What type of storage retains data even when the power supply is turned off?

Study for the IB Computer Science Exam. Utilize flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations to enhance your preparation. Ensure your success with comprehensive exam prep!

Persistent storage is designed to retain data even when the power supply is turned off. This type of storage includes hard drives, solid-state drives, and flash drives, all of which maintain the information stored on them regardless of whether the device is powered. This characteristic is crucial for managing data long-term, as it allows users to retrieve their files and applications after restarting or shutting down their devices.

Other storage types like volatile storage, which includes RAM, lose their data when the power is cut off, making them unsuitable for long-term data retention. Temporary storage refers to storage space used for data that is not intended to be retained after it is no longer needed, usually related to active processes. Cache storage is a high-speed type of volatile memory used to store frequently accessed data for quick retrieval, but it also does not retain data once the system is powered down. Therefore, persistent storage is the correct answer for data that must remain intact even when powered off.

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