In DOS terminology, restarting the operating system without turning system power off is referred to as what type of boot?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: warm

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Boot terminology distinguishes between restarts that cycle power and those that do not. In DOS-era PCs, technicians commonly initiated a non-power-cycle restart to recover from software issues without completely resetting the hardware environment.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • System remains powered; only the OS and software state are reinitialized.
  • Common triggers include Ctrl+Alt+Del or issuing a reboot command.
  • Hardware is not fully power-cycled.


Concept / Approach:
A warm boot restarts the system without removing power, reinitializing software and many hardware registers but typically leaving power on to components. A cold boot, by contrast, follows a complete power cycle or hard reset. DOS documentation and technician jargon consistently label the former as a warm boot.


Step-by-Step Solution:

1) Identify whether power remains on during restart.2) If yes, classify as warm boot (software-initiated restart).3) If power is cut and reapplied, classify as cold boot.4) Apply the term consistently in troubleshooting notes and user instructions.


Verification / Alternative check:
Using Ctrl+Alt+Del on DOS reboots without powering off, confirming “warm boot” behavior.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • reboot: Generic term that does not specify warm vs cold.
  • shutdown / system up: Do not denote this specific restart type in DOS jargon.
  • None of the above: Incorrect because warm is the precise term.


Common Pitfalls:
Assuming all reboots are the same; documentation often requires distinguishing warm from cold for hardware initialization issues.


Final Answer:
warm

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