TekMom's Tech Buzzwords for Students . . . . . . . . . www.tekmom.com/buzzwords

What is a...

...?

Definition:

Format a disk so it will hold information.

Explanation:

When you tell your computer to initialize a disk, all information on that disk is erased - the disk is "wiped clean." Then the disk is formatted to hold new information.

All kinds of disks - floppy disks, hard disks, zip disks, etc. - must be initialized before they can be used.

Sentence:

"These floppy disks were initialized at the factory."

 

Find out More!

• Go directly to "disk format" and "initialize" in the TechEncyclopedia.
  
• Look it up yourself in the FOLDOC dictionary.