Boot disk
lastmod 2025-11-10created 2025-11-101 edits
A boot disk is a removable digital medium, usually read-only, from which an operating system or utility program can be booted.
A boot disk can create and use a RAM disk for temporary file storage, to avoid having to write to the "computer's fixed storage medium" that the boot disk would otherwise use.
Categories
- UNetbootin
- iso2usb
- Win32 Disk Imager
- Rufus
- Etcher (recommended)
- WoeUSB - A Microsoft Windows® USB installation media preparer for GNU+Linux
- Ventoy (recommended) - a new USB boot solution
- iVentoy - OS boot & installation tool over the network
See also
- USB
- Multi-booting
- Booting
- Bootkit
- Comparison of boot loaders
- Linux startup process
- Macintosh startup
- Microreboot
- Multi boot
- Network booting
- RedBoot
- Self-booting disk
- Windows startup process
- GRUB
- ISO
- WIM
- IMG
- EFI
- Board support package (BSP)