Description of the booting process - SS1 ICT Lesson Note

The booting process is the sequence of operations that a computer goes through when it's turned on or restarted. It involves loading the operating system (OS) into the computer's memory so that it can start running. The booting process can be broken down into several stages:

 

Power-On Self-Test (POST): When you turn on your computer, the system performs a self-test to check if all hardware components are working properly. If any issues are detected, the system may display error messages.

 

Bootstrap Loader: After the POST, the computer looks for the bootloader program, which is usually located in the Master Boot Record (MBR) of the hard drive or other storage device. The bootloader's role is to locate and load the operating system's kernel into memory.

 

Operating System Kernel Loading: The bootloader hands over control to the operating system's kernel. The kernel initializes hardware devices, sets up memory management, and prepares the system for user interaction.

 

User Mode Initialization: Once the kernel is loaded, the OS initializes various user-level processes and services, such as the graphical user interface (GUI) and background services.