When starting a computer, why is this called "booting it"?

Answer 1

faraz is correct to some extent. N3WJL is correct but he should have explained a little more.

The following brief discussion may help u.

When u switch on your machine the processor first executes some code called BIOS written in a rom chip. This chip resides on ur mother board. The bios program performs POST(Power On Self Test) etc....The end of the Bios program instructs the processor to read the first 512 bytes of the Hard disk (or some other bootable disk) called the master boot record(MBR). Actually the boot loader is in the first 446 bytes and the next 64 bytes contains the partition table.

What is a boot loader?
Well, it's a program. A small part of the OS.

What does it do?

To be executed the Operating System must be loaded in the RAM. The bootloader performs exactly this task.

Why the name of the program is so?

Well, read it carefully. Can u lift urself by ur bootstrap(Shoe lace)? You can't. The bootstrap loader part of the OS, performs this impossible (in physical life) task of loading the OS, by a part of itself, to the RAM. That's why the name.

Why starting a computer is called booting?

Because starting a computer always involves running the bootstrap loader program. Without running the bootstrap loader it is not possible to start the computer. Corrupt the MBR, and u shall realize the fact with some bitter experience.

"In the early days of computing" story is totally incorrect. Till today every Operating system must have its own bootloader. A computer can never start unless a bootloader runs. Erase or corrupt the MBR by some raw writing program (For example DD in unix), and never again u shall narrate the "early days of computing" story.

I have oversimplified and overshortened the topic because it is not possible to give the full detail of so complicated a topic in yahoo answers. But I believe I could give u the basic Idea and that's what u needed. If u need further detail feel free to mail me. I shall mention u books and chapters to read.

Answer 2

booting is a short-hand for bootstraping . boot strapping means starting a complex system from a simpler one.
it has different meaning in different context, e.g in compilers writing a compiler of language x in itself(language x). in computing terms, bootstraping is starting the OS from a simpler boot code.
in Ibm pc, when a computer boots, a number of things happens behind the scene. when you switch on the computer the BIOS cames into action, it performs different checks ,e.g Memory count, initializes registers,keyboard, other peripherals,like ide,video adapters. then loads the sector 0 (known as MBR-and contains bootloader) of your HDD into the memory, and transfer the control to this. now this piece of code continues to load the OS installed on the machine.
This whole process is known as booting/boot strapping. When you install an OS , it over-rides the bootloader which will be used to load the OS,
this way pc-vendors adapted a more loosely coupling between a machine and its OS, i.e. by shifiting responsiblity to boot loader to load the OS, which (bootloader ) will itself loaded by the BIOS,

Answer 3

Boot-To load the 1st piece of utility that starts a working laptop or workstation. because of the fact the working device is mandatory for working all different classes, that's often the 1st piece of utility loaded in the process the boot technique. Boot is short for bootstrap, which in olden days grew to become right into a strap linked to the precise of your boot which you would be able to pull to help get your boot on. for this reason, the expression "pull oneself up with the aid of the bootstraps." further, bootstrap utilities help the workstation commence. (n.) short for bootstrap, the commencing-up of a working laptop or workstation, which is composed of loading the working device and different undemanding utility. a cold boot is once you swap the workstation on from an off place. A heat boot is once you reset a working laptop or workstation that's already on.

Answer 4

In the old days, when computers were the size of a room, they had to store their hard drives in an old boot, something about the leather preserving it or something. So therefore when they installed their hard drive card to start the computer they had to take it out of the boot, therefore booting it. ;-)

Answer 5

Because the BIOS program that runs is called a boot strap program. As in pulling yourself up by your own boot straps.

Answer 6

In the early days of computers, when a computer started it knew nothing,, so it was considered to be "pulling itself up by it's own boot straps",, hence the term - booting up. the term stuck,, now that's a good one,. yes,, true.

Answer 7

''Pull yourself up from the bootstraps'' is an English adage to get ready, i.e., tie up your boots for work. The word 'booting' is derived from this adage. Computer hardware has an interrupt called' bootstrap loader'.

Answer 8

becuase in the early days of computing computer were very easy to crash. So after several failed attempts to run an application and crashing the computer you would tend to "boot" the computer by kicking it.

Sounds pretty logical ;)

Answer 9

becoz when system start the system files loading into the memory.
booting is of two types-
1. hot booting-when system starts through on/off button
2. cold booting-when system start through restart button

Answer 10

booting means.. your computer is starting...