There are so many different kinds of booting processes, and we often are reluctant because we don’t want to erase data.

This article is going to go over a few booting processes, and what the outcome of those processes can be.

Booting is a simple process of starting the computer. Everything works in a specific sequence when you turn your computer or laptop on or if you restart. Ultimately, it is requiring that the operating system loads into the memory.

You are able to give hardware or software commands to make the computer boot, and you can also boot your device with installation media. Installation media will be one of the following

  • USB
  • External drive
  • Cloud storage/backup
  • Floppy Disk
  • DVD
  • CD
erase data

If you happen to erase data, please visit the following article for tips to restore the data. https://jetdata.pro/how-do-you-recover-data-from-a-laptop-4-ways

Let’s quickly touch on how important it is to backup your computer. It is usually recommended that you have 2 backups of your information. It is better to be safe than sorry.

The most common methods of backup are:

  • USB
  • Eternal drive
  • Disk image
  • Cloud storage/backup

We always want to be sure that we have our data backed up as current as possible. Depending the make and model of your device, you can set automatic backups for USB, External drive, and Cloud.

Below is a simply video that teaches how to backup your computer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIGVnyXm1mk

There are 4 forms of booting that you will typically perform on your laptop-

Cold Boot- The device is completely powered down. When the power button is pressed, the startup is what is considered a cold boot. This is also known as hard boot, cold boot, and hard start.

Does a cold boot erase data?

The only way you will lose data will not remove any data from the hard drive because you are simply turning the device off and on.

However, the data that you will lose is going to be anything that you were working on that was not backed up before the computer was shut down. If the work was not saved at the time of the shut down, you will have to start over again.

Warm Boot- This is when you restart your computer. The warm boot does not shut the device completely down. You simply reload the operating system by performing a restart. A warm boot is also known as a ‘ soft boot.’ A warm boot is usually used more than a cold boot especially because we typically leave our computers on for so long, and we restart our computers to ensure that all of the updates are properly installed. Ultimately, the system restarts to the original state without interrupting power.

Does a warm boot erase data?

A warm boot does not erase data. It does not target any of the data that is on the hard drive itself, however, again, if you were in the midst of any projects the temporary data will be lost. If the work that you were in the midst of was not backed up or saved prior to the boot, then the data will be lost.

Clean boot- A clean boot is when you restart the computer but into a state that uses a minimal amount of drivers and start up programs to troubleshoot problems on your computer. This is also known as ‘safe mode.’ This gives you control to inspect what files and programs are potentially causing a problem on your computer. It is a very effective troubleshooting tool. Of course, it is going to be specific to the device you are using, so, be sure that you research the process based on the make and model of your computer or laptop.

Does a clean boot erase data?

Seeing as a clean boot is simply a troubleshooting tool, it will not delete any files off of the hard drive. Again, as long as you are sure to backup your files before you boot your computer, you will not lose any data.

Dual boot- Majority of laptop or computer users are working with only a single operating system. A dual boot is when you have 2 operating systems installed on your hard drive, and you have to make a choice between the 2 to load up your device. Depending on the tasks that are being worked on and the programs that are being used, this allows users to be able to switch between both of the operating systems installed on their hard drive.

Does dual booting erase data?

The most important thing about dual booting is that it massively will reduce your disk space, so you want to ensure that you have plenty of room to backup and restore any data when need be. It can be a little bit tricky when it comes to performing a dual boot. You will not lose any data (as long as it is saved before the restart) and as long as you do not write over anything on the other partition. If anything is overwritten when you are performing the dual boot.

If you happen to erase data there are data recovery processes that is specific to the make and model of your device that can help you retrieve the data. If you erase data, you can also seek the help of a data recovery specialist.

In conclusion, it is definitely safe to say that you will not erase data when you boot your computer. Only the data that you were working on that was not saved to the hard drive before you booted the computer will erase, and you will have to start over again. If you happen to overwrite any of your data during a dual boot, you will lose your data, but there is still hope!

The booting processes does target the hard drive when the computer starts or restarts, and your data is safe, but that doesn’t mean not to backup your data.