What’s a boot disk?

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A boot disk or boot disk is a miniature operating system (OS) on removable media, such as a CD, memory stick, or floppy disk, that can be used to start a computer, ignoring the installed operating system when it is present . Although a boot disk is more commonly placed on a disk (CD) rather than a disk (floppy), the original spelling continues to be used as a carryover from when floppy disks were the only type of boot disk available.

There are many situations where a boot disk comes in handy and others where it is indispensable. The most important use is for recovering from an unbootable system crash.

If a computer won’t start up because of a problem with the installed operating system, you can use a boot disk created by the operating system to repair a damaged system. It will replace your system files with fresh copies, hopefully making it bootable again.

A boot disk created by the operating system could also be used to reinstall the operating system from a drive image located in a hidden partition at the beginning of the installed drive. Newer systems use this method instead of providing users with the operating system on a disk. The downside of this recovery method is that the system returns to the state it was in when purchased, losing all changes, including user-installed programs and data.

A much better method is to use a bootable disk designed to replace the existing image with a current backup image created before the problematic date. This eliminates the need to fix the problem, if such an avenue is available, and will keep all programs and data since the last backup. Some backup programs, such as the free Macrium Reflect®, provide the user with a link to a file that can be downloaded and burned to disc to create a custom bootable disc with the pre-installed Macrium Reflect© backup program. This Emergency Recovery Disk takes all the worry out of a fatal crash by providing regular backups, preferably to an external drive.

If restoring an image doesn’t work due to a mechanical failure of the hard drive, you can use a bootable or bootable disk to format and partition a new hard drive. While an OS disc will do, some people prefer to use specific tools from custom bootable discs.

Occasionally, it’s a good idea to run maintenance tools from outside the operating system, which can be done using a boot disk with the appropriate programs. Running a “check the disk” routine will examine your hard drive for errors in file structure and formatting, possibly fixing problems along the way. This can prevent data loss and improve disk performance. The disk check can also be scheduled by Windows® systems to run at the next boot, before the operating system boots.

Virus and spyware scans are also best done from a startup disk, as files are locked and unavailable to the scanner when the operating system is in use. Hidden malware may also be able to hide within operating system processes when the boot drive is mounted and active. By using a startup disk, the entire drive is available for scanning.

There are several ways to create a boot disk. In the past, some DOS® files copied to a floppy, but today portable editions of operating systems can run on CD or memory stick, using only portable memory and RAM. This makes it very convenient since the boot disk can be run in a familiar point and click environment.

For intrepid geeks, BartPE© Builder is a free, portable Windows® environment that can be customized with various tools and programs, and includes network support. This fixes a problem accessing the Internet from your startup disk. Various tutorials are available on YouTube® for creating a custom BartPE© bootable disc. Linux® boot disks are also available, as are tools within particular backup programs, such as the aforementioned Macrium Reflect©.

Operating systems also have tools for users to create a boot disk. These discs repair damage by replacing system files, or they may offer to return the system to the state it was in when it was new; a last resort for most people. To learn more about how to create a boot disk in your operating system, consult the Help menu.

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