GUID Partition TableComputer data storage partitioning standardThe layout of a disk with the GUID Partition Table. In this example, each logical block is 512 bytes in size and each entry has 128 bytes. The corresponding partition entries are assumed to be located in LBA 2–33.
Volume boot recordA volume boot record (VBR) (also known as a volume boot sector, a partition boot record or a partition boot sector) is a type of boot sector introduced by the IBM Personal Computer. It may be found on a partitioneddata storage device, such as a hard disk, or an unpartitioned device, such as a floppy disk, and contains machine code for bootstrappingprograms (usually, but not necessarily, operating systems) stored in other parts of the device.
Disk partitioningDisk partitioning or disk slicing is the creation of one or more regions on secondary storage, so that each region can be managed separately. These regions are called partitions. It is typically the first step of preparing a newly installed disk after a partitioning scheme is chosen for the new disk before any file system is created.
Boot sectorA boot sector is the sector of a persistent data storage device (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, optical disc, etc.) which contains machine code to be loaded into random-access memory (RAM) and then executed by a computer system's built-in firmware (e.g., the BIOS). Usually, the first sector of the hard disk is the boot sector, regardless of sector size (512 or 4096 bytes) and partitioning flavor (MBR or GPT).
ByteThe byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable unit of memory in many computer architectures. To disambiguate arbitrarily sized bytes from the common 8-bit definition, network protocol documents such as the Internet Protocol (RFC791) refer to an 8-bit byte as an octet.
Hard disk driveElectro-mechanical data storage deviceHitachi 500GB 3.5" drive, 2011, opened to show the disk platters and read/write armA hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical computer data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magnetic material.
Mass storageIn computing, mass storage refers to the storage of large amounts of data in a persisting and machine-readable fashion. In general, the term mass in mass storage is used to mean large in relation to contemporaneous hard disk drives, but it has also been used to mean large relative to the size of primary memory as for example with floppy disks on personal computers.
Floppy diskRemovable disk storage medium8-inch (200 mm), 5.25-inch (130 mm), and 3.5-inch (90 mm) floppy disks8-inch (200 mm), 5.25-inch (130 mm) (full height), and 3.5-inch (90 mm) drivesA 3.5-inch (90 mm) floppy disk removed from its housingA floppy disk, diskette, or floppy diskette is a type of disk storage made from a thin, flexible disk coated with a magnetic storage medium.
IBM PC compatibleAn IBM PC compatible is any personal computer that is hardware- and software-compatible with the IBM Personal Computer (IBM PC) and its successors. Like the original IBM PC, an IBM PC–compatible computer uses an x86-based central processing unit, sourced either from Intel or a second source like AMD, Cyrix or other vendors such as Texas Instruments, Fujitsu, OKI, Mitsubishi or NEC, and is capable of using interchangeable commodity hardware such as expansion cards.
IBM PC DOSIBM PC DOS (an acronym for IBM Personal Computer Disk Operating System), also known as IBM DOS or PC DOS, is a discontinued disk operating system for the IBM Personal Computer, its successors, and IBM PC compatibles. It was sold by IBM from the early 1980s into the 2000s. Developed by Microsoft, it was also sold by that company to the open market as MS-DOS.
Disk enclosureA disk enclosure or desktop hard drive is a specialized casing designed to hold and power hard disk drives or solid-state drives while providing a mechanism to allow them to communicate to one or more separate computers. Drive enclosures provide power to the drives therein and convert the data sent across their native data bus into a format usable by an external connection on the computer to which it is connected.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.