Quoting:

Well, a head hitting a platter spinning at 7200 RPM will definitely cause more damage than a head hitting a platter spinning at just 5400 RPM. However, this only addresses the amount of damage sustained if one of the read/write heads hit a spinning platter.

The fact of the matter is we do not want the head to hit the platter at all. A head crash is considered a catastrophic event, whether the platters are spinning at 7200 RPM or just 5400 RPM. Even if the head crash doesn't kill the drive immediately, it greatly reduces the drive's health.

Apart from this quote, there is a lot of interesting information on that site, so be sure to check it all.

Solution 2:

Modern laptops include a "G-Sensor"/"Shock sensor" (a free-fall accelerometer) that signals to the harddrive to stop moving the head when the laptop is dropped to prevent a head crash.

This is a non-issue for the solid-state drives (SSDs) that are becoming increasingly popular in laptops as they have no moving parts.