A Windows Server 2003 startup process requires three startup files:Ntldr.exe, ntdetect.com and boot. ini. The following is the steps when it starts up.
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- Press the power key on the computer, the power-on self test (post) loads the system BIOS into memory.
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- The BIOS reads the MBR (Master Boot Record) contents.
- MBR reads the contents of the boot sectors of each partition until it finds a bootable sector.
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- The Boot Sector Program reads the boot directory and loads Windows Server 2003 loader, also called ntldr, into memory.
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- Ntldr loads the basic memory configuration and then loads itself into high memory.
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- Ntldr switches the server to the 32-Bit mode, which is a protected mode.
- Ntldr reads the boot. ini Startup File and loads the OS. C: \ Windows.
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- Ntldr loads ntdetect.com, which is a 16-bit application and is also called ntdetect. to do this, ntldr switches the server back to the 16-Bit mode, which is a real mode, from the protected mode.
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- Ntldr loads itself into memory and reads the resource map.
- Ntldr switches the server to the protected mode again to creates the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/hardware register key. to do this, it sets up the ring 0 mode for the kernel and then loads the appropriate ntoskrnl Kernel File, the hardware implements action layer (HALHardware Abstraction Layer), And the boot drivers for the server.
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- Ntldr starts the run process for ntoskrnl. This enables win Server 2003 to start and run normally.
