Track0
Encyclopedia
Track0 is the area located at the start of a computer disk and is predominantly used to store information regarding the layout of the disk (the partition table
) and executable code needed to boot an operating system
. Track0 typically consists of the first 63 sectors
of the disk (since each sector is normally 512 bytes, this corresponds to 32256 bytes = 31.5KB).
The first sector of Track0 is known as the master boot record
(MBR) and contains the initial code used to boot the operating system
(bootstrap code). Near the end of the MBR is the Partition Table: a predefined structure containing the layout of the disk.
Track0 is also increasingly used to store licensing information for particular pieces of software because it is an area of the disk outside of the OS filesystem and not seen or used by most computer users (and therefore cannot be easily modified or replicated).
The origins of Track0 came about from the original specifications of PCs, where computer hard disks were defined in terms of Cylinders, Heads and Sectors (CHS system
). In this context, Track0 was defined to be all the sectors on the first cylinder and first head. As with many (now legacy) original PC specifications, the terminology stuck and the first 63 sectors of modern hard disks are still referred to as Track0.
Track0 is also the name of a terminate-and-stay-resident DOS
program that allows users to revive floppy disk
s with defective first tracks by swapping it with another track under the hood. With DOS, the first track of a floppy disk is used to store system information. If the first track is defective, the whole disk becomes unusable. Track0 tries to work around this limitation.
While it was the first program of its kind, Track0 entered the game when the use of floppy disks had already declined. Even so, a plethora of similar programs appeared shortly after the release of Track0.
Partition table
The term partition table is most commonly associated with partition table but it may be used generically to refer to other "formats" that divide a disk drive into partitions, such as: GUID Partition Table, Apple partition map, or BSD disklabel.An alternative term to generically refer to partition...
) and executable code needed to boot an operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
. Track0 typically consists of the first 63 sectors
Disk sector
In computer disk storage, a sector is a subdivision of a track on a magnetic disk or optical disc. Each sector stores a fixed amount of user data. Traditional formatting of these storage media provides space for 512 bytes or 2048 bytes of user-accessible data per sector...
of the disk (since each sector is normally 512 bytes, this corresponds to 32256 bytes = 31.5KB).
The first sector of Track0 is known as the master boot record
Master boot record
A master boot record is a type of boot sector popularized by the IBM Personal Computer. It consists of a sequence of 512 bytes located at the first sector of a data storage device such as a hard disk...
(MBR) and contains the initial code used to boot the operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
(bootstrap code). Near the end of the MBR is the Partition Table: a predefined structure containing the layout of the disk.
Track0 is also increasingly used to store licensing information for particular pieces of software because it is an area of the disk outside of the OS filesystem and not seen or used by most computer users (and therefore cannot be easily modified or replicated).
The origins of Track0 came about from the original specifications of PCs, where computer hard disks were defined in terms of Cylinders, Heads and Sectors (CHS system
Cylinder-head-sector
Cylinder-head-sector, also known as CHS, was an early method for giving addresses to each physical block of data on a hard disk drive. In the case of floppy drives, for which the same exact diskette medium can be truly low-level formatted to different capacities, this is still true.Though CHS...
). In this context, Track0 was defined to be all the sectors on the first cylinder and first head. As with many (now legacy) original PC specifications, the terminology stuck and the first 63 sectors of modern hard disks are still referred to as Track0.
Track0 is also the name of a terminate-and-stay-resident DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
program that allows users to revive floppy disk
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
s with defective first tracks by swapping it with another track under the hood. With DOS, the first track of a floppy disk is used to store system information. If the first track is defective, the whole disk becomes unusable. Track0 tries to work around this limitation.
While it was the first program of its kind, Track0 entered the game when the use of floppy disks had already declined. Even so, a plethora of similar programs appeared shortly after the release of Track0.