What must occur before data can be written to a partition?

For data to be successfully written to a partition, the partition must be formatted. Formatting prepares the partition by establishing a file system, which organizes how data is stored and retrieved. This process includes creating a file allocation table (FAT) or using other file system structures, ensuring that the operating system recognizes the partition and can manage its contents effectively.

Once the partition is formatted, it can accept files and other forms of data. If a partition is not formatted, the operating system will not have a structure in place to manage the writing of data, leading to errors or an inability to store new information.

The other options do not directly relate to the initial requirement for writing data to a partition. Compression is a process that reduces the size of files; transcription refers to converting information from one form to another, typically for documentation purposes; and encryption secures data by making it unreadable to unauthorized users. All these processes may be relevant to data management but do not precede the requirement for formatting a partition.