1.

3 OS BOOTING
CONCEPTS
 Learning Objectives

• After completing this chapter, you should be

able to:
• • Understand what is boot loader
• • Understand what is boot sector
• • Describe the basic system boot process
• • Explain the MS-DOS boot process
• • Explain the Windows XP boot process
• • Explain the Linux boot process
 OS BOOTING CONCEPTS

This topic cover:

1. Basic system Boot process
2. MS-DOS Boot Process
3. Windows XP Boot Process
4. Linux Boot Process.
 KEY TERMS IN BOOTING
PROCESS
• BIOS
• Booting
• Boot Sequence
• Cold Boot (hard boot)
• Warm Boot (soft boot)
• Boot Loader
• Boot Sector
 What Is Booting a Computer?

• Booting a computer refers to the process of

powering on the computer and starting the
operating system.
• The operating system is a program that makes
all your software applications and hardware
work together, so you can do the work you want
to do. Once you hit the power button, it's all
automatic from there. The boot process loads
the operating system into main memory or the
random access memory (RAM) installed on your
computer.
 WHAT IS BOOTING?
• Booting is the process of starting a computer. It can be initiated by
hardware such as a button press, or by a software command. After it is
switched on, a computer's central processing unit (CPU) has no software
in its main memory, so some process must load software into memory
before it can be executed. This may be done by hardware or firmware in
the CPU, or by a separate processor in the computer system.
• Restarting a computer also is called rebooting (warm boot) which can be
"hard", e.g. after electrical power to the CPU is switched from off to on,
or "soft" (cold boot) where the power is not cut.
• The BIOS, operating system and hardware components of a computer
system should all be working correctly for it to boot. If any of these
elements fail, it leads to a failed boot sequence.
 Boot Process

• When you push the power button, power is sent to a small bootloader program, which
loads the computer's operating system. The bootloader is located in the cache
memory. The cache memory is a portion of your RAM that is directly attached to the
central processing unit (CPU), which is the brains of your computer.
• Once the bootloader program gets power, it starts the process of activating the
operating system. If you were to see this happening, it would show a black screen
with the text of the boot up processes.
• During the boot process, the first thing that happens is the POST or Power on Self
Test. When the POST is running, you will typically see lights flashing and hear a
series of beeps. Basically the computer is performing a test to make sure all the
attached hardware is communicating clearly with the CPU.
• Once the POST is complete, the BIOS, or Basic Input/Output System, is activated.
The BIOS is actually stored in read only memory (ROM). So, the bootloader program
opens or wakes up the BIOS, which then finds the complete loading instructions on a
bootable device, typically the hard disk.
Starting The Computer
OS BOOTING CONCEPTS
Two types of Booting
COMPUTER BOOTING SEQUENCE
Steps In the Booting
Process
 Steps In the Booting
Process
Step 1: BIOS and Setup Program
• ROM (read-only memory): it is a permanent and
unchanging memory also
• BIOS (basic input/output system ): the part of the
system software that includes the instructions that the
computer uses to accept input and output
• Load: to transfer from a storage device to memory. The
ROM loads BIOS into the computer’s memory
• Setup program: a special program containing settings
to control hardware. Furthermore, the program can
only be accessed while the BIOS information is visible
 Steps In the Booting
Process
Step 2: The Power-On-Self-Test (POST)
• POST (Power-On Self-Test): a series of tests
conducted on the computer’s main memory,
input/output devices, disk drives, and the hard
disk.
• BIOS conducts Power-On-Self-Test to check the
input/ output system for operability.
• The computer will produce a beeping sound if
any problem occurs. An error message will also
appear on the monitor
 Steps In the Booting
Process
Step 3: The Operating System (OS) Loads
• BIOS searches for the operating system.
• Setting in CMOS: complementary metal oxide
semiconductor determines where to look for the
operating system.
• In this step, the operating system’s kernel is also
loaded into the computer’s memory.
• The operating system takes control of the
computer and begins loading system configuration
information.
 Steps In the Booting
Process
Step 4: System Configuration
• Registry: a database to store information about
peripherals and software
• Peripheral: a device connected to a computer
• Drive: a utility program that makes peripheral
devices function properly
• The operating system’s registry configures the
system.
• In this step, drivers are also loaded into memory.
 Steps In the Booting
Process
Step 5: System Utility Loads
• System utilities are loaded into memory
.
• Volume control
• Antivirus software
• PC card unplugging utility
 Steps In the Booting
Process
Step 6: Users Authentication
• Authentication or user login occurs
• Username
• Password
 BOOTING PROCESS IN DOS OPERATING SYSTEM

• In the case of DOS, booting process

starts when we start computer and
continues till DOS prompt is displayed.
The booting process of DOS mainly
deals with loading three main system
files of DOS into memory. These files
are IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS and COMMA
ND.COM
STEP IN DOS BOOTING PROCESS

1. Once the computer system is turned on, BIOS (Basic Input

/Output System) performs a series of activities or functionality
test on programs stored in ROM, called on Power-on Self
Test (POST) that checks to see whether peripherals in system are
in perfect order or not.

