System partition and boot partition: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Computing terms for disk partitions}}

In [[Microsoft Windows]] terminology, the '''system partition''' is a [[Partition (computing)|disk partition]] that contains files such as [[NTLDR]] that are needed to [[Booting|boot]] Windows XP and earlier. Windows Vista uses a new file called bootmgr which is equivalent to [[NTLDR]] and is configured using BCDEdit.exe. The '''boot partition''' is a disk partition that contains the Windows operating system files and its support files. The system partition can be different from the boot partition, although they are often on the same partition. The Windows installer places the initial system partition based on [[motherboard]] [[BIOS]] settings.

{{Redirect-distinguish|System partition|EFI system partition}}

{{Redirect-distinguish|Boot partition|BIOS boot partition}}

The '''system partition''' and the '''boot partition''' (also known as the '''system volume''' and the '''boot volume''') are computing terms for [[disk partition]]s of a [[hard disk drive]] or [[solid-state drive]] that must exist and be properly configured for a computer to operate. There are two different definitions for these terms: the common definition and the [[Microsoft]] definition.

== See also ==

* [[Windows NT Startup Process]]

* [[Windows Vista Startup Process]]

* [[EFI System Partition]]

==Common definition==

==References==

In context of every operating system, except those developed by [[Microsoft]], the system partition and the boot partition are defined as follows:

*[http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=http://www.support.microsoft.com/kb/100525/en-us/ Definition of System and Boot Partition (NT)]

* The ''boot partition'' is a [[primary partition]] that contains the [[boot loader]], a piece of software responsible for [[booting]] the [[operating system]]. For example, in the standard [[Linux]] directory layout ([[Filesystem Hierarchy Standard]]), boot files (such as the [[Linux kernel|kernel]], [[initrd]], and boot loader [[GRUB]]) are mounted at <code>/boot/</code>.<ref>{{cite book|last=Petersen|first=Richard|title=Ubuntu The Complete Reference|year=2009|publisher=McGraw-Hill|___location=New York|isbn=978-0-07-164368-9|page=473|chapter=Chapter 21: Basic System Administration}}</ref> Despite Microsoft's radically different definition (see below), System Information, a utility app included in [[Windows NT]] family of operating systems, refers to it as "boot device".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Andrews |first1=Jean |first2=James |last2=Chellis |title=A+ Guide to Software |date=13 August 2012 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=9781285414980 |page=21 |edition=6th}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Donald |first=Lisa |title=MCSA / MCSE: Windows Server 2003 Environment Management and Maintenance Study Guide: Exam 70-290 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=9780470327616 |pages=116–117 |edition=2nd |date=2008}}</ref>

*[http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=http://www.support.microsoft.com/kb/314470/en-us/ Definition of System Partition and Boot Partition (XP)]

* The ''system partition'' is the disk partition that contains the operating system folder, known as the ''system root''. By default, in Linux, operating system files are mounted at <code>/</code> (the [[root directory]]).

In Linux, a single partition can be both a boot and a system partition if both <code>/boot/</code> and the root directory are in the same partition.

[[Category:Windows administration]]

==Microsoft definition==

Since [[Windows NT 3.1]] (the first version of Windows NT),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/100525|title=Definition of System and Boot Partition|date=20 February 2007|website=Support|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313090403/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/100525|archive-date=13 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Microsoft has defined the terms as follows:

* The ''system partition'' (or system volume)<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/314470/definitions-for-system-volume-and-boot-volume|title=Definitions for system volume and boot volume|date=29 October 2009|website=Support|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913184351/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/314470/definitions-for-system-volume-and-boot-volume|archive-date=2017-09-13|url-status=dead}}</ref> is a primary partition that contains the boot loader, a piece of software responsible for booting the operating system.<ref name=":0">{{cite book|title=Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking|last2=Tulloch|first2=Ingrid|publisher=[[Microsoft Press]]|year=2002|isbn=0-7356-1378-8|edition=2nd|___location=Redmond, WA|first1=Mitch|last1=Tulloch}}</ref>{{Rp|1087}} This partition holds the [[boot sector]] and is marked active.<ref name=winternals5>{{cite book|last1=Russinovich|first1=Mark E|last2=Ionescu|first2=Alex|last3=Solomon|first3=David A|title=Windows Internals|year=2008|publisher=Microsoft Press|___location=Redmond, WA|isbn=978-0-7356-2530-3|edition=5th}}</ref>{{rp|970}}

* The ''boot partition'' (or boot volume)<ref name=":1" /> is the disk partition that contains the operating system folder, known as the ''system root'' or <code>%systemroot%</code> in [[Windows NT]].<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|174}}

Before [[Windows 7]], the system and boot partitions were, by default, the same and were given the "C:" [[Drive letter assignment|drive letter]].<ref name=winternals5 />{{rp|971}} Since Windows 7, however, [[Windows Setup]] creates, by default, a separate system partition that is not given an identifier and therefore is hidden. The boot partition is still given "C:" as its identifier. This configuration is suitable for running [[BitLocker]], which requires a separate unencrypted system partition for booting. As of [[Windows 11]], this nomenclature is still used by the "Disk Management" utility.

== See also ==

* [[NTLDR]]

* [[Windows startup process]]

* [[Windows NT Startupstartup Processprocess]]

* [[Windows Vista Startupstartup Processprocess]]

* [[Windows To Go]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}{{Firmware and booting}}

[[Category:Booting]]

[[Category:Disk partitions]]

[[Category:Windows administration]]