Printer Friendly
The Free Dictionary
1,036,368,384 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

bootable disk

   Also found in: Acronyms, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.09 sec.

A CD-ROM or DVD-ROM that contains its own operating system ready to load. PCs are typically configured to look for the OS on a CD or DVD first and then the hard disk.

System and Data Recovery
A bootable disk is used to recover a failed system when the OS on the hard disk cannot load. The OS on the bootable disk does not have to be the same as the OS on the hard disk. However, it must support the file system on the hard disk, so that hard disk files can be examined and repaired. In addition, the OS on the bootable disk must contain the appropriate software drivers for all the peripherals that will be used in a recovery attempt.

If the system cannot be restored, valuable data files can be copied to an external drive. In the past, a compact version of DOS was often used as a bootable disk.

Install or Replace an Operating System
A bootable disk is also used to install a new operating system. By booting its own operating system (not necessarily the one being installed), it is able to format and write to the blank hard disk on a new computer. In addition, when replacing an existing operating system, it gives the installation program complete control of the computer. See LiveCD.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
 Email
Feedback
? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
After installation, users can create a bootable disk or CD that can perform partitioning tasks on any computer, with or without an operating system installed.
Acronis Ships Acronis PartitionExpert 2003, First Utility to Provide ... by Business Wire
Consumers can receive the bootable disk free of charge if ordering within 60 days of purchase of the corresponding Symantec Macintosh product.
Symantec's Industry-Leading Internet Security and Problem Solving ... by Business Wire
An Emergency Recovery capability that enables users to create a bootable disk with vital information about their computer's configuration in the event of a system crash.
Fix Windows 95 Problems Before They Start with Fix-It: a New ... by Business Wire
More results
 
Encyclopedia browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.. Terms of Use.