Operating Systems

Describe the process of starting a computer. Differentiate between memory resident and nonresident.

When you start or restart a computer,  a series of  messages may appear on the screen. The information displayed  varies depending on the type of the computer and the equipment installed.
The start-up process is similar  for large and small computers. as described in the following steps:

1. When the computer or mobile device was turned on,  the power supply or battery sends an electrical current to circuitry in the computer or mobile device.

2. The charge of electricity causes the processor chip to reset itself and finds the firmware that contains start-up instructions.

3. The start-up process executes a series of tests to check the various components.

4. If the tests are successful, the kernel of the operating system  and other frequently used instructions load from the computer or mobile or mobile device's internal storage media  to its memory (RAM).
The kernel is the core of an operating system that manages memory and devices, maintains the internal clock, runs programs, and assigns the resources. the kernel is memory resident  which means it remains in memory while the computer or mobile device is running while nonresident instructions remain on a storage medium until they are needed, at which time they are transfer to memory (Ram)

5. The operating system in memory takes control of the computer or mobile device and loads system configuration information.