Which type of hard drive is recommended for durability and continued function if a laptop is dropped?

A solid state drive (SSD) is recommended for durability and continued function if a laptop is dropped due to the fundamental differences in design and technology compared to traditional magnetic hard drives. SSDs use flash memory to store data, which means there are no moving parts involved. This inherently makes them more resistant to physical shocks and impacts that typically occur during a drop.

In contrast, magnetic hard drives (HDDs) contain spinning disks and read/write heads that are vulnerable to damage from jarring movements. Even hybrid drives, which combine elements of both SSDs and HDDs, can still face the same risks as the magnetic components remain susceptible to physical shocks. External hard drives also share similar vulnerabilities as they may disconnect and fall, exposing their internal mechanisms to impact.

Given these characteristics, SSDs stand out as the most reliable choice for protecting data in situations where accidental drops could occur, ensuring that users have a better chance of retaining their information intact after such incidents.