According to CompTia's A+ guide to certification in Chapter 14 pg. 52, The 2000/XP Boot Process, the three files required to start Windows XP operating system are: NTLDR, BOOT.INI, and NTDETECT.COM. If you are using a SCSI hard drive, there's a fourth file called NTBOOTDD.SYS.
Windows Vista/7 Key Boot Files
BOOTMGR - Found in the MBR this file boots up the Windows operating system
BCD (Boot Configuration Data) - is text file that lists the available OS found and tells the BOOTMGR where to find boot partition
WINLOAD.EXE- Loads the Windows Interface
NTOSKRNL.EXE- Windows Vista/7 Core Files
WIN.COM - Windows Vista/7 command file
HAL.DLL - Hardware Abstraction layer of Windows Vista/7
the three files in booting files in windows xp boot.ini ntldr and ntdetect.com
io.sys msdos.sys command.com
An MS-DOS boot disk can contain several files, the the minimum three files required are command.com, IO.sys, and MSDOS.sys (the two SYS files may be hidden).
the three methods are Booting with GRUB Booting with LILO and last but not least is Booting with CD's i.e ISO images
A. COMMAND.COM B. MSDOS.SYS C. IO.SYS
the three primary categories of software are the operating system, application programs, and user files.
The disk formatted with the s switch applied, would have three extra files on it... Config .sys - Config .bat and Autoexec .bat... These files tell a computer the disk is capable of booting the computer - not just for storing data.
It manages the Hardware resources maintanes the system of files controls input and output operations
length width height
msdos.sys io.sys command.com
A system file is the file system provides a method of handling data that makes it easy to store and access information. It also provides a logical method of organizing , retrieving and maintaining information. E.g :there are three types of system files 1)MSDOS.sys 2)IO.sys 3)command.com
MS-DOS = MicroSoft Disk Operating System & IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, & COMMAND .COM