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10.3. Boot-up Options
Booting up is a process through which the operating system is loaded into the computer's main memory or random access memory (RAM). The boot-up process starts when you turn on your computer. During this process, the BIOS takes control of your computer and decides where to look for software on the computer and in which order.Your computer's BIOS settings determine whether your computer will first check the hard disk or a floppy disc, CD, DVD or flash memory to start the booting-up process. If you have multiple operating systems installed on your computer, the BIOS configuration determines which operating system will be loaded first at boot-up.
Only after all system files have been loaded into the main memory, is the operating system given control of the computer. The operating system performs the requested initial commands and then waits for the first interactive user input.
However, as a superuser or user with administrative privileges, it is possible for you to change the boot-up configuration to define the computer's boot order, change the default operating system to boot-up or make a system command run automatically at boot-up.
One way to change or check your BIOS setting is to restart your computer, and press a key to enter the setup function before it starts to load any operating system. Generally, you can do this by pressing F1, F2, ESC or DELETE. Once you are inside the BIOS setup, you can make the desired changes by following the instructions for using the setup. However, you need to be very cautious when making any changes in the BIOS settings because a wrong setting can prevent your computer from booting-up properly.
You can also perform these configuration changes by using a command line on your computer's terminal.