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 jong21
Mycologist/CSMajor
Registered: 05/27/03
Posts: 576
Loc: Berkeley, CA
Last seen: 18 years, 9 months
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 Interesting: How Windows boots 
#2888242 - 07/14/04 12:50 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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Ever wonder what is really going on when you turn on your computer? Here is an interesting excerpt from my OS textbook:
"The booting of a Windows XP PC begins when the hardware powers on and the BIOS begins executing from ROM. The BIOS identifies the system device to be booted, and loads and executes the bootstrap loader from the front of the disk. This loader knows enough about the file-system format to load the NTLDR program from the root directory of the system device. NTLDR is used to determine which boot device contains the operating system. Next the NTLDR loads in the HAL (Hardware-abstraction layer) library, the kernel, and the system hive (registry) from the boot device. From the system hive it determines what device drivers are needed to boot the system (the boot drivers) and loads them. Finally NTLDR begins kernel execution.
The kernel initializes the system and creates two processes. The system process contains all the internal worker threads, and never executes in user mode. The first user-mode process created is SMSS, which is similar to the INIT process in UNIX. SMSS does further initialization of the system, including establishing the paging files and loading device drivers, and creates the WINLOGON and CSRSS processes. CSRSS is the Win32 subsystem. WINLOGON brings up the rest of the system, including the LSASS security subsystem and the remaining services needed to run the system.
The system optimizes the boot process by pre-loading files from disk based on previous boots of the system. Disk access patterns at boot are also used to re-layout system files on disk to reduce the number of I/O operations required. The processes required to start the system is reduced by grouping services into one process. All of these approaches contribute to a dramatic reduction in system boot time compared to earlier versions of Windows."
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I either talk about my friends in the first or third person, but I never, ever talk about myself on this website. Except that last sentence.
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 AhronZombi
AhronZombi
Registered: 04/06/04
Posts: 1,265
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: jong21]
#2888502 - 07/14/04 03:31 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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allot like the boot up of any modern os
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funkymonk
Get's down, withthe get-down.
Registered: 11/29/02
Posts: 8,160
Loc: saskatchewan
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: AhronZombi]
#2889474 - 07/14/04 12:17 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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^^^^^^^^^
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jong21
Mycologist/CSMajor
Registered: 05/27/03
Posts: 576
Loc: Berkeley, CA
Last seen: 18 years, 9 months
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: funkymonk]
#2890205 - 07/14/04 02:45 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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Maybe some people aren't as all- knowing as you guys are.
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I either talk about my friends in the first or third person, but I never, ever talk about myself on this website. Except that last sentence.
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Le_Canard
The Duk Abides
Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 94,392
Loc: Earthfarm 1 
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 Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: jong21]
#2890438 - 07/14/04 03:39 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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This is interesting. Thanks for posting this! 
Edited by Le_Canard (07/14/04 03:45 PM)
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero
Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
Last seen: 20 days, 11 hours
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: jong21]
#2892500 - 07/15/04 06:44 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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Don't get too excited about the description... it is very bare bones and left a lot of the details out...
For example, taking just the first few moments of the boot process... "The BIOS identifies the system device to be booted, and loads and executes the bootstrap loader from the front of the disk" is actually:
The bios loads the master boot record (512 bytes) from the first block of the hard drive into memory at location 0000:7c00. The master boot record contains the partition table for the hard drive and just over 200 bytes of code. The code first relocates itself to a different memory address, then searches the partition table for an active partition. If not active partition is found, an error message is displayed. If an active partition is found, the code loads the boot sector (512 bytes) of the active partition into the MBRs original memory location at 0000:7c00. Execution is then transfered to the start of the boot sector code.
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Just another spore in the wind.
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blink
eye of horus
Registered: 03/31/02
Posts: 11,349
Loc: Geographic Location (Stat...
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: Seuss]
#2892821 - 07/15/04 08:50 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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and that's just the BIOS!
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero
Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
Last seen: 20 days, 11 hours
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: blink]
#2892866 - 07/15/04 09:06 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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> and that's just the BIOS
Actually, it is just the first step after BIOS transfers control to whatever is on the primary boot device.
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Just another spore in the wind.
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Barbi
Plastic Person
Registered: 04/22/02
Posts: 12,976
Last seen: 19 years, 29 days
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: Seuss]
#2892879 - 07/15/04 09:11 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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Seuss has a big internet penis, and dont you forget it!
/me runs off to masturbate to hex.
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero
Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
Last seen: 20 days, 11 hours
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: Barbi]
#2892910 - 07/15/04 09:27 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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> /me runs off to masturbate to hex
 When I was in highschool, I was learning assembly language, and hex... so I started doing my algebra homework in hex instead of decimal, for practice... great plan until I got back a test which I had accidently done in hex... luckly the teacher allowed me to convert my hex answers back into base 10.
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Just another spore in the wind.