2. After the BIOS is done with pre-boot activities or functionality

test, it read bootable sequence from CMOS (Common Metal
Oxide Semiconductor) and looks for master boot record in first
physical sector of the bootable disk as per boot device sequence
specified in CMOS. For example, if the boot device sequence is –
• Floppy Disk
• Hard Disk
• CDROM
 STEP IN DOS BOOTING
PROCESS
3. After this, master boot record will be searched first in a floppy
disk drive. If not found, then hard disk drive will be searched
for master boot record. But if the master boot record is
not even present on hard disk, then CDROM drive will be
searched. If the system is not able to read master boot record
from any of these sources, ROM displays the message “No
Boot device found” and system is halted. On finding master
boot record from a particular bootable disk drive, operating
system loader, also called Bootstrap loader is loaded from boot
sector of that bootable drive· into memory. A bootstrap loader is a
special program that is present in boot sector of bootable drive.

4. Bootstrap loader first loads the IO.SYS file. After

this, MSDOS.SYS file is loaded which is core file of DOS
operating system.
STEP IN DOS BOOTING PROCESS

5. After this, MSDOS.SYS file searches to find Command

Interpreter in CONFIG.SYS file and when it finds, it loads
into memory. If no Command Interpreter specified in
the CONFIG.SYS file, the COMMAND.COM file is
loaded as default Command Interpreter of DOS operating
system.

6. The last file is to be loaded and executed is

the AUTOEXEC.BAT file that contains a sequence of DOS commands.
After this, the prompt is displayed, and we can see drive letter of
bootable drive displayed on the computer system, which indicates that
operating system has been successfully on the system from that drive.
Windows Booting
Sequence
Booting Process For
Windows
 WINDOWS BOOTING
• There are five major sequences that occur during
Windows XP Professional boot process:
1. Pre-boot sequence
Begins when the power is turned on. The computer
performs self-check routines and locates a boot record.
• POST (Power On Self Test) test memory and
subsystems. Systems run POST for any devices that
have a BIOS.
• BIOS read the MBR. MBR takes over means that
Windows is now in control.
• MBR looks NTLDR at the BOOT SECTOR.
 WINDOWS BOOTING

2. Boot sequence
Hardware configuration is detected and
loaded.
• NTLDR is the boot loader for Windows XP.
• Allow memory addressing.
• Initiate the file system.
• Read the BOOT.INI
• Load the boot menu.
 WINDOWS BOOTING
3. Kernel Load Sequence
• Operating Systems components are loaded into memory.
• Once XP selected from the Boot Menu, NTLDR run:
• NTDETECT.COM
• BOOT.INI
• NTBOOTDD.SYS
• Load NTOSKRNL.EXE and HAL.DLL => located in
%SystemRoot%System32.
• Read the registry, choose hardware profile and
authorize device driver.
 WINDOWS BOOTING

4. Kernel Initiation Sequence

• Windows XP Professional kernel takes
control of the system.
• NTOSKRNL.EXE takes over
 WINDOWS BOOTING

5. Log On Sequence
• When the Log On to Windows dialog
box is displayed and users can log on.
• WINLOGON.EXE starts.
• LSASS.EXE starts => display Logon
screen.
Linux Booting Process
Linux Booting Sequence

1. Boot Loader (Kernel Loader) finds the kernel

image on the disk and loads it into memory.
• Task – load the Linux kernel
• GRUB (Grand Unified Bootloader) and LILO
(Linux Loader) are the most popular Linux boot
loader.
• Kernel image is the management of the system’s
resources and the software components like
process management, memory management,
device management and system call.
Linux Booting Sequence

2. The kernel initializes the device and its drivers.

3. The kernel mounts the root file system.
4. The kernel starts a program called init.
- Init is the root/parent of all processes
executing on Linux. The main purpose of init is to
start and stop other program in a particular sequence.
5. Init sets the rest of the processes in motion.

6. The last processes that init starts as part of the boot

sequence allow user to log in.
 Multiple OS Booting Process

Multi-booting is the act of installing multiple operating

systems on a single computer, and being able to choose
which one to boot. The term dual-booting refers to the
common configuration of specifically two operating
systems. Multi-booting may require a
custom boot loader.
For example: you can have both Linux and Windows on
the same computer, or install Windows or Linux
alongside Mac OS X.
Vidoe on Booting Process

• https://youtu.be/PSnGuvylWBI