Where is a computer's start-up program usually stored?

Where is a computer's start-up program usually stored?

• A. In RAM
• B. In ROM
• C. On disk
• D. On magnetic tape

Answer: (B)

The starting boot code must be available immediately and without power, so it needs non-volatile memory that the CPU can execute right at turn-on. RAM would lose its contents when power is off, so it can’t store the startup program. Disk or tape store data that typically requires a running system to access and load, but the initial bootstrap must run before anything else is loaded. Therefore the startup program is stored in ROM (firmware), which preserves its contents without power and can be executed directly. In modern systems this is often implemented as flash memory, a rewritable form of ROM, but the essential idea is non-volatile, directly executable firmware.

The starting boot code must be available immediately and without power, so it needs non-volatile memory that the CPU can execute right at turn-on. RAM would lose its contents when power is off, so it can’t store the startup program. Disk or tape store data that typically requires a running system to access and load, but the initial bootstrap must run before anything else is loaded. Therefore the startup program is stored in ROM (firmware), which preserves its contents without power and can be executed directly. In modern systems this is often implemented as flash memory, a rewritable form of ROM, but the essential idea is non-volatile, directly executable firmware.