drive / running gear
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drive
A device in a computer that is used to read and/or write data on storage media such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs.
Mein neuer Laptop ist so dünn, weil er kein optisches Laufwerk mehr hat.
My new laptop is so thin because it no longer has an optical drive.
The word 'Laufwerk' is made up of the verb 'laufen' (to run) and the noun 'das Werk' (mechanism, in this sense). So it describes a mechanism that makes something 'laufen' (run) or on which something 'läuft' (runs).
Das Laufwerk des alten Kassettenrekorders ist kaputt.
The drive mechanism of the old cassette recorder is broken.
The meaning as a computer component can be recognized by words from the IT world. When the context mentions 'Computer' (computer), 'Daten' (data), 'CD', 'Festplatte' (hard drive), or 'installieren' (to install), it refers to a data-storage drive.
Bitte legen Sie die CD in das Laufwerk ein, um das Programm zu installieren.
Please insert the CD into the drive to install the program.
The meaning as the drive system of a vehicle becomes clear from the context of heavy machinery or military vehicles. Words like 'Panzer' (tank), 'Bagger' (excavator), 'Kette' (track), or 'Raupe' (crawler track) are clear signals.
Nach dem Einsatz im Schlamm musste das Laufwerk des Panzers gereinigt werden.
After use in the mud, the tank's running gear had to be cleaned.
In the computer context, 'Laufwerk' is often identified with a letter and colon, e.g. 'Laufwerk C:' (drive C:). Typical verbs are 'einbauen' (to install), 'anschließen' (to connect), 'erkennen' (to recognize/detect), or 'formatieren' (to format).
Ich muss das neue Laufwerk noch formatieren, bevor ich es benutzen kann.
I still need to format the new drive before I can use it.
plate / record
'die Platte' and 'das Laufwerk' can both occur in computer contexts. Colloquially, 'die Platte' often means the hard drive, that is, the storage in a computer. 'Das Laufwerk' more often means a device that reads from or writes to a storage medium, for example a CD or DVD drive. The words can be confused because both have to do with data and storage. A practical tip: the data are stored on the 'Platte'; the 'Laufwerk' reads or writes data on a medium.
Das Laufwerk erkennt die DVD nicht mehr.
The drive no longer recognizes the DVD.
Auf meiner Platte ist kaum noch Platz für neue Fotos.
There is hardly any space left on my hard drive for new photos.