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Barbi
Plastic Person
Registered: 04/22/02
Posts: 12,976
Last seen: 19 years, 29 days
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: Seuss]
#2893160 - 07/15/04 11:17 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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Did you know there is a big ball of fire, that heats the planet outside?
I also hear strange rumors of these 'females' that seem to exist only on the monitor...
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afoaf
CEO DBK?
Registered: 11/08/02
Posts: 32,665
Loc: Ripple's Heart
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: Barbi]
#2893538 - 07/15/04 01:35 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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say it ain't so!
all your base are hex.
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All I know is The Growery is a place where losers who get banned here go.
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matts
matts
Registered: 01/28/02
Posts: 3,649
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: jong21]
#2894325 - 07/15/04 05:52 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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monoamine
umask 077(nonefor you)
Registered: 09/06/02
Posts: 3,095
Loc: Jacksonville,FL
Last seen: 18 years, 2 months
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: matts]
#2894379 - 07/15/04 06:08 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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asshole
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People think that if you just say the word "hallucinations" it explains everything you want it to explain and eventually whatever it is you can't explain will just go away.It's just a word,it doesn't explain anything...
Douglas Adams
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matts
matts
Registered: 01/28/02
Posts: 3,649
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: monoamine]
#2894406 - 07/15/04 06:15 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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monoamine
umask 077(nonefor you)
Registered: 09/06/02
Posts: 3,095
Loc: Jacksonville,FL
Last seen: 18 years, 2 months
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: matts]
#2894775 - 07/15/04 08:22 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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What do you do exactly? Are you one of those unlucky bastards that has to deal with end users?
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People think that if you just say the word "hallucinations" it explains everything you want it to explain and eventually whatever it is you can't explain will just go away.It's just a word,it doesn't explain anything...
Douglas Adams
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AhronZombi
AhronZombi
Registered: 04/06/04
Posts: 1,265
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: matts]
#2895529 - 07/15/04 11:25 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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man maybe if you didnt have sex with computers all day you wouldnt be so negative about them
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero
Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
Last seen: 20 days, 11 hours
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: Barbi]
#2896292 - 07/16/04 08:23 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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> Did you know there is a big ball of fire, that heats the planet outside?
I do get out from time to time... though I am usually sailing, drinking, or diving...
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Just another spore in the wind.
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MAIA
World-BridgerKartikeya (DftS)
Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 7,391
Loc: Erra - 20 Tauri - M45 Sta...
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: monoamine]
#2896887 - 07/16/04 12:10 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Are you one of those unlucky bastards that has to deal with end users?
Please! I'm at work and i'm doing this dirty job. A programmer doing technical assistance on software, i hate it ... go figure, my coworkers, most of them are on vacations !!!!
OH ! The beach and the sun and i'm surrounded by computers and customers calling on the phone. Aaaarrrghhh !!!!!
MAIA
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Spiritual being, living a human experience ... The Shroomery Mandala
 
Use, do not abuse; neither abstinence nor excess ever renders man happy.
Voltaire
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Geezer
experimental
Registered: 07/18/04
Posts: 71
Loc: UK
Last seen: 18 years, 15 days
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: jong21]
#2903136 - 07/18/04 05:30 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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Micro$soft released a nifty app for windows XP i think.
They stopped the download of it for some reason, but i have it and it can speed up boot time a fair bit.
.http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/sysperf/fastboot/BootVis.mspx
I can ftp it up somewhere if anyone wants to try it.
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AhronZombi
AhronZombi
Registered: 04/06/04
Posts: 1,265
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: Geezer]
#2906721 - 07/19/04 09:04 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Geezer said:
Micro$soft released a nifty app for windows XP i think.
They stopped the download of it for some reason, but i have it and it can speed up boot time a fair bit.
.http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/sysperf/fastboot/BootVis.mspx
I can ftp it up somewhere if anyone wants to try it.
pm me a link of someplace to DL that please
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Geezer
experimental
Registered: 07/18/04
Posts: 71
Loc: UK
Last seen: 18 years, 15 days
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: AhronZombi]
#2907546 - 07/20/04 03:18 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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Sure thing,
It was freeware so i don't think there would be a problem with me posting the url in public.
http://www.getting-involved.com/BootVis.exe
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Phluck
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/10/99
Posts: 11,394
Loc: Canada
Last seen: 1 month, 6 days
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Re: Interesting: How Windows boots [Re: Seuss]
#2962957 - 08/04/04 02:12 AM (19 years, 3 months ago) |
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This reminds me. When I was in high school I wrote a boot loader + a really simple file system in assembly. I could load a chunk of data from the disk into memory and then run it. The code is locked away in an old Toshiba 486 laptop that will no longer POST. I pulled it out of my closet last week and poked at it a bit but I couldn't get it to do anything.
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"I have no valid complaint against hustlers. No rational bitch. But the act of selling is repulsive to me. I harbor a secret urge to whack a salesman in the face, crack his teeth and put red bumps around his eyes." -Hunter S Thompson
http://phluck.is-after.us
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