Learn more about the startup sequence of a computer. Show In this step, you’ll learn how the components of a computer work together from the moment you press the “on” button. The startup sequenceFrom the moment you press the power button, a whirlwind of tasks happen inside your computer. Let’s have a look at each of the components and systems that work together to start up your computer. CPUThe CPU, or central processing unit, is a large chip inside the computer. This is the brains of the computer: it controls everything. It works by reading instructions and data from the random access memory (RAM), performing an instruction, and then writing the data back to RAM. Some of the instructions may involve other components like the hard drive, but the CPU is in control. RAMRAM temporarily stores data while your computer is running.
ROMROM stands for read-only memory. It is a chip containing data installed by the manufacturer that is not typically replaced or upgraded. It stores the BIOS.
Hard DriveThe hard drive (sometimes called the hard disk) is the main storage device in your computer. Like RAM, it can be added to and changed, and like ROM it is non-volatile, but it is slow. If you have files and folders on your computer, are stored on the hard drive. The operating system is also stored on the hard drive. BIOSBIOS stands for Basic Input Output System. The BIOS is stored in the ROM. It contains all the basic code for controlling your computer hardware (such as keyboards, mice, monitors and hard drives). After the startup sequence is complete, and control has gone to the operating system, the BIOS does very little. When you start up your computer, you may see a black screen displaying “Press F2 for Setup”. This is the BIOS. By pressing F2, you enter a setup screen where you can change where the BIOS loads the operating system from. The operating system is normally stored on the hard drive, but you can load an operating system from a USB drive or a CD instead. Startup sequenceSo, how are these components used in the startup sequence?
That’s a lot of information and acronyms! Hopefully, this step has helped you understand what happens underneath the bonnet of a computer when you turn it on. Once you know this sequence, you can create some really fun lesson plans based on it… An example lessonGive students or teams of students a component each:
Place them at different tables around the room with some paper. There should be some distance between the students so that everyone can clearly see what’s happening. Get each team to discuss the key features of their component and write them down on a large piece of paper. They could use their notes, or this could be a test of what they’ve learnt so far. Run through a simple scenario. For example, “I’m writing a document in Word and my computer crashes. What does RAM do?” Get the students to physically throw a piece of paper that was on the RAM table into the bin. It’s lost without power. Throw ROM’s data in the bin, and ask the students: is this correct? Run through the more complicated startup sequence. Have a piece of card with the word CONTROL on it to indicate who has control. Each team has to say what they’re doing as they’re doing it. For example:
Go through several iterations of the startup sequence until the students understand it without looking at their notes. If you can, get them to perform the startup sequence for another class. Physically modeling the startup sequence is a great learning opportunity for students. Once they can visually see what is happening with the components during startup, they will remember the sequence more easily. For more detailed descriptions of what’s happening inside some of these components, check out our How Computers Work course. What happens when I press the power button on a computer?You press the power button and the power supply turns on. Once the system receives a “Power Good” signal from the power supply, the CPU will seek instructions from the BIOS about initializing the system and the BIOS will start interfacing with the hardware.
When you turn on your computer it is known as booting?In computing, booting is the process of starting a computer as initiated via hardware such as a button 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.
What is cold boot and warm boot?Definition. Cold booting is the process of starting a computer from shutdown or a powerless state and setting it to the normal working condition. Warm booting is the process of restarting a computer that is already on without completely turning the computer off.
Which button is used for booting?When a computer is starting up, the user can access the Boot Menu by pressing one of several keyboard keys. Common keys for accessing the Boot Menu are Esc, F2, F10 or F12, depending on the manufacturer of the computer or motherboard.
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