Device management How does the operating system manage the hardware and peripheral devices? Device Driver: Each device is attached to your computer with a special program called a “Device Driver” This enables communication between the hardware and the operating system Most devices that we install come with device drivers included in Windows. These devices are called “Plug and Play (PnP)”

The Boot Process What are the steps involved in the boot process? Youtube Video What are the steps involved in the boot process? The basic input/output system (BIOS) is activated by powering on the CPU The BIOS checks that all attached devices are in place (Power-0n self-test “POST”) The operating system is loaded into RAM Configuration and customization settings are checked

Step 1: BIOS activation BIOS - a program that manages the data between the operating system and all the input and output devices attached to the system. The BIOS is also responsible for loading the OS from its permanent location on the hard drive into RAM BIOS itself is stored on a ROM chip on the motherboard.

Step 2: Performing the Power-on Self-Test POST - The first job BIOS performs is to ensure that essential peripheral devices are attached and operational. The POST test consists of a test on the video card and video memory, a BIOS identification process, and a memory test to ensure memory chips are working properly.

Step 3: Loading the Operating System When the previous steps are completed, BIOS searches for the “system files”, the main files of the operating system. They are then loaded from its permanent location on the hard drive to RAM.

Step 4: Checking additional configurations The OS checks the registry for the configuration of other system components. Registry: Contains all the different configurations used by the OS and by other applications. It contains the customized settings you put into place. Such as: mouse speed display settings for your monitor and desktop instructions as to which programs should be loaded first.