True or False: A computer virus can hide itself on a floppy disk (diskette) but not on a hard disk drive.

Introduction / Context:This item tests conceptual understanding of what a computer virus is and where it can reside. Early viruses spread via diskettes, but storage medium restrictions are a misconception; viruses are software that can exist on many writable media and within files or boot sectors.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Claim: Virus can hide in a diskette but not on a hard disk.
• Context: General PC malware behavior, independent of specific OS versions.

Concept / Approach:A virus is malicious code that attaches to hosts (executables, documents with macros, boot records). Its persistence depends on write access and execution, not on whether the medium is a diskette or a hard disk. If code can be written and executed or loaded during boot, a virus can persist there.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:Historical evidence: boot-sector viruses (e.g., Michelangelo era) infected hard disks and diskettes alike by modifying boot records or executable files loaded by the OS.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• True: Incorrect because hard disks are just as susceptible as diskettes when malware gains write/execute paths.

Common Pitfalls:

• Confusing infection vectors (e.g., removable media) with limitations on residency.
• Assuming modern protections (e.g., secure boot) apply retroactively to all contexts.

Final Answer:False