padisk

Padisk is a term used in technology to denote either a portable storage device or a software abstraction that acts like a disk. It is not a standardized term and its meaning depends on context. In consumer electronics, padisk commonly refers to a compact solid-state drive or flash-based storage device designed for portability. Such padisks connect over USB (often USB-C) or Thunderbolt, emphasize small form factor, hot-swappability, and often include features such as password protection, hardware encryption, rugged casings, and high transfer speeds. Capacities vary widely, from tens of gigabytes to several terabytes, with a focus on ease of use and interoperability with major operating systems.

In software and virtualization contexts, padisk may describe a virtual or pseudo-disk interface provided by backup, virtualization, or sandboxing tools. A padisk in this sense presents a disk-like interface backed by a file or data stream, enabling mounting, snapshotting, or streaming without a physical disk. The term is informal and vendor-specific, and may be used to describe different underlying technologies.

Etymology: padisk combines pad (portable) and disk, reflecting its dual role as portable media or virtual disk. See also: USB flash drive, external hard drive, virtual disk, disk image.