Boot sector vs boot loader.

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eldapeeze

eldapeeze

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Dec 23, 2012
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I've been trying to understand the difference between the 2, yet the definitions sound almost identical. What's makes these different and how do they apply to the MBR (if they do at all)? Thanks.
 
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Nathan Willis
The Boot Sector holds the files to be loaded to run programs with a fully booted OS.

The Boot Loader runs during startup to load the OS and pre-desktop programs.
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Nathan Willis

Nathan Willis

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A boot sector or boot block is a region of a hard disk, floppy disk, optical disc, or other data storage device that contains machine code to be loaded into random-access memory (RAM) by a computer system's built-in firmware. The purpose of a boot sector is to allow the boot process of a computer to load a program (usually, but not necessarily, an operating system) stored on the same storage device. The location and size of the boot sector (perhaps corresponding to a logical disk sector) is specified by the design of the computing platform.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boot_sector

A boot loader is a computer program that loads an operating system or some other software for the computer after completion of the self-tests. Within the hard reboot process, it runs after completion of the self-tests, then loads and runs the software. A boot loader is loaded into main memory from persistent memory, such as a hard disk drive or, in some older computers, from a medium such as punched cards, punched tape, or magnetic tape. The boot loader then loads and executes the processes that finalize the boot. Like POST processes, the boot loader code comes from a "hard-wired" and persistent location; if that location is too limited for some reason, that primary boot loader calls a second-stage boot loader or a secondary program loader.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booting

 
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eldapeeze

eldapeeze

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Dec 23, 2012
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That's the thing. They sound identical. I used wiki and it confused me more. Is there a more dummy term for someone like me that doesn't know much about it? It sounds like they both load operating systems, so is there a difference I'm missing?
 
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