Snapshot

While the term "snapshot" is often used in photography, it is also a computing term that refers to a copy made of a disk drive at a specific moment in time. Snapshots are useful for backing up data at different intervals, which allows information to be recovered from different periods of time.

A hard drive snapshot includes the full directory structure of a hard disk, including all folders and files on the disk. This type of backup may also be referred to as a "disk image." Disk images allow the full disk to be restored in case the primary disk fails. Many backup programs that create snapshots also allow specific files to be recovered from the snapshot, instead of having to restore the complete backup. Since snapshots are mainly used for backup purposes, it is wise to save the snapshot to a secondary hard drive, removable drive, or optical media, such as CDs or DVDs.

Updated November 10, 2006 by Per C.

Definitions by TechTerms.com

The definition of Snapshot on this page is an original TechTerms.com definition. If you would like to reference this page or cite this definition, you can use the green citation links above.

The goal of TechTerms.com is to explain computer terminology in a way that is easy to understand. We strive for simplicity and accuracy with every definition we publish. If you have feedback about the Snapshot definition or would like to suggest a new technical term, please contact us.

Want to learn more tech terms? Subscribe to the daily or weekly newsletter and get featured terms and quizzes delivered to your inbox.

Sign up for the free TechTerms Newsletter

How often would you like to receive an email?

You can unsubscribe or change your frequency setting at any time using the links available in each email.

Questions? Please contact us.