bootable

Can initialize computer

Bootable describes a storage device or disk image capable of starting up a computer's operating system.

A bootable USB drive contains the necessary files to initialize a system, useful for installing operating systems or recovering crashed machines: Make sure you create a bootable drive before attempting the repair.

The term comes from bootstrap, referring to a computer "pulling itself up" during startup.

media

USB drive

Portable digital storage device

flash drivePortable digital storage device
DVDOptical media format
CD-ROMOptical storage medium

recovery disk · thumb drive · SD card · external drive · pen drive · startup disk · memory stick · optical drive · Rufus

system

BIOS

Boot-up initialization firmware

UEFIFirmware interface for booting
firmwareHardware's permanent programming
kernelSeed or essential core

POST · CMOS · ROM · motherboard · power-on · GPT

installation

operating system

Software managing computer resources

WindowsMicrosoft operating system
LinuxOpen-source operating system kernel
macOSApple computer operating system

installer · partition · format · setup · configure · initialize · disk utility · clean install · multiboot · system requirements

recovery

system restore

Undo recent computer changes

data recoveryRetrieving lost digital information
safe modeRestricted boot for troubleshooting
backup restoreRetrieving saved data copies

CHKDSK · rollback · snapshot

Opposites

system startup capability

bootableunbootable

Cannot start up

media functionality/integrity

bootablecorrupted

Made impure or dishonest

unformatted · blank · empty · damaged · unreadable

Family

rebootable

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Rated G