What Does Boot Disk Mean?
A boot disk is a removable data storage medium used to load and boot an operating system or utility program. Typically, a boot disc is a read-only medium that stores temporary files on a CD-ROM or floppy disc drive. Other boot disk mediums include USB drives, zip drives, and paper tape drives. One of the most common uses of a boot disk is to start the computer when the operating on the internal hard drive does not load. Generally, a boot disk contains a full-scale operating system, and may include a small utility operating system as well. In recent years, boot disks have become less common as original equipment manufacturers turn to using hard drive partitions to store recovery data.A boot disk may also be referred to as a bootable diskette, startup disk, bootable disk or bootable rescue disk.
Techopedia Explains Boot Disk
The boot disk is generally used to repair damage by restoring system files to a last effort or reinstalling the operating system to its original factory condition. The boot disk is used for a variety of functions, including:
