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.
running gear
The drive unit of a tracked vehicle, such as a tank or excavator, consisting of tracks, wheels, and suspension.
Bei dem Bagger war das Laufwerk durch den felsigen Untergrund stark abgenutzt.
On the excavator, the running gear was badly worn down by the rocky ground.
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.
hard drive
A „Festplatte“ permanently stores digital data, while a „Laufwerk“ reads data from a storage medium or writes data to it. Both terms can be used together in the context of computers, but they do not refer to the same thing. Use „Festplatte“ when you mean the storage medium and „Laufwerk“ when you mean the reading device.
Das Laufwerk liest die Daten von der eingelegten DVD.
The drive reads the data from the DVD that was inserted.
Die Fotos sind dauerhaft auf der Festplatte des Computers gespeichert.
The photos are stored permanently on the computer’s hard drive.
