Boot

In computing, booting is a bootstrapping process that starts operating systems when the user turns on a computer system. A boot sequence is the set of operations the computer performs when it is switched on that load an operating system. Boot is the process of starting-up of a computer; which involves loading the operating system and other basic software. Bootstrapping was shortened to booting, or the process of starting up any computer. A "Bootstrap" most commonly refers to the simple program itself that actually begins the initialization of the computer s operating system.

!here are two "inds of boot process. #. A cold boot is when you turn the computer on from an off position. $. A warm boot is when you reset a computer that is already on. Hard reboot A hard reboot %also "nown as a cold reboot, cold boot or cold start& is when power to a computer is cycled %turned off and then on& or a special reset signal to the processor is triggered %from a front panel switch of some sort&. !his restarts the computer without first performing any shut-down procedure. It may be caused by power failure, be done by accident, or be done deliberately as a last resort to forcibly retrieve the system from instances. Soft reboot A soft reboot %also "nown as a warm reboot& is restarting a computer under software control, without removing power or %directly& triggering a reset line. It usually, though not always, refers to an orderly shutdown and restarting of the machine. Bootstrapping (computing) In computing, bootstrapping refers to a process where a simple system activates another more complicated system that serves the same purpose. !he term is most often applied to the process of starting up a computer, in which a mechanism is needed to e'ecute the software program that is responsible for e'ecuting software programs %the (perating system&. Boot loader !his program s only )ob is to load other software for the operating system to start. (ften, multiple-stage boot loaders are used; in which several small programs of increasing comple'ity summon each other, until the last of them loads the operating system. *arly programmable computers had a row of toggle switches on the front panel to allow the operator to manually enter the binary boot instructions into memory before transferring control to the +,-. !he boot loader would then read the operating system in from an outside storage medium such as paper tape, punched card, or an old fi'ed head dis" drive. Second-stage boot loader !he small program is most often not itself an operating system, but only a second-stage boot loader, such as .!/01, /I/( or 21-B. It will then be able to load the operating system properly, and finally transfer e'ecution to it. !he system will initialize itself, and may load device drivers and other programs that are needed for the normal operation of the (3. BIOS boot devices A boot device is any device that must be initialized prior to loading the operating system. !his includes the primary input device %"eyboard&, the primary output device %display&, and the initial program load device %floppy drive, hard drive, +0-1(4, -3B flash drive, etc.&. Random reboot 1andom reboot is a non-technical term referring to an unintended %and often undesired& reboot for which the cause is not immediately evident to the user. 3uch reboots may occur due to a multitude of software and hardware problems, such as triple faults. System call In computing, a system call is the mechanism used by an application program to re5uest service from the operating system.