Definition: Cluster


A hard disk term that refers to a group of sectors. A cluster is considered an allocation unit. At least one cluster is allocated to each file, regardless of the file's size, that is stored in the DOS environment. The cluster size increases with the partition size determined during formatting. With a 1024 MB partition, the cluster size is 32 KB. Each file stored consumes 32 KB of storage space, no matter how small the file. Create multiple, smaller partitions to avoid wasting space on small files. (This definition applies to FAT16).




DID YOU KNOW?  DATA RECOVERY FACTS AND TERMINOLOGY:

Data Recovery Fact

AT/ATA

Name of standard interface and protocol for hard drives. See also IDE. Advanced Technology Attachment is generally used as a synonym for EIDE, as is UltraATA.

Please visit our Data Recovery Knowledgebase for more facts and terminology.