initialize: In computing, quite often things must be set to a known initial state before starting in order to get accurate results. Examples:

• variables must be set to a known state (0, 1, true, false, whatever)
• magnetic marks must be put on a disk at the right location to mark the places where a data can be stored *

Processes like this are known as initialization.

Booting a computer is a process of initialization.

See:

• secondary boot loader for discussion of the "magic bytes" in the MBR which indicate a disk has been initialized. (Sometime find that value again -- I've seen it quoted more than once.)

Contributors

• RandyKramer - 02 Feb 2002
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