On a system where multiple operating systems are installed, the decision to…
2024
On a system where multiple operating systems are installed, the decision to load a particular one at startup is made by ______.
- A.
Process control block
- B.
File control block
- C.
Boot loader
- D.
More than one of the above
- E.
None of the Above
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Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept
Between power-on and the operating system taking over, a small program called the boot loader (bootstrap loader) runs first. It is responsible for locating the installed operating system(s), presenting a choice when more than one is installed, and loading the selected kernel into memory before handing over control.
Application
On a multi-boot machine, right after the hardware self-test, the boot loader reads the boot configuration, offers the installed operating systems to choose from, and loads the selected OS's kernel into memory. This is exactly the "decision to load a particular one" the question describes — it happens through the boot loader, not through any component that only becomes active after an OS is already running.
Why the other options don't fit
Process control block — created for a process only after the OS has already started running it; tracks that process's state, not OS selection.
File control block — belongs to the file system, tracking a file's attributes and disk location; unrelated to booting.
"More than one of the above" — wrong because a single dedicated program does this job, not a combination of components.
"None of the above" — wrong because one of the listed components does perform exactly this task.