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Which system software component is responsible for the initial process of loading the operating system when a computer is powered on?
BIOS/UEFI Firmware
MS Word
Device Driver
Application Loader
BIOS/UEFI Firmware
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) or UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) firmware is the initial software stored on non-volatile memory (like ROM or Flash) on the motherboard. It performs the Power-On Self-Test (POST) and initializes essential hardware before locating and loading the operating system bootloader into memory.
UEFI Specification v2.10 (Unified EFI Forum)
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) or UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) firmware is the initial software stored on non-volatile memory (like ROM or Flash) on the motherboard. It performs the Power-On Self-Test (POST) and initializes essential hardware before locating and loading the operating system bootloader into memory.
Boot┬аTime=TPOSTтАЛ+TBootloaderтАЛ+TOS┬аKernel┬аLoadтАЛ тАФ represents the total startup latency phases.
Upon power-up, the CPU executes code from a fixed memory address mapped to the firmware. The firmware performs hardware discovery and initiates the POST process to verify critical components like RAM and storage controllers. Once hardware readiness is confirmed, it follows the boot order sequence defined in NVRAM to locate a boot sector or EFI system partition on a secondary storage device.
BIOS is the legacy firmware interface, whereas UEFI is the modern, more secure replacement.
The firmware acts as the hardware-software interface layer during the pre-boot environment.
Non-volatile memory ensures the firmware instructions persist without continuous electrical power.
The bootloader (e.g., GRUB or Windows Boot Manager) is the handoff point between firmware and the OS kernel.
Hardware-level security through Secure Boot features (in UEFI).
Independent of the operating system, allowing hardware configuration before OS execution.
Proprietary nature of many legacy BIOS implementations.
Vulnerability to rootkits if the firmware flash is not properly protected.
Initialization of hardware peripherals (Keyboard, Display, Disk Controllers).
Managing system date and time synchronization via CMOS/RTC.
MS Word is an application software running on top of an OS, not system firmware.
Device Drivers are kernel-level modules loaded by the OS to manage specific hardware after the kernel initializes.
Application Loaders are utilities (like a dynamic linker) that load user-space programs, not the initial OS bootstrap.
A is correct тАФ BIOS/UEFI Firmware is the essential system firmware that executes the POST and bootstraps the operating system during the power-on sequence.
In exams, remember that the Bootloader is distinct from the BIOS/UEFI; the firmware loads the bootloader, which in turn loads the OS kernel.