C:

The designation C: (sometimes C:) is the drive letter that refers to the main partition (or portion of an hard drive) on an MS-DOS or Windows personal computer.

Related Topics:
Drive letter - Partition - Hard drive - MS-DOS - Windows - Personal computer

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It contains all of the operating system files required for operation of the computer. On many modern personal computers only one hard drive is included in the design so it is designated C:. On such a computer, all of a user's personal files are stored in directories on this drive.

Related Topics:
Operating system - Directories

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MS-DOS and Windows typically label drives as follows:

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• A: - Floppy drive (3.5-inch is the modern standard).
• B: - Reserved for floppy drive, historically also for a second floppy drive.
• C: - Main partition.
• D: through Z: - Other disk partitions are labeled here
• D: through Z: - CD, DVD and shared drives begin lettering after the last used hard drive partition designation.

See also: Drive letter assignment

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