Cold boot
(also cold start, hard boot, dead start)
Cold boot definition
A cold boot is a method where the computer is powered off first or is given a command that causes it to restart. A standard computer will run a short software during the cold boot procedure. A second program is launched at this point, the one responsible for loading the operating system. Boot is an old computing term derived from “bootstrap load.” The term’s origins can be traced back to the non-technical expression “pulled yourself up by your own bootstraps,” which refers to the straps that fasten a pair of cowboy boots together. Within the realm of computing, the computer was sufficiently autonomous to load its own operating system after a sequence was begun. The phrase “boot load” eventually evolved into the more common “booting.”
Cold boot functions
- Removes power and clears the memory (RAM) of all internal data.
- Fixes erratic program behavior.
- Resets the system completely.
- Has an automatic control function.
Cold booting steps
- When turned on, a computer loads the predetermined memory location into the IR (instruction register) to execute instructions. The ROM’s bootstrap program is in the memory.
- The bootstrap program runs the power-on self-test (POST) to check the computer system’s components. The RAM, system bus, disk drivers, internal clock, visual display card, and keyboard are tested. Speaker beeps signal test success.
- It reads code from the boot sector into the main memory after passing the POST test. Next, the rest of the location section of the bootstrap program is loaded.
- The system works successfully when the bootstrap software loads the OS kernel and device drivers into memory.