Key Disk

1. A copy protection device more usually associated with games than business software. One Key Disk is supplied with the original software. Unless the disk is inserted into the Floppy Diskette Drive A: the program will not run.
2. A diskette required to enable a PC to start up. Some companies have adopted a personal key disk policy, whereby each user must insert their own Key Disk into a PC Floppy Drive A: before they can start up the PC. This approach does not relieve the need for an ID and password, but adds another layer of physical and logical security, because an unauthorised user cannot start the machine to attempt a log on.
   
   Key Disks often use non-standard formats, and frequently contain hidden, immovable files to defeat standard disk-copying methods. Users therefore cannot normally copy these disks, and loss, corruption, or failure of the disk can only be corrected by in-house technical staff.