bootstrapping

The process of loading Operating System code from a disk or other storage device into a computer's memory and preparing it to run.

Bootstrapping typically occurs in steps, starting with a very simple program (BIOS) that initializes the computer's hardware and reads a sequence of data blocks from a fixed location on a pre-determined disk, into a fixed memory location. The data thus read is the code for the next stage of bootstrapping, usually an operating system loader. The loader completes the hardware setup and results in an executing operating system, in memory.

Context Categories:

Computer System

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