15.01.2024 Views

CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide

  • No tags were found...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

NOTE Okay, if GPT stands for GUID partition table, I guess we had better

see what GUID stands for, eh? A globally unique identifier (GUID) provides

a reference number for an object or process that has an almost impossibly

small chance of duplication. The number is, therefore, unique to a specific

object or process.

Other Partition Types

The partition types supported by Windows are not the only partition types

you may encounter; other types exist. One of the most common is called the

hidden partition. A hidden partition is really just a primary partition that is

hidden from your operating system. Only special BIOS tools may access a

hidden partition. Hidden partitions are used by some PC makers to hide a

backup copy of an installed OS that you can use to restore your system if you

accidentally trash it—by, for example, learning about partitions and using a

partitioning program incorrectly.

EXAM TIP CompTIA refers to a hidden partition that contains a restorable

copy of an installed OS as a factory recovery partition.

A swap partition is another special type of partition, but swap partitions

are found only on Linux and UNIX systems. A swap partition’s only job is to

act like RAM when your system needs more RAM than you have installed.

Windows has a similar function with a page file that uses a special file

instead of a partition, as you’ll recall from Chapter 4, “RAM.”

When to Partition

Partitioning is not a common task for an already-setup system. The two most

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!