Warm boot

Warm Boot is the action of restarting a computer system without having to turn off the power. The computer returns to its normal operating state without interrupting any active programs or processes. This is also known as a “soft boot” or “warm start”.

The warm boot process involves loading the basic operating system code (e.g., the DOS system files). This may involve reloading a portion of the operating system but not the entire system, for example, reloading the memory manager only instead of reloading everything. Furthermore, a warm boot can be contrasted with a cold boot in which all components of the operating system are reloaded and the system is restarted from a powered-off state.

A warm boot is typically faster than a cold boot and is used primarily when a quick restart is needed. For example, if a system experiences a crash or power loss due to an unexpected event, a warm boot can save time by only reloading certain components of the system. It is also used to update the system without the need to completely restart the computer.

Warm boots can be initiated by pressing certain computer keys, such as Control+Alt+Delete or Control+Shift+Delete. Other methods include pressing the power button on the system or pressing the restart button on the computer’s front panel.

Warm booting is less common in modern systems, as many new computers are designed with fast cold boots. However, the process is still available on most computer systems and can be used to quickly restart a system.