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Computer Boot Process Explained

When a computer is turned on, it goes through several steps to load the operating system. First, the BIOS runs self-tests on hardware and loads the MBR from storage. The MBR runs the bootloader, which loads the operating system into memory. Finally, the operating system initializes and displays a login prompt. The boot process ensures hardware is working and loads the OS to make the computer functional.

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67 views5 pages

Computer Boot Process Explained

When a computer is turned on, it goes through several steps to load the operating system. First, the BIOS runs self-tests on hardware and loads the MBR from storage. The MBR runs the bootloader, which loads the operating system into memory. Finally, the operating system initializes and displays a login prompt. The boot process ensures hardware is working and loads the OS to make the computer functional.

Uploaded by

samoti372
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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com/cs/)

Computer Boot Process


Explained
Last modified: July 22, 2022

Written by: baeldung


(https://www.baeldung.com/cs/author/baeldung)

OS (https://www.baeldung.com/cs/category/core-concepts/os-
core-concepts)

1. Overview
Booting
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booting#:~:text=In%20computing
%2C%20booting%20is%20the,before%20it%20can%20be%20exe
cuted.) is the process of loading an operating system. It’s the
process that starts when we turn on the computer (using the
power button or by a software command) and ends when the
operating system is loaded into the memory.
In this tutorial, we’ll explain what exactly happens during each
step of the booting process.

2. Running BIOS
When we turn on the computer, there is no program inside the
computer’s main memory (RAM), so the CPU looks for another
program, called the BIOS
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BIOS#System_startup) (Basic
Input/Output System), and runs it. The BIOS is a firmware that is
located on the motherboard and is run by the CPU to start the
booting sequence:

3. Running POST
After the BIOS starts running, it starts a process called POST
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power-on_self-test) (Power-On
Self-Test) which tests all the hardware devices and makes sure
there are no issues. Moreover, if POST finds some issues in the
hardware, the booting process stops and the computer fails to
boot.

4. Loading MBR to RAM


After running POST, the BIOS proceeds to load the MBR
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record) (Master
Boot Record) from the bootable device into RAM. The MBR
consists of 512 or more bytes located at the very beginning
sector of the bootable device (which can be an HDD, an SSD, or
a flash drive).
Below is a simplified structure of the MBR:

5. Running the Bootloader


After loading the MBR into RAM, the BIOS runs the first
instruction loaded from the MBR. The first instruction is typically
the bootstrap code, aka the bootloader, which is a program
written in machine code that loads the operating system into
RAM.
Each operating system has its own bootloaders. For example,
GNU GRUB (https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/), LILO
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LILO_(bootloader)) (Linux
Loader), and rEFInd (https://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/) are a
few popular Linux bootloaders:
6. Running the OS
Once the OS is loaded into the memory, the OS starts running.
Further, the OS starts its own initialization (which includes
loading device drivers, setting up libraries, etc). Finally, when
the OS initialization is finished, the OS starts a shell that displays
a login prompt to the user:

7. Conclusion
In this article, we went through every step of the booting
process and explained what happens during each step.

Comments are closed on this article!

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