Booting is a process that takes place every time you power on your computer. In simple terms, it refers to the process of initializing the operating system on a computer. In this article, we will go through the different stages of the booting process and the types of booting.
The first stage in the booting process is power on. This takes place when you press the power button on your computer. Once you press the power button, the CPU moves to BIOS, which is available in ROM (Read-Only Memory). BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System, which will execute the Power On Self Test (POST). This process checks whether all the hardware related to the CPU is in working condition. If all hardware is working, the booting process will continue.
After the POST is successful, the BIOS will load MBR (Master Boot Record) to RAM (Random Access Memory). Once the MBR is loaded, the bootloader will be loaded to RAM. The bootloader is responsible for loading the operating system into RAM. There are different stages of bootloader, which loads the operating system into RAM and starts executing it.
There are two types of booting – hard booting and soft booting. Hard booting refers to the process of powering on the computer. When the user presses the power button, the system boots up, and this is called a hard booting. On the other hand, soft booting refers to restarting the computer. This can be done by pressing the restart button on the computer or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete twice.
In conclusion, booting is the process of initializing the operating system on a computer. The different stages of booting include power on, BIOS execution, POST, MBR loading, and bootloader loading. There are two types of booting – hard booting and soft booting. Hard booting refers to powering on the computer, while soft booting refers to restarting the computer.