boot disk
System launch disc
A boot disk is storage media containing the files needed to start a computer's operating system.
Before hard drives became standard, computers typically booted from floppy disks.
Now the term usually refers to emergency recovery media—a USB drive or CD used to start a computer when its primary drive fails or becomes corrupted: I keep a boot disk handy in case the system won't start.
Able to start system
- rescueSave from harm
- restoreReturn to earlier state
- backupStored duplicate for recovery
- cloneGenetically identical organism
diagnostic · antivirus · wipe · reformat · recovery drive · data retrieval · virus scan · undelete
Initial startup program
Identify and fix faults
- safe modeRestricted boot for troubleshooting
- system restoreUndo recent computer changes
- system diagnosticsAutomated fault-finding procedures
Lacking rigidity, bending easily
- CD-ROMOptical storage medium
- DVDOptical media format
- USBDevice connection standard
- flash drivePortable digital storage device
hard drive · SSD · external drive · thumb drive · memory stick · writable · read-only
bootable
Able to start system
clone · diagnostic · antivirus · wipe · reformat · recovery drive · data retrieval · virus scan · undelete · forensics
bootloader
Initial startup program
troubleshoot
Identify and fix faults
- safe modeRestricted boot for troubleshooting
- system restoreUndo recent computer changes
- system diagnosticsAutomated fault-finding procedures
floppy
Lacking rigidity, bending easily
flash drive · hard drive · SSD · external drive · thumb drive · memory stick · writable · read-only
- discsCD, DVD, record, vinyl record, frisbee
- retro computingApple II, ENIAC, IBM PC, Commodore, Atari
- DOS ComputingMS-DOS, DOS, DOS prompt, command line, CONFIG.SYS
- floppy disks
- backupbackup copy, backup drive, backup plan, backup schedule, backup service
- PC hardwareCPU, GPU, RAM, ROM, hard drive