Introduction
Have you ever asked yourself how many steps does your computer perform from the moment you press the power switch to turn it on till the moment your favorite desktop wallpaper shines it its full glory in front of you? Well, there are many steps that the computer performs in order you to be able to enjoy your powerful hardware and your slick software but when a step or two fails to execute and you can’t access the contents of your computer, you become more and more interested to know what exactly happens when you boot your computer and what could have potentially gone wrong that turns your ultra-high-tech computer into a useless piece of metal (and some plastic, to be more precise).
Besides that it is interesting to know what exactly happens when you boot your computer, being familiar with the basic steps that are executed during system boot can help you troubleshoot problems on your own, rather than be dependent on Technical Support for minor issues, like an unplugged power supply cable, for example.
If you are in Technical Support, then certainly it is a must to know the boot sequence of the type of machines you are supporting. Well, if you are in Technical Support, you definitely need to know more about booting than what is presented in this article but I believe that even experienced Technical Support maniacs might have something to learn from the next chapters.
Although there are slight differences between the way different systems boot, generally the process can be divided into two – booting the hardware and starting the operating system. Basically, all PCs follow the same routine and if there are differences (mainly in the BIOS-related steps), you may want to check your vendors documentation before you take any steps to troubleshoot it further. Differences in the way the operating system boots are also possible and I have mentioned them occasionally. Also, though it is hardly possible to make an exhaustive list of all possible problems and their solutions for each of the stages, I have tried to suggest some of the reasons for things to go wrong and the ways to fix the problem.