Understanding the Boot Process: How Your Computer Starts Up
The boot process is the sequence of steps that a computer takes to load the operating system (OS) and prepare it for use. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the boot process, particularly for systems running Windows 10 or similar operating systems: Steps in the Boot Process 1. Power On and POST (Power-On Self-Test) What Happens : When you press the power button, the computer's firmware (BIOS or UEFI) initializes the hardware. It performs a POST, checking the CPU, RAM, and peripherals to ensure they are functioning correctly. Failure Here : If a component fails, you might hear beep codes (BIOS) or see error messages on the screen (UEFI). 2. BIOS/UEFI Execution BIOS : On older systems, the BIOS locates the Master Boot Record (MBR) on the bootable storage device. UEFI : On modern systems, UEFI locates the EFI Boot Manager in the EFI System Partition (ESP). Firmware Role : It decides which storage device contains the OS and begins loading the boot loader. 3. B